Moto2 Austin: Huge first-lap crash, then Agius beats Vietti

Shocking first lap in Moto2, so many crashes in Austin, Piqueras comes off worst: here’s what happened. Victory to Agius, Vietti on the podium.

Incredible start to the Moto2 race at COTA. Right after the start, Daniel Holgado and Joe Roberts crashed at Turn 1. But the worst happened at Turn 11, where as many as seven riders went down: Sergio Garcia, David Alonso, David Munoz, Collin Veijer, Filip Salac, Alberto Ferrandez and Angel Piqueras. A red flag was inevitable and the race was restarted. The race was shortened to 10 laps. Piqueras was the rider with the worst consequences in the incident; after checks at the Medical Center it emerged he suffered a fracture of the left femur and there is also a suspected microfracture of the left ankle to be evaluated. Ferrandez also went to the Medical Center, but his condition is good. The other fallen riders are fine.

Since fewer than 3 laps had been completed, everyone was allowed to restart, with the grid set by qualifying positions. Senna Agius came out on top, resisting Celestino Vietti superbly in the finale. The podium was completed by Izan Guevara. A fantastic comeback from David Alonso, fourth at the flag ahead of Manu Gonzalez, the new leader of the world standings. Also in the points were Barry Baltus (penalized with a long lap penalty for unsafe change of direction), Alonso Lopez, Alex Escrig, Joe Roberts, Tony Arbolino, Ivan Ortola, Adrian Huertas, Aron Canet, Daniel Munoz (long lap for the same reason as Baltus) and Jose Antonio Rueda. Daniel Holgado, former World Championship leader, finished sixteenth in the Moto2 race in Austin. He was penalized as well for taking out Roberts at the first corner.

LAP 1 - Alonso Lopez takes the lead off the line, followed by Baltus and Vietti. Baltus passes Lopez, while Vietti drops to fifth after being overtaken by Agius and Guevara.

LAP 1 - Alonso Lopez takes the lead off the line, followed by Baltus and Vietti. Baltus passes Lopez, while Vietti drops to fifth after being overtaken by Agius and Guevara.

LAP 2 - David Alonso is already tenth. Baltus still leads but has to serve a long lap penalty. Agius has passed Lopez, Vietti does the same to Guevara.

LAP 3 - Agius snatches the lead from Baltus, with Lopez a few meters back, followed by Vietti and Guevara. Also in the top 10 are Escrig, Gonzalez, Roberts, Alonso and Veijer.

LAP 4 - Vietti takes third place, while Alonso is eighth after passing Roberts. Veijer crashes at Turn 7. Navarro down as well.

LAP 5 - Gonzalez passes Escrig to move up to sixth. Baltus serves the long lap penalty and rejoins in sixth ahead of Alonso.

LAP 6 - Agius still leads, with Vietti and Guevara close. Then come Gonzalez, Lopez, Alonso, Baltus, Escrig, Roberts and Arbolino. Holgado is twentieth, a race to forget for the former World Championship leader.

LAP 7 - Alonso fifth, what a comeback from the Colombian!

LAP 8 - Alonso has also passed Gonzalez, he’s fourth and 1.4s behind Guevara. Vietti overtakes Agius and takes P1.

LAP 9 - Agius is back in front and pulls away from Vietti, who is being chased by Guevara.

LAP 10 (FINAL) - Vietti gives it everything to close on Agius, but it’s not enough: the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP rider triumphs. Guevara is also on the podium. Alonso and Gonzalez round out the top 5. Manu is the new Moto2 World Championship leader.