Jaume Masiá continues to be in a strong form, and this Sunday he won the Moto3 Japanese GP. In Motegi, the rider delivered a dominant performance, leading for more than half of the 17 laps, securing his position at the top of the championship.
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made a strong start to take the lead ahead of Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), while Masiá (Leopard Racing/Honda), who started from pole position, dropped to fourth, also behind Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team/KTM).
The Spanish rider regained his position on the second lap. Upfront, Öncü managed to build a small gap over Holgado. On the third lap, Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) not only reached the third position but also set a new race lap record.
A group of four riders formed at the front, battling for the lead: Öncü, Holgado, Sasaki, and Masiá. There was a change of leader with 11 laps to go, as Masiá overtook Öncü. The Turkish rider also lost his place to Sasaki.
The leading quartet remained close, with some position swaps, but Masiá managed to hold onto the lead, and in the last ten laps, he was able to establish a more comfortable margin. Seven laps from the finish, Öncü crashed in turn nine, leaving the battle for the second place between Holgado and Sasaki.
Until the end, Masiá kept an advantage of about one second to secure the victory, giving him the sole lead in the championship. Sasaki came out on top against Holgado in an intense battle for second place that lasted almost until the checkered flag. Nepa and Ivan Ortolá (Angeluss MTA Team/KTM) completed the top five.
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