Britain’s Sam Lowes took a hard-fought second place in today’s Moto2 race at the Argentine MotoGP round, crossing the line 1.3s behind the reigning champion despite setting the fastest lap of the race with three to go.
Lowes had been in a four-bike dice with Zarco, Franco Morbidelli and Jonas Folger right from lights out, taking the lead from Folger on lap three when the German ran wide.
The Isle of Man rider then tried to pull a gap but as Morbidelli passed Zarco for third but there was no denying the Ajo rider as he came straight back past.
With 11 left to run, Zarco used superior drive to pass Lowes on the back straight and then made a small break which he held on to.
Lowes ran wide six laps later, allowing Morbidelli through as first Zarco and then Lowes set the fastest laps of the race. Lowes went back under the Italian MarcVDS man with three to run.
Then, as Morbidelli tried to stay with Lowes, he lost the rear halfway through turn one, spinning through 100° and having to retire.
Folder took the final podium spot with a fast-charging Alex Rins in fourth place. Swiss Dominique Aegerter bagged fifth with Hafizh Syahrin sixth.
Qatar winner Thomas Luthi ended in seventh with Alex Pons, Taka Nakagami and Mattia Pasini completing the top ten. Danny Kent got off to a bad start and couldn’t recover, finishing in 16th,
