Catalunya Moto2: Dixon keeps Canet at bay as title rivals falter

Jake Dixon timed his move to the front of the race to perfection, keeping Aron Canet behind him over the tense final lap of the Moto2 Catalan Grand Prix.

Lisa Lewis

03 Sep 2023

Jake Dixon, Moto2 race, Catalunya MotoGP, 3 September

Dixon made it win number two as he rode intelligently out front to out think every late move from Canet to win round eleven of the championship in a last lap thriller.

The Asteruis GasGas Aspar rider started on pole and got off to a flying start aboard his Kalex before moving behind the rider piling on early pressure, Manuel Gonzalez. Canet had gone with the duo to form a lead three, pulling clear.

Pedro Acosta was working his way up from ninth and made quick work of his rivals, moving from the front of the chasing group to take over from Gonzalez as he began to fade.

Out front,the Pons bike was allowed to lead with both Dixon and Acosta seemingly happy to sit in behind. Acosta hit the front and tried to break the group, a warning soon picked up by the #96.

Lap 16 of 21 was all change out front. Canet, still hunting for his first win was desperate to hold on, using up his tyre, while behind Acosta had sat back in the now expanding group, finding himself next to Alonso Lopez on track.

As Dixon made his first lunge for the lead, defended by Canet as he went wide on hitting the brakes, behind Lopez got his line all wrong, forcing Acosta out wide with him. The Speed Up rider rejoined on track while Acosta rode on the loop outside,sending them from a battle for fourth to sixth and seventh.

Dixon then went for the win again and rode a masterclass out front, running clean lines and blocking the #40 at every opportunity for his second Moto2 victory.

Proving there was still plenty in the tank, fellow Brit Rory Skinner (23rd) held and kept Dixon’s bike running as he performed push ups on the track in celebration. Dixon dedicated his win to the late Paul Bird.

Canet collected his twelfth second place, just 0.205s behind on home soil.

Third went to local rider Albert Arenas, who worked his way up to the frontrunners behind Acosta and stayed clear of trouble to collect his first ever Moto2 podium for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

Rookie Sergio Garcia had great late grip allowing him to push hard over the closing stages and claim fourth, his best finish this year.

Early frontrunner Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) held on to finish fifth, in a close run to the line with Garcia.

Acosta limited his championship damage, once looking like a strong challenger for a win,the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider held onto sixth as Lopez was passed by Ai Ogura who took seventh for the Idemitsu team, leaving the Boscoscuro bike eighth.

Sam Lowes made some early progress before getting stuck in ninth, picking up an additional place as Fermin Aldeguer on the second Speed Up bike was sent up the long lap loop for exceeding track limits, only to have to redo the lap, dropping him to 13th.

Celestino Vietti sprang into life in the closing stages to claim a top ten finish, making up for his fifteenth grid start but not matching the heroics of his win in Austria which gave hopes of a turnaround for the Fantic rider, or his win from pole at the circuit in Moto2 last season.

He pulled clear of Italtrans rider Joe Roberts, who after making up places was fighting with Barry Baltus for eleventh, with the Fieten Olie Racing rider forced to settle for twelfth at the chequered flag.

Aldeguer was next to cross the finish, with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Jeremy Alcoba (QJMotor Gresini) picking up the final points on offer.

A race to forget for Tony Arbolino

As Dixon made gains on Acosta after his sixth place finish, Tony Arbolino wasn’t able to do what he had done for so many rounds before and rescue his weekend with a Sunday performance.

Starting 20th after failing to make it out of Q1, there was early progress into the lower points places, but the push forward dried up, leaving the Elf Marc VDS rider to drop back to 17th, where he stayed for most of the grand prix.

Crashes injuries and replacements

Pertamina Mandalika SAG had Mattia Rato (22nd) filling in for Taiga Hada.

Alex Escrig had Yeray Ruiz (26th) as his replacement at Forward Racing

Darryn Binder was absent after suffering a fractured vertebra in his crash in front of Sam Lowes in Austria. Senna Agius, his replacement at Liqui Moly Intact GP, crashed out.

Filip Salac, Bo Bendsneyder and Alberto Surra also failed to finish.