An edge of seat last lap battle saw Sergio Garcia victorious in Argentina as the Solunion GasGas Aspar rider claimed his fifth Moto3 win.
Leopard’s Dennis Foggia and Sterilgarda Husqvarna’s Ayumu Sasaki equally impressive after fighting though the pack to complete the podium celebrations.
Garcia lined up on pole for the third race of the season. His GasGas teammate Izan Guevara joining him on the front row, in third, with Sasaki - who faced a long lap penalty for his part in a crash with Andrea Migno at Mandalika - splitting the pair from second. SIC 58’s Riccardo Rossi and a duo of rookies, Joel Kelso and Daniel Holgado, behind on row two with 21 laps ahead.
The track was already up to 36℃ as the lights released the pack for the morning’s first race. Garcia maintaining command from Sasaki with Rossi initially bettering the second Aspar machine. Guevara however fought back at the halfway stage, before joining his teammate out front. CFMoto’s Xavi Artigas and MT Helmets’ Diogo Moreira ran fifth and sixth as the third lap began with Ana Carrasco’s Argentina GP coming to a close early due to a technical issue on her BOE SKX.
Guevara hit the front with the fastest lap of the race so far, immediately running half a second clear of from Garcia and Artigas as Moreira joined the fight in fourth. KTM’s Jaume Masia arriving from nowhere as he manoeuvred his way through the top ten before claiming the final podium position by lap four. Sasaki looking to regroup from 18th having dispatched his penalty.
Masia was the next to set a fastest lap as he continued to battle with the leading group, Moreira sliding through as the KTM went wide, much to the delight of the South American fans, before the Ajo rider hit back.
It was a team effort out front as lap six concluded. GasGas Aspar locking out the top two with KTM Ajo running third and four until Holgado dropped back to sixth. Rivacold Sniper’s Migno joining the fight with the Brazilian maintaining his grip on the leading group as Artigas bowed out early at turn seven.
The Leopards of Tatsuki Suzuki and Foggia joined the back of the leading group, in seventh and ninth, after a quieter than normal start for the duo. Carrasco crashing out having rejoined after her earlier issue.
A three-way fight for dominance saw Guevara and Garcia fighting off Masia as lap nine played out. The KTM securing second next time around with Migno following suit shortly after. Garcia dropped into the clutches of Moreira before he fought back for third once again.
Further back, Foggia was through on his teammate for eighth as Sasaki advanced to 12th. Carlos Tatay the current gatekeeper for the top ten with Holgado and Rossi now ahead as the Leopards advanced to fifth and sixth. Guevara the next to suffer a technical issue as his Aspar gave up at turn three, his lead in both the race and the championship fading as quickly as his GasGas’ power.
Migno was up to second at the halfway stage, Foggia sweeping into the podium fight half a lap later as he took two bikes in one go. While Sasaki returned to the pack, in eighth. Masia was the next to strike as he bettered the Leopard but the Italian was far from done. Foggia through for second with nine laps to go as the pendulum kept swinging in the top four.
Garcia had Migno and Masia for company as lap 14 counted down. Scott Ogden forced to retire the VisionTrack Honda into pitlane. The Snipers and KTM rider crashing out in tandem next time around as Migno clipped the back of Masia’s machine.
The chaos left the Leopards firmly in contention as Foggia led Suzuki in second and third. Garcia circulating half a second clear with five laps to go and Rossi, Sasaki and Holgado sitting fourth to sixth. The SIC58 rider attempting to find a way through in Suzuki for third but without success.
Two laps to go and Garcia maintained control. Foggia easing closer as the race wound down with Sasaki up to fourth, the podium once again in sight.
Foggia took the lead in the final corner with one lap to run, Garcia battling hard before Suzuki too dispatched the Aspar’s efforts. The trio continuing to battle as the final corners came into view with Garcia clinching a dramatic victory at the flag. Sasaki denying Suzuki in a similar move at the last corner for the final podium celebrations.
Rossi headed Moreira for fifth and sixth with the Italian later rewarded again as a post-race penalty for exceeding track limits dropped Suzuki one more position. Holgado and Tatay leading the CIP Green Power pair of Kaito Toba and Kelso in the top ten. Elia Bartolini, Ryusei Yamanaka, Adrian Fernandez, Deniz Öncü and Ivan Ortola collecting the final championship points ahead of the remaining 23 finishers.
