Italian Moto3: Perfect slipsteam brings glory for Holgado

Daniel Holgado took victory in a five strong pack with the race going all the way to the line in the Moto3 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

Lisa Lewis

11 Jun 2023

Daniel Holgado, Moto3 race, Italian MotoGP, 11 June

Daniel Holgado pulled out from behind Deniz Oncu to steal a late victory over the line with slipstream speed in the Moto3 Italian Grand Prix, round six of the championship.

Fresh from victory in France before the break, the front five broke away to ensure the victory was going to one of them.

It was anyone's race, and after all of them practising their moves lap after lap as it became apparent the run to the line would be key.

Ayumu Sasaki took the lead as he slipstreamed to the front at the start of the final lap, but it was Holgado who timed it right, pulling out from behind the Japanese rider and Deniz Oncu to steal a late win on the Red Bull KTM Tech 3.

It marks back-to-back wins for the #96, with his third win of the season coming in sensational style.

Oncu misses out on victory again

Polesitter Deniz Oncu was yet to translate any of his previous five front of the grid starts into a win, his sixth time leading off the line came close.

Coming in to the race with supreme speed - the Turkish rider was over half a second faster than everyone in qualifying - Oncu tried breaking at the front. After that the Red Bull KTM Ajo tried all of his options, and worked out he needed to be at the front.

Moving ahead up the hill he pulled out a huge lead - being behind was not going to make it work as his slipstream pace was not enough. The #53 held on almost all the way to the line, to be beaten by just a tiny margin of 0.051s.

It was inrcedibly close at the front and Sasaki, who has also this season failed to translate fast one lap pace to a win, was in with a shout on his Liqui Moly Husqvarna IntactGP bike, second just moments before the line, he finished third - just 0.056s behind himself.

It was so close at the front that there was less than half a secoond covering the entire lead group at the chequered flag.

Rookie David just missed out on a podium finish, moving up quickly from tenth on the grid to join the lead group when he saw them pulling away, the Valresa GasGas Aspar rider was a final fourth.

Jaume Masia looked to be afftected by contact with Oncu at the start of the final lap and brought his Leopard bike home in fifth.

All five were handed a ‘conduct warning’ by race direction at the start of the final lap.

Behind, the battle in the chasing group was just as fierce.

Twelve seconds after the leaders, it was another rookie Collin Veijer who won out in the tight run to the line, his advantage over Diogo Moreira was just 0.011s. It is the Husqvarna riders best finish to date.

Penalty comebacks for points.

There were plenty of penalties applied before the race with Lorenzo Salvador, Diogo Moreira,Xavier Artigas, Ivan Ortola, Luca Lunetta, Joel Kelso and Stefano Nepa all sent to the back of the grid with an additional long lap penalty. Salvador trangressed again so was given an additional long lap penalty for more riding slowly on the racing line.

That sixth place for Moreira (MT Helmets-MSI) was the best of the comebacks as he tore through his rivals, but the lead five had long checked out by comparison.

Riccardo Rossi was the top home rider in eighth for SIC58 Squadra Corse, just ahead of Stefano Nepa, who made up fourteen places for ninth with his Angeluss MTA Team machine.

Kaito Toba was at the head of the group a few laps earlier on his way to a top ten finish on the second SIC58 entry.

Ortola just missed out, the first to make an impact post penalty he climbed a high as sixth on his way to eleventh on his Angeluss MTA bike, fourteen places higher than he started.

The remaining points on offer went to Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers) in twelfth, Scott Ogden (VisionTrack) in 13th, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in 14th and Ryusei Yamanaka(Valresa GasGas Aspar) in 15th.

There was drama for Romano Fenati as his bike stalled on the line, frantically waving before the lights went out.

The Italian exited and pulled onto the grass and began his race from pit lane, coming home 17th for the Rivacold team.

Crashes, injuries and replacements

Fillippo Fariloi and Xavier Artigas left the race first, their incident was under investigation as the race concluded.

Andrea Migno was handed a home race as he extends his run at CIP Green Power, still in for Lorenzo Fellon.He was 16th in the race.

Luca Lunetta, the wildcard entry with MT Helmets - MSI was 19th .

Vincente Perez was replacing the recovering David Munoz at BOE Motorsports, but crashed out .

Salvador (CIP Green Power) was 18th despite his two trips around the long lap loop.

Joel Kelso crashed out trying to make up for his penalty, he originally qualified second.

Where does that leave the championship?

Holgado remains in front, with 109 points and a size able lead.

It is now Jame Masia who sits second overall, with 74 points, a gap of 35. Ortola slips to third after his penalty comeback, now on a tally of 68. Diogo Moreira (64pts) and Ayumu Sasaki (59pts) complete the top five.

Denis Oncu and David Alonso the top rookie are not far adrift on 53 and 51 respectively.