David Alonso secured his second career win in the Moto3 World Championship on Sunday. The Colombian rider clinched the win at the Catalan GP in the final corner, in a truly dramatic finish marked by crashes and a penalty that affected three of the riders battling for top positions.
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made a strong start, taking the lead, with Ivan Ortolá (Angeluss MTA Team/KTM) in second. Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) initially held third place but was overtaken by Jaume Masiá (Leopard Racing/Honda) in the first lap.
The Spanish rider was in great form, moving up to second in the second lap by swapping positions with Ortolá. In the third lap, Masiá overtook Öncü at the end of the main straight to take the lead. Alonso (GasGas Aspar) also had a strong start and was third after four laps. One lap later, the Colombian rider was leading the race.
The front group was large, and position swaps were frequent. Öncü returned to the front but was overtaken by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) with 12 laps to go. Masiá was in third.
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports/KTM), who started 20th on the grid, joined the battle for the podium. Öncü tried to break away at the front but was unsuccessful. He stayed in the lead for a while, but in the final laps, several riders took turns in the lead.
Everything was decided in the last corners. Muñoz took the lead in turn 10 but crashed on the last corner, allowing Alonso to win ahead of Masiá. Öncü finished third but was penalized with a double Long Lap, equivalent to six seconds, for irresponsible riding in the incident that took out Muñoz.
As a result, he dropped to 12th, and José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was promoted to the podium. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) finished fourth, with Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team/KTM) in fifth. Holgado, the championship leader, also crashed on the final lap but still crossed the finish line in 22nd place.
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