MotoGP Motegi: Guevara takes Moto3 victory despite warm-up scare

Autosolar GasGas Aspar’s Izan Guevara claimed the first Japanese GP victory in three years to extend his Moto3 title bid on Sunday.

Leopard’s Dennis Foggia and Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max’s Ayumu Sasaki completed the podium with the ‘crazy boy’ denied the home win in the closing stages.

A dramatic, but dry warm-up saw championship leader Guevara make contact with the rear of John McPhee’s Husqvarna before careering off track and into the barriers, the Aspar team able to repair the bike in time for the grid as he lined up ninth. Tech3’s Deniz Öncü suffered his own major highside during the morning’s 10 minutes on track with a trip to the medical centre for a hand injury before he too prepared for the 20-lap race.

Leopard’s Tatsuki Suzuki commanded the grid on home soil for the first Japanese Grand Prix in three years. VisionTrack’s Scott Ogden alongside for his maiden front row in the world championship with Sergio Garcia completing the leading trio on the second GasGas machine.

Lights out and Garcia stole the holeshot as home heroes Suzuki and Sasaki took second and third, the Leopard rider returning to the lead with teammate Foggia up to third in the opening sector. Öncü running wide with Ogden dropped to eighth in the bunching pack.

Guevara was into the lead by turn eight as CIP Joel Kelso crashed out with VisionTrack’s Josh Whatley at lap nine, CFMoto’s Carlos Tatay and the second CIP machine of Kaito Toba doing likewise one corner later.

Sasaki sat in the middle of a Leopard sandwich as the opening lap concluded. Garcia, BOE’s David Muñoz, Rivacold Snipers’ Andrea Migno, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jaume Masia, Sic58’s Ricardo Rossi and MT Helmet’s’ Diogo Moreira rounding out the top ten. Replacement rider Kamta Hamada and