Nagashima bolts clear for emotional maiden Moto2 win
Tetsuta Nagashima has created Moto2 history by claiming his first win with a stunning late charge in Qatar for Red Bull KTM Ajo.
After struggling in qualifying, the Japanese rider initially made positive progress up the running order and into podium contention, while early leader Luca Marini’s mid-race breakaway failed when he destroyed his tyres too early which sent him backwards through the Moto2 field.
With three laps to go Nagashima picked his moment to bolt ahead of his rivals, producing low 1m 59s laps to pull away from the likes of Enea Bastianini and Lorenzo Baldassarri before easing to victory on the final lap in spectacular style.
It marks Nagashima’s maiden podium and win at world championship level as he becomes the first Japanese rider to win in the intermediate class at the Losail International Circuit since the late Shoya Tomizawa when he won the first-ever Moto2 race at the start of the 2010 season.
Nagashima, who was in tears on the cooldown lap, has also won on his official Red Bull KTM Ajo debut, having competed for Ajo Motorsport for two races back in 2016, while the Finnish-run squad has won at its first attempt since switching to Kalex chassis this year after KTM’s withdrawal as a constructor in Moto2.
As Nagashima took the chequered flag by 1.3seconds, Flexbox HP40 Pons’ Baldassarri won the sprint to the finish line to take second place narrowly ahead of Bastianini on the Italtrans Racing machine.
Pole-sitter Joe Roberts was the unlucky rider to miss out on a maiden Moto2 podium in fourth place, but it still marks an incredible start to 2020 for the American Racing rider having previously never finished inside the top 10.
Remy Gardner pulled off an impressive recovery ride to take fifth place for ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team in front of Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro and Marcel Schrotter for Liqui Moly Intact GP.
Moto2 debutant Aron Canet finished off an impressive weekend in eighth place for Aspar Speed Up with Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Xavi Vierge and Intact GP’s Thomas Luthi completing the top 10.
Bo Bendsneyder held on for both his and NTS Racing’s best-ever result in Moto2 with 11th place ahead of Marco Bezzecchi on the Sky Racing VR46, as he saw team-mate Marini crash out at the final corner after a clash with Petronas Sprinta’s Jake Dixon.
Fabio Di Giannantonio profited for 13th place for Speed Up with Dixon and Stefano Manzi on the MV Agusta Forward rounding out the points places.
The 2020 opener turned into a nightmare for defending champions EG 0,0 Marc VDS with Augusto Fernandez crashing out early after colliding with Manzi at Turn 6, while teammate Sam Lowes missed the race due to his ongoing shoulder injury which forced him out after Friday practice.
