Austrian Moto2: Victorious Vietti completes comeback weekend

Celestino Vietti was back to his best as he got the better of Pedro Acosta for his first win in over a year in the Moto2 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

Lisa Lewis

20 Aug 2023

Celestino Vietti, Moto2 race, Austrian MotoGP, 20 August

Vietti brought home his Fantic Racing bike in front after catching and passing Acosta then pushed all the way to the line to increase his gap and make sure of a win in round ten of the Moto2 championship in Austria.

It was initially Acosta who got a great start from pole with Jake Dixon in behind after a big launch from fourth.

Ai Ogura soon got the better of Dixon to give chase as the Spaniard attempted to escape, while Vietti was fifth after going backwards a little from his front row start.

Working his way to the front aboard the Kalex, it was lap eighteen that saw Vietti near enough to make his move and he went for it at turn six.

Acosta stayed right behind until the #14 pulled the pin on the last lap, beginning it just 0.6 ahead to lead over the line by 1.435s.

It is Fantic Racing’s first Moto2 win and marks a big comeback for Vietti. Holding his nerve for the win with metronomic pace allowed him to pick up his first victory since Catalunya in 2022, over a years wait.

Acosta and Vietti were both fighting track limits as they pushed their bikes to the limit out front, with Acosta talkng valuable championship points after again finishing clear of nearest title rival Tony Arbolino, who gave everything, regularly running wide to bring home his Marc VDS bike in sixth.

Ogura pulled a second clear of Dixon for his second podium of the season as he too sees a continued upturn in form for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia.

Dixon in turn was well away from his next in-race rival Somkiat Chantra, the duo battling hard before he got away from the second Idemitsu entry, leaving the Thai rider fifth.

Arbolino had shot up to fifth at the start but was pushing hard and running wide so could not keep up with the leaders or prevent the gaps in the race forming ahead. Dropping to seventh, he passed Filip Salac for sixth early in the race but never dropped the Gresini rider as he went on to cross the line right behind him in seventh.

Sergio Garcia was the best of the rookie riders in eighth for Pons Wegow Los 40, with Fermin Aldeguer less than a second behind at the chequered flag as the top Boscoscuro finisher for CAG SpeedUp.

There was a huge wait before Lukas Tulovic arrived to claim a top ten finish, his best result of the season for Liqui Moly Husqvarna IntactGP, with Dennis Foggia next to arrive in eleventh for Italtrans.

Jeremy Alcoba raced his way into the points from 25th on the grid on the second QJMotor Gresini entry, finishing twelfth.

Former Moto3 champion Izan Guevara had a much better weekend - starting 19th after just missing out on Q2 in qualifying he secured his first points finish of the season in 13th for Autosolar GasGas Aspar.

Marcos Ramirez fought hard for the position but had to concede and settle for 14th for American Racing, with Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG) 15th.

Crashes, injuries and replacements

Sean Dylan Kelly remains out at American Racing. Marcos Ramirez filled in for him.

Taiga Hada (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) missed the Austrian round too. Mattia Rato was his replacement, finishing 19th, behind Rory Skinner, the rookie had his best finish to date in 18th for American Racing.

Zonta van den Goorbergh was handed a late long lap penalty for exceeding track limits, a constant issue in the race with a huge amount of riders sat on a warning. That dropped him to 22nd.

Darryn Binder was first to exit, along with Sam Lowes, a collision saw the Brit run straight over in the gravel to apologise. A trip to the medical centre later revealed Binder had fractured his vertebrae in the fall.

The turn two chicane and turn three exit took several victims with Manuel Gonzalez and Joe Roberts both off there. The American rejoined but later retired.

Albert Arenas fell twice before calling it a day, with Aron Canet adding to his crash tally again - he has suffered the most in Moto2 so far this season.

Where does that leave the championship?

Second sees Acosta move onto 176, increasing his lead over Arbolino from two to twelve. Jake Dixon remians third overall on 117 while Aron Canet’s fall keeps him third, still on a total of 96 after failing to collect any points.