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Race report

Motegi Moto3: Bastianini stuns Binder with last-lap pass

Enea Bastianini had just enough to beat newly crowned Moto3 champion Brad Binder in Motegi on the final lap of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing Team Moto3

Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing Team Moto3

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing Team Moto3
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Ajo
Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing
Andrea Migno, Sky Racing Team VR46
Fabio Di Giannantonio, Gresini Racing Moto3
Fabio Quartararo, Leopard Racing
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Ajo
Livio Loi, RW Racing GP BV
Hiroki Ono, Honda Team Asia
Nicolo Bulega, Sky Racing Team VR46
Francesco Bagnaia, Aspar Team Mahindra Moto3
Jorge Navarro, Estrella Galicia 0,0
Lorenzo Dalla Porta, SKY Racing Team VR46
Andrea Migno, Sky Racing Team VR46

Binder led the early stages, after poleman Andrea Migno went wide approaching the tunnel on the opening lap.

The South African, who clinched the title last time out at Aragon, then remained fairly unchallenged throughout the next 17 laps, until Bastianini closed up.

With two laps remaining, the Gresini rider was all over Binder, and finally on the last lap, with a few corners remaining, the Italian dived to the inside of his rival to take the lead.

Binder fought back, but Bastianini had just enough in hand to take his first win of the season by a mere 0.017s over the line, as Binder registered his 12th podium of the season in second.

Behind the top two, the battle for third was on with Migno tussling with local hero Hiroki Ono and Nicolo Bulega.

The Japanese rider, who lost his pole position to Migno due to a penalty, was leading the two Sky VR46 riders on the final lap.

Just as Migno tried to make a move on Ono, the pair made slight contact, enough to send the Italian into a highside crash. He remounted, but finished well out of the points in 25th.

Meanwhile, Ono registered his best finish and first world championship podium in his home grand prix, with Bulega came home a strong fourth just behind.

After fighting with the lead group, Aspar Mahindra's Francesco Bagnaia fell into the clutches of the second group, which was led by Philipp Ottl.

Ottl wasted no time to move past the VR46 academy rider to take fifth, with Bastianini's Gresini teammate Fabio di Giannantonio soon following suit.

Bagnaia eventually finished seventh, while Livio Loi and Leopard teammates Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir completed the top 10.

Meanwhile, erstwhile title contender Jorge Navarro dislocated his shoulder after a crash on Lap 1 going into the first corner, which also took out John McPhee and Gabriel Rodrigo.

The Estrella Galicia rider had made slight contact with Mir into the corner and lost control of his bike, right into the path of McPhee and Rodrigo.

UPDATE: Ono has been disqualified from the race for his bike being 'under the minimum weight'. This gives Bulega the final podium place.

Race results:

Pos#DriverBikeLapsTimeGap
1 33 Enea Bastianini Honda 20 39'24.273  
2 41 Brad Binder KTM 20 39'24.290 0.017
3 76 Hiroki Ono Honda 20 39'26.927 2.654
4 8 Nicolo Bulega KTM 20 39'28.275 4.002
5 65 Philipp Ottl KTM 20 39'29.392 5.119
6 4 Fabio Di Giannantonio Honda 20 39'30.561 6.288
7 21 Francesco Bagnaia Mahindra 20 39'32.012 7.739
8 11 Livio Loi Honda 20 39'32.022 7.749
9 20 Fabio Quartararo KTM 20 39'32.617 8.344
10 36 Joan Mir KTM 20 39'33.153 8.880
11 23 Niccolo Antonelli Honda 20 39'33.310 9.037
12 48   Lorenzo dalla Porta KTM 20 39'36.605 12.332
13 7 Adam Norrodin Honda 20 39'37.798 13.525
14 84 Jakub Kornfeil Honda 20 39'43.091 18.818
15 12 Albert Arenas Peugeot 20 39'45.536 21.263
16 24 Tatsuki Suzuki Mahindra 20 39'45.564 21.291
17 95 Jules Danilo Honda 20 39'46.000 21.727
18 42   Marcos Ramirez Mahindra 20 39'58.748 34.475
19 64 Bo Bendsneyder KTM 20 40'04.223 39.950
20 89 Khairul Idham Pawi Honda 20 40'04.450 40.177
21 3 Fabio Spiranelli Mahindra 20 40'11.077 46.804
22 77   Lorenzo Petrarca Mahindra 20 40'13.358 49.085
23 40 Darryn Binder Mahindra 20 40'16.843 52.570
24 6 Maria Herrera KTM 20 40'16.955 52.682
25 16 Andrea Migno KTM 20 40'41.047 1'16.774
26 58 Juan Francisco Guevara KTM 20 40'46.375 1'22.102
27 13   Shizuka Okazaki Honda 20 41'15.896 1'51.623
  88 Jorge Martin Mahindra 10 19'53.155 10 laps
  44 Aron Canet Honda 9 19'31.438 11 laps
  55 Andrea Locatelli KTM 4 8'08.049 16 laps
  43 Stefano Valtulini Mahindra 3 6'11.042 17 laps
  9 Jorge Navarro Honda 0    
  17 John McPhee Peugeot 0    
  19 Gabriel Rodrigo KTM 0    

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