Raul Fernandez claimed the second victory of his Moto2 career by leading his team-mate Remy Gardner in a KTM one-two in Sunday’s FrenchGP.
The Spaniard got the better of third-place man Marco Bezzecchi in the opening stages of the Le Mans contest before the 20-year-old maintained a dominant command, vastly advanced of his rookie experience.
Sam Lowes was unfortunate to succumb to the Sarthe track’s perilous conditions on the fourth lap of proceedings with Jake Dixon concluding a difficult weekend in 19th.
Despite facing a treacherous downpour during morning warm up, the Moto2 race was declared dry as the intermediate class lined up for the 25-lap battle. Fernandez headed the grid for the first time in only his fifth race, with Bezzecchi and last year’s pole-man Joe Roberts alongside.
Bezzecchi stormed off the lights as the race got underway, Fernandez holding second as Canet took Roberts and Augusto Fernandez for third before a massive crash cut the Italian’s race dramatically short.
Lowes was up to eighth with the fastest lap so far as lap three got going just as his teammate crashed out. Stefani Manzi the next to succumb to conditions at turn seven with Alonso Lopez doing likewise on his debut at turn 10. Lowes looked to be challenging Xavi Vierge for seventh before the pair went down at Garage Vert, Lorenzo Baldassarri also losing out at the same corner.
Roberts was the next faller on lap five, this time at turn nine after contact with Bezzecchi as Fernandez took control of the race. Bo Bendsneyder sat third from Remy Gardner and Tony Arbolino with Hector Garzo, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marcel Schrotter rounding out the top-eight.
Arbolino was on fire as he set the fastest lap as he battled for third, Garzo crashing out at turn 11 on the next revolution after a clash with Di Giannantonio while Cameron Beaubier became the next to set the pace as he climbed to ninth. The American was in an impressive rhythm as he saw off Ai Ogura for eighth shortly after, a two-second gap to Schrotter now the target for the number six.
Fernandez looked determined out front as he circulated over a second clear of Bezzecchi behind, pushing the pace once again with a best lap of 1’37.382 as the Sky rider sat 0.5s ahead of the Dutchman in third.
Di Giannantonio took a detour via his long lap penalty for irresponsible riding - after Garzo’s crash - however, the Italian’s sloppy dispatch of the sanction was met with a second trip around the loop at the halfway stage, dropping the Gresini rider from 11th to 14th with 13 laps to go.
Back at the front and Fernandez remained in control as his pace increased to a dominant 1’36.9, Gardner defending from Arbolino’s determined challenge for fourth while Beaubier rose to an impressive sixth.
Gardner finally made his move for podium contention stick with 10 to go as he swept passed Bendsneyder, Arbolino doing likewise moments later as the Dutchman dropped to fifth. His position seemingly safe as 14-seconds separated him from the American behind. The Australian was on a determined charge as he upped the pace again to 1’36.8, getting the better of Bezzecchi as the Italian ran wide at turn eight to secure a KTM 1-2 with seven laps to go.
The KTM battle intensified as Gardner reeled in his junior teammate, 1.4s now the gap to the front as disaster struck the charging American Racing rider. Beaubier losing the front at the legendary turn three, with all hopes of his best finish to date dashed in the dust.
Bezzecchi received a track limits warning as the race neared its conclusion, the Sky rider sitting two-seconds adrift of the riders ahead and behind as the front group all circulated on relatively equal pace.
There was little change as the final lap unfold, Fernandez delighted to meet the flag for his second win of his debut season with the celebrations continuing at KTM as Gardner came home in second. Bezzecchi claimed the final podium position from Arbolino and Bendsneyder with Schrotter heading Ogura and an impressive recovery for Di Giannantonio in the top-eight. Simone Corsi crossed the line in ninth from Jorge Navarro and Somkiat Chantra with Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Nicolò Bulega, Marcos Ramirez and Albert Arenas claiming the final championship points.
Chantra is facing a one-place demotion after the event for exceeding track limits in the final stages. Barry Baltus took 17th on his return from injury, behind Hafizh Syahrin, and ahead of Baldassarri with Dixon, Celestino Vietti and Tommaso Marcon concluding the FrenchGP finishers.
