KTM Ajo’s Remy Gardner secured his fourth victory of 2021 after a race-long battle with pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi in the Moto2 BritishGP.
The Sky VR46 rider was joined on the podium by Jorge Navarro after a late charge denied celebrations for local rider Sam Lowes. The Brit settling for fourth, just three-tenths shy of a place in Parc Ferme.
The day’s final action saw Moto2 line up behind Bezzecchi. Home hero Lowes alongside on the front row, in third, with Navarro splitting the pair and the KTM’s of Gardner and Raul Fernandez threatening from behind.
As the lights released, Bezzecchi launched on soft Dunlop tyres, the Italian maintaining his advantage through the first sector before Lowes swept through around Becketts to lead the BritishGP.
Fernandez got the better of his teammate as the opening lap played out with the Australian fighting back as lap two began. Fabio Di Giannantonio was the next to move, demoting the rookie into the clutches of his namesake, Augusto Fernandez circulating in seventh.
Gardner was up to third mid-way through the second lap, with Bezzecchi taking back the lead in the closing sector. The KTM claiming a best race lap in the process as the top-trio pushed hard.
Marcel Schrotter’s long lap penalty came into play as lap three got underway - the Intact rider having ignored black and orange flags in FP1 - with Xavi Vierge, Aron Canet and Joe Roberts fighting for position at the end of the top-10. Lorenzo Baldassarri retiring after a disappointing and painful weekend.
Gardner was through on Lowes by lap five and closing in hard on the VR46 machine ahead. Bezzecchi losing the lead at the Loop, while trying hard to fight back through Brooklands but it wasn’t to be, at least for now. The fight continued as the next lap unfolded, the pair swapping positions throughout the 6km layout with contact bunching the pack, Gardner back in charge as they crossed the line with 12 to go. Hector Garzo down and out at turn 15 at the end of lap six.
A Fernandez-Fernandez battle began for sixth with the Marc VDS pushing through, his teammate continuing his podium run as Lowes kept the leading pair in his sights.
Bezzecchi proved his strength on the brakes as he bettered Gardner for the lead once again, Lowes reeling the battling duo in to sit just three-tenths adrift at the halfway stage.
Stefano Manzi became the second faller of the 18-lap race, the Flexbox Pons rider out at turn four to join his teammate in an early finish.
Ai Ogura made his mark on the top-10 on lap 12, the Idemitsu rider demoting Roberts as Celestino Vietti advanced to 13th, Tom Luthi sat in 12th with Cameron Beaubier dispatching Nicolò Bulega for the final points.
Navarro looked to pick up the pace as the race counted down, the Speed Up closing in on Lowes for a late podium battle as the top-six as set personal bests in the first sector with six laps to go. The Brit answering with the fastest lap of the race so far.
Beaubier’s advance was short lived as the American crashed out at turn eight, Lowes losing out to Navarro next time around as Fernandez’ KTM sat on the side of the track at turn 13. The rookie in pain after Farm claimed another victim.
The top-two continued their needle match at the start of the penultimate lap, Lowes looking to get back on the podium as he pushed from fourth, Navarro answering as he maintained the gap with the second Marc VDS claiming fifth.
Gardner consolidated the victory for his fourth win of the year - his first since Sachsenring - Bezzecchi settling for second four-tenths back with Navarro disappointing the British fans in third.
Lowes finished a hard-fought fourth from Di Giannantonio and teammate Fernandez, Canet, Vierge, Ogura and Roberts rounding out the top-10. Tom Luthi took 11th from Vietti and Schrotter with Bulega and Bo Bendsneyder completing the points.
