Japanese Moto2: Chantra hands out Motegi Masterclass

Somkiat Chantra completed his dominant weekend with victory from pole, with his team enjoying a home 1-2 in the Japanese Moto2 Grand Prix.

Lisa Lewis

01 Oct 2023

Ai Ogura, Somkiat Chantra, Moto2, Japanese MotoGP 30 September

Chantra got a perfect start and then managed his race to perfection to complete an untouchable weekend with victory in round fourteen of the Moto2 championship at Motegi.

The Idemitsu rider had topped all the practice sessions on his way to pole and backed up that performance on race day with a ideal start, to lead at turn one. From there the Thai rider remained in a different league, managing his gap at around the two second mark.

Over the final laps his teammate Ai Ogura charged after Chantra, but a response saw him able to lead over the line by a comfortable 1.353s - enough to confidently pull a wheelie over the line as the celebrations began instantly.

It was just Chantra’s second career win.

Behind Ogura made it a team 1-2 bringing success at home not just for himself but the Japanese Honda Team Asia outfit.

Acosta recovers from tough start

Pedro Acosta put in a champions performance, grabbing valuable title points with a third place finish.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider had qualified fourth and instantly sat up at the opening corner, running wide. The Spaniard was then forced out even further by Aron Canet.

That saw the #37 down in seventh, but wasted no time in starting his fight back. Fourth by lap four after passing Sam Lowes down the hill, it was Alonso Lopez next on track, who at that point still needed two complete his double long lap penalty.

Acosta did not have the pace to catch the Idemitsu riders, but an eleventh podium in a consistent season saw him extend his title lead once again.

Jake Dixon had fought hard to make it to the front row of the grid, havimg come through Q1 after a shaky start to his Motegi Moto2 journey.

The Inde GasGas Aspar rider got a strong start and soon found himself back in the company of Lopez, whogot his penalty after contact took Dixon out at the last round. The #96 did not quite have the pace to run at the front but was a clear fourth at the chequered flag.

Filip Salac was a distant fifth, leading the chasing pack over the line for QJMotor Gresini.

The Czech rider pulled away from Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) who was two seconds further back. The Spaniard held a similar gap over seventh placed Marcos Ramirez, who has looked invigorated since taking over the American Racing seat from Sean Dylan Kelly, claiming his best result of the season after inishing ninth in India after moving over from the Forward Team.

Aron Canet recovered from his early grip issues which saw him out wide with Acosta, rejoining 13th after qualifying seventh.The Pons rider was a further two seconds down the track for eighth, ahead of Zonta van den Goorbergh, who also needed to recover from a similar start for Fieten Olie Racing.

Darryn Binder was the best of the rookie riders in the Moto2 class after Sergio Garcia crashed out of sixth . The South African brought home his Liqui Moly Husqvarna Kalex in tenth from an 18th placed start after making smooth progress with some hard but fair overtakes.

Arbolino struggles to keep title hopes alive.

Tony Arbolino once again had a qualifying to forget. From 13th progression was always going to be tough, but he initially made up two places and was still holding eleventh by lap six.

The riders in those places were close on track so on the next lap the Elf Marc VDS rider dropped to twelfth, but soon found his way up to tenth as riders in front exited.

That set up a big battle over the final laps with four riders involved, Arbolino, Lopez, Izan Guevara and Joe Roberts.

Sensing danger, a late push saw the ex-championship leader finish eleventh.

Roberts had been much higher, but lost ground saving a fall as he pushed his bike trough the gravel to then stage a comeback for twelfth for Italtrans.

Lopez was az high as second before he finally set off for his two trips down the long lap loop. The Beta Tools Speed Up rider was the best of the Boscoscuro riders in 13th after Fermin Aldeguer was forced out wide early in the race, finishing 22nd.

The remianing points went to rookie Guevara,who was right behind in 14th for Aspar and BArry Baltus a distant 15th on the second Fieten Olie Racing machine.

Crashes, injuries and replacements

Senna Agius (21st) kept Lukas Tulovic’s seat warm at Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP, as he continues his recovery.

Sean Dylan Kelly, now at Forward, replaced Alex Escrig. The American was 23rd

Celestino Vietti broke his pubic bone in India, with MotoE world champion Mattia Casedi stepping in at Fantic Racing. He was last of the racers to finish after Rory Skinner had to pass him twice after overtaking during one of many yellow flags.

Along with Garcia and and a frustrated Sam Lowes, Kohta Nozane and Dennis Foggia both also finished their races in the gravel.

Where does that leave the championship?

Acosta moves on to a very secure 252 points after his podium finish. Arbolino remains second, but a distant forty points away on 202.

Jake Dixon remains third after his fourth in the race, with 159 points to his name. Aron Canet stays fourth overall on 124, with Lopez (119), race winner Chantra (114) and Salac (108) all moving ahead of Vietti in his absence.