Moto3 Motegi: Dalla Porta wins as Canet crashes out

Lorenzo Dalla Porta took just his second win of the season after he controlled the race from the front in the closing stages of the Moto3 Japanese Grand Prix.

Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC 58 Squadra Corse Honda) lead his home grand prix in the opening stages but once Dalla Porta hit the front he never really looked troubled and lead the breakaway group of frontrunners over the line.

The day had gotten off to a shaky start for the Leopard rider with bike issues meaning the Italian missed much of warm-up.

Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) however looked to need to push his bike to the limit to stay in contention, the corner advantage not enough to fight for the win and the Spaniard over-compensated and ended up in the gravel.

Dalla Porta’s title lead over Canet is extended to a 47 points difference, now on a total of 229.

The run to the line went horribly for Suzuki as he was raced out of the podium places - Albert Arenas (Gaviota Angel Nieto Team) had already found a way around on the final lap to challenge for the win for KTM - he went on to take an impressive second just 0,094s slower, after starting down in 13th.

The lead two slowing up the final corners saw Celestino Vietti able to pull past the Japanese rider too, top rookie at the Twin Ring for the Sky Racing VR46 Team.

Suzuki held fourth, though Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) made him work for it all the way to the line.

John McPhee was too far behind the group to gain a slipstream, but too far ahead of the rest to be caught, securing him a lonley sixth for Petronas Sprinta Racing.

Jaume Masia (Mugen Race) lead the chase while battling Marcos Ramirez on the second Leopard entry for sixth.

Andrea Migno (Mugen Race) quickly picked off the places he lost by gaining a six place grid penalty as he made his way into a top ten finish.

BOE’s Makar Yurchenko gave a late charge to climb to eleventh, he was a second ahead of Niccolo Antonelli on the second SIC58 bike as he struggled to cope with his injuries on his return to racing.

The remaining points on offer went to a trio of Japanese riders on home soil - Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crossed the line 13th, While Ai Ogura was 14th for Honda Team Asia. Wildcard Ryusei Yamanaka (Estrella Galicia 0,0) took 15th. Kazuki Masaki (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) was a more distant 20th.

Several riders failed to see the end of the first lap - Jakub Kornfeil took Gabriel Rodrigo out as he sailed into the gravel, with Tom Booth-Amos pushed wide and onto the grass shortly after. He remounted but later fell again.

Darryn Binder was next to exit, slipping into the turn eleven gravel, while Tony Arbolino had made his way up from 27th on the grid to fight in the top ten when he crashed out with eleven laps remaining. Romano Fenati retired to the pits on his return from injury.