Grand Prix rookie Romano Fenati took victory in the Jerez Moto3 race this morning in a race that saw many of the front runners, including Britain's Danny Kent, crash in the opening laps.
Italian Fenati, in only his second GP race, was in a battle with Alex Rins until the Spaniard ran into the gravel, across the grass and then re-joined in third place, which gave the Team Italia a 20-second lead which he increased to 36 by the time the chequered flag came out. Fenati also becomes the third-youngest rider to win a GP behind Scott Redding and Marco Melandri.
Red Bull KTM's Kent tipped off at the slippery turn nine, following Jack Miller down and then Simone Grotsky also crashed at the same time while Maverick Vinales was into the kitty litter a few laps later. Miller broke a collarbone in the accident. Jakub Kornfiel 'did a Mamola' vaulting off the side of his bike only to save it and then the wet kerb saw the rear of his machine get away from him.
Portugese title contender Miguel Olivera was next to fall and he was followed by Arthur Sissis and then Alex Marquez found himself off track but re-joined mid-pack. Louis Rossi crashed out of second with 14 laps to go. Danny Webb was next to go out, retiring with only a handful of laps to the flag.
Fenati,who had never ridden in the rain until Friday's opening practice, was lapping two seconds faster than Sandro Cortese who had quietly made his way into second with Rins in third and Louis Salom in fourth.
Salom took second on the penultimate lap and used backmarkers to pull a gap with Cortese bagging the final podium spot. Rins was fourth, Alex Masbou fifth and Maverick Vinales finished in sixth.
