MotoGP Sepang: Arbolino masters Moto2 victory as Ogura crashes

Elf Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino claimed victory in the Moto2 Malaysian Grand Prix after a dramatic final lap at Sepang.

A late crash for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura saw the championship challenger down at turn nine as he challenged the dominant race-long leader. Beta Tools Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez and Inde GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon completed the podium while Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez finished fourth to retake and extend his lead in the standings to nine and half points.

Ogura lined up at the head of the Sepang grid as he prepared for his first shot at the Moto2 title. Championship rival Fernandez launching from sixth position with Arbolino and Flexbox HP40’s Aron Canet completing the front row.

Lights out for 18 laps and Arbolino claimed the holeshot with Dixon up to third. Somkiat Chantra briefly running fourth on the second Idemitsu machine before turn two drama found him down, out and collecting Pedro Acosta on the Red Bull KTM Ajo. Canet shoved wide in the melee with David Sanchis and Alessandro Zaccone suffering their own collision as the action unfolded.

Lopez was up on Dixon for the final podium position as Yamaha VR46 Master Camp’s Manuel Gonzalez led Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer in the top seven. Dixon seeming to struggle as he faded further, this time to fifth.

Arbolino held a seven tenth advantage as lap three fired up. The top six spreading out as over three seconds covered the front runners in the opening laps with Aldeguer already a full second adrift of the KTM. Intact GP’s Marcel Shorter, American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier and Gresini’s Filip Salac rounded out the top ten with Canet regrouping a quarter of a second behind.

Mooney VR46’s Celestino Vietti suffered his eighth DNF of the