Moto3 Doha: Acosta amazes with maiden win from pit lane

Pedro Acosta made history as the first Moto3 rider to win from a pit lane start after beating the odds to come out on top in the Moto3 Doha Grand Prix.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was the star of the group chasing down the leaders, with around a nine second gap to reel in as one of seven riders starting from pit lane after riding slowly at the end of FP2 looking for a tow. The sixteen year old worked hard with the experienced Romano Fenati to bridge the gap.

With ten laps remaining the leaders were in his sights but Acosta left it until the frantic final lap to stamp his authority on the race, hitting the front as the lap commenced and trying to pull out a gap once in front.

The Spanish rookie checked out and not even a slipstream could spoil his run to the line, winning by 0.039s in just his second world championship appearance.

Acosta also takes the lead in the championship standings with a total of 45 points with a first and second place over the opening two races. 

Darryn Binder gave chase, but couldn’t quite pull back Acosta, leaving him second for Petronas Sprinta Racing, completing back-to-back podiums. The South African was also the top Honda finisher.

It was a welcome return to the rostrum for Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama) - the Italian learned his lesson from last week where he lead to start the final lap only to be swallowed. His improved tactics saw him take third to visit the podium for the first time since 2019.

Andrea Migno was one of many riders to lead the race but found himself fourth at the line for Rivacold Snipers.

Similarly, Kaito Toba spent a lot of his race at the front on his way to an eventual fifth for CIP Green Power.

Incredibly, following a warm-up crash which saw him stretchered away from the track, rookie Izan Guevara was declared fit to race following checks at the medical centre. The GasGas Gaviota Aspar rider faded little in the middle of the race, but rallied for an impressive sixth.

Ayumu Sasaki survived his contact with Filip Salac which took the Czech rider out of the race to finish seventh for Red Bull KTM Tech 3. Fellow countryman Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PruestelGP) was next to cross the line in eighth, his best ever result.

Pole-sitter Masia had an eventful race. His time at the front was peppered with contact and scrapes - from losing his brake lever protector battling with Binder to the final lap which saw him have a brush with Gabriel Rodrigo on more than one occasion, the Red Bull KTM rider was lucky to remain upright at the line for a solid ninth to add more points to his tally after winning round one.

 Fenati also made it into the points following his pit lane start, claiming tenth at the chequered flag for the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team.

He took Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert PruestelGP) in the final corners who finished eleventh, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) dropping to twelfth.

The final points went to Rodrigo in 13th, Max Kofler (CIP Green Power) in 14th and Yuki Kunii ( Honda Team Asia) in 15th.

John McPhee was taken out of the race again this weekend. Binder was in a slipstream ahead of him at the start of the final four laps. His line caught Jeremy Alcoba by surprise - his flying bike collected John McPhee, who got a full face of the Honda. The history between the duo meant McPhee was understandably furious and the pair got physical in the Doha sand after the incident unfolded.

Adrian Fernandez exited on the same lap after contact with Carlos Tatay.

That was Tatay’s second big accident in the race. An earlier brush with Xavier Artigas saw him become the first faller as he was making progress having served his double long lap penalty.