French Moto2: Arbolino victorious after red flag drama

Tony Arbolino took full advantage in the title hunt with a win in the shortened, restarted Moto2 French Grand Prix, round five of the championship.

The Marc VDS rider had found his way to the front when the red flag arrived and repeated the feat on the restart, pushing out a sizeable lead quickly and then managing his race from the front.

Losing a lot of time on lap six as he went through Garage Vert, he was still at ease in the lead and replied any time nearest rivals Filip Salac and Alonso Lopez picked up the pace.

Arbolino took his second win of the season (and fourth podium in the five races so far) in style, leading over the line by a final 0.620s. with the front pair congratulating each other immediately as the race concluded.

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It was Salac who looked full of fire with a second chance at success. Fourth on the grid both times, he had slipped to sixth on the first run and was not going to make the same errors again. Initially holding station on the first few laps, the Czech rider chased down Acosta after passing Lopez, with the Red Bull rider’s slip into the gravel seeing him up to second for Gresini. It marks the first time the #12 has finished on the podium in dry conditions.

Launching from second, Lightech Speed Up rider Alonso Lopez hit the front briefly on the first start but could not repeat his holeshot on the restart, finishing a clear third on the Boscoscuro.

Celestino Vietti enjoyed a better qualifying which left him with less to do in the race, The Fantic Racing rider enjoying his best finish of the season so far in a lonely fourth.

Jake Dixon was another of several riders happy for a second go - he had slipped to 14th after a terrible start where he was beaten up on all sides.

Not as confident in his performance as usual, Dixon put in a great late move to climb to fifth, passing Somkiat Chantra in style aboard the Inde GasGas Aspar.

That left the Thai rider sixth as Dixon disappeared into the distance, with a gap of his own on the Idemitsu Honda Team Asia bike back to Barry Baltus, who took the chequered flag seventh for Fieten Olie Racing.

Fermin Aldeuger was riding high the first time the lights went green, but it wasn’t second time lucky for the Speed Up rider - who was awarded a long lap penalty for a shortcut at turn nine. Heading up the loop seventh the Spaniard rejoined tenth then fought back for an eighth placed finish.

Ai Ogura was ninth on the second Idemitsu entry, while Sergio Garcia was again the top rookie in tenth for Pons Wegow Los 40. The other Moto2 Graduates Dennis Foggia and Izan Guevara were 14th and 22nd respectively.

Garcia made up ten places to grace the top ten with Lukas Tulovic behind also making gains for eleventh, picking up four places on his grid position.  Joe Roberts had a similar story. The Italtrans rider ran as high as ninth in a furious mid-pack battle before finishing twelfth, still picking up five positions on where he sat on the grid.

Jeremy Alcoba was right behind, chasing the #16 all the way to the line for 13th on the second QJMotor Gresini entry.

Multiple crash brings out red flag

Jerez winner Sam Lowes fell out of contention after losing the lead and slipped into the gravel, while the British rider was left wondering what could have been a huge crash unfolded just moments later.

Albert Arenas highsided in the chasing group. His bike flew forward and hit Manuel Gonzalez, with Aron Canet caught up as the three machines were sent spiralling in the air and then rolling through the gravel.

With Medics still in the gravel attending to Gonzalez and Canet, who hit Arenas’s bike on track, there was no option but to produce a red flag to allow the riders to be removed safely as the rest of the group came around on the next lap.

All riders were eligible for the restart, but the state of their machines meant it was a no-go for all except Sam Lowes, who had the entire Marc VDS mechanic team work on his bike. Just missing out on lining up on the grid by seconds, the #22 was instead allowed to start the warm-up lap from pit lane, then join the back of the grid.

Exiting pitlane with a wheelie to check the bike to applause from the crowd for the huge effort to get back out that had been shown on screens, Lowes bike was in amazing form considering the swift rebuild, running the same pace as the leaders he made it to 15th for the final point.

Crashes, injuries and replacements

On the restart there were further falls.

Championship leader Acosta exited on lap five, an uncharacteristic crash at museum for the usually consistent Red Bull rider, but the #37 seemed hard punished for doing little wrong. Rory Skinner crashed out on the same lap at turn six. Alex Escrig also failed to finish.

Kohta Nozane failed a late fitness test on arrival in France, so is not replaced for this round.

Senna Agius is back in at Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP, keeping Darryn Binder’s seat warm as he continues his recovery. Aguis finished 19th.

Where does that leave the championship?

Arbolino and Acosta arrived tied on 74 points, but with the Spaniard out of contention Arbolino reaped the rewards of his win making a maximum possible25 gap, now on 99.

Acosta remains second overall, with Lopez podium finish brinigng him closer on 61 points. Season sensation Filip Salac is just one point further back after his strong start to the season.