Somkiat Chantra dominated the Indonesian Moto2 encounter to score his debut grand prix victory in commanding style ahead of Celestino Vietti as pole-man Jake Dixon crashed out.
The race was shortened from its originally-scheduled 26 laps to 16 prior to lights out after tyre supplier Dunlop were left concerned over the extremely hot conditions ahead of the race in regards to whether its rubber would last the distance, chiefly because of no more than 12 dry laps being completed by any rider across the weekend due to incliment weather.
Chantra made a lightning start to slingshot from fourth to the lead as the field exited Turn 1, the Thai ace immediately pulling a slender advantage over Sam Lowes and Dixon.
The Honda Team Asia man held firm out front even as drops of rain started to fall as his challengers behind began to falter, Lowes dropping back as grip started to drop while Dixon crashed out soon after relieving his countryman of second just a few laps into the contest.
This allowed Vietti and Aron Canet to have a crack at breaking Chantra’s resolve, though ultimately both would fail as the leader continued to extend his gap out front in the tricky conditions to eventual take the chequered flag 3.2 seconds clear of Vietti to secure his first ever Moto2 success, as well as Honda Team Asia’s first since Takaaki Nakagami won at Silverstone in 2017.
Canet would end up completing the rostrum on his Pons machine ahead of Lowes in a lonely fourth, while Augusto Fernandez ended up passing Speed Up’s Fermin Aldeguer for fifth in the closing laps.
The Boscoscuro racer would also lose out to a charging Ai Ogura on the other Team Asia entry, the Japanese having started a lowly 21st after struggling in qualifying, leaving him seventh at the flag.
Tony Arbolino was eighth on his Marc VDS bike ahead of Pedro Acosta, who bagged ninth despite having to serve a long-lap penalty for crashing under yellow flags on Saturday, while Albert Arenas would complete the top ten on the sole remaining Aspar Kalex.
Team-mate Dixon would eventually pull into the pits to retire after e-mounting following his crash, while MV Augusta’s Simone Corsi would also crash out after enjoying a strong start, the Italian veteran running as high as fourth in the early circulations.
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