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Autosport

MotoGP Qatar GP: Masia wins Moto3 title, Aldeguer takes third straight Moto2 win

Jaume Masia Ayumu Sasaki Qatar Adrian Fernandez Leopard Racing

Spaniard Masia came to Qatar leading the championship by 13 points and needed to outscore his rival Ayumu Sasaki by 12 points to wrap up the title with a round to spare.

Masia has been something of a journeyman in the Moto3 class since making his debut in 2017.

It wouldn’t be until 2019 that Masia won his first grand prix, taking victory from pole at the Argentina GP on his way to ninth in the points.

Moving to Leopard Honda for 2020, Masia won twice to finish sixth in the standings and was fourth in the championship with a single victory the following year having moved to Moto3 class kingmaker Aki Ajo’s KTM squad.

Despite winning twice in 2022, Masia could only manage sixth in the championship and would return to Leopard Honda for 2023.

Coming from 10th on the grid in Qatar, Masia found himself involved in a chaotic 16-lap grand prix.

On several occasions, Masia and Sasaki locked horns on track. Twice did Masia come through aggressively, sitting up the Intact GP Husqvarna-mounted Sasaki. Masia was given a conduct warning for this.

Jaume Masia, Leopard Racing (Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images)

It all started to go wrong for Sasaki at the start of lap 13. Leading into Turn 1, Masia launched his Leopard Honda up the inside of the Japanese rider to regain first.

Sasaki then lost three more spots into Turn 2 to drop to fifth, before Masia’s team-mate Adrian Fernandez forced Sasaki wide at Turn 6 to dump him down to eighth.

Fernandez would do the same thing to Sasaki again at the last corner to drop him to 10th as Masia led over the line.

Masia faced stiff opposition for the win from the chasing David Alonso (Aspar), Ajo KTM’s Deniz Oncu – who served two long lap penalties for jumping the start – and SIC58’s Riccardo Rossi.

Sasaki was able to get back into the top six on the final lap, but a massive moment going through Turn 13 almost led to him crashing out.

With Masia snatching a fourth win of the season on the run to the line by 0.068s, it would be enough for the Spaniard to wrap up the championship.

Masia’s championship marks the first for Honda in Moto3 since Lorenzo Dalla Porta in 2019, when he secured the title for Leopard Racing.

For the 2024 season, Masia will step up to the Moto2 class with the SAG Racing team.

Moto3 Qatar GP results

Driver Info

Cla	Rider	#	Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Retirement	Points
1	J. Masia Leopard Racing	5	Honda	16	33'50.694		152.6		25
2	D. Alonso GAVIOTA GASGAS Aspar Team	80	GASGAS	16	+0.068 33'50.762	0.068	152.5		20
3	D. Öncü Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	53	KTM	16	+0.163 33'50.857	0.095	152.5		16
4	R. Rossi SIC58 Squadra Corse	54	Honda	16	+0.285 33'50.979	0.122	152.5		13
5	V. Pérez BOE Motorsports	21	KTM	16	+1.553 33'52.247	1.268	152.4		11
6	A. Sasaki Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	71	Husqvarna	16	+1.566 33'52.260	0.013	152.4		10
7	M. Bertelle Rivacold Snipers Team	18	Honda	16	+1.725 33'52.419	0.159	152.4		9
8	K. Toba SIC58 Squadra Corse	27	Honda	16	+1.846 33'52.540	0.121	152.4		8
9	D. Holgado Red Bull KTM Tech 3	96	KTM	16	+1.943 33'52.637	0.097	152.4		7
10	C. Veijer Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	95	Husqvarna	16	+2.019 33'52.713	0.076	152.4		6
11	R. Fenati Rivacold Snipers Team	55	Honda	16	+3.634 33'54.328	1.615	152.3		5
12	D. Muñoz BOE Motorsports	44	KTM	16	+4.003 33'54.697	0.369	152.3		4
13	J. Kelso CFMoto Racing PruestelGP	66	CF MOTO	16	+4.060 33'54.754	0.057	152.2		3
14	T. Furusato Honda Team Asia	72	Honda	16	+4.166 33'54.860	0.106	152.2		2
15	I. Ortola Angeluss MTA Team	48	KTM	16	+4.228 33'54.922	0.062	152.2		1
16	J. Antonio Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	99	KTM	16	+4.707 33'55.401	0.479	152.2
17	A. Fernandez Leopard Racing	31	Honda	16	+5.139 33'55.833	0.432	152.2
18	S. Nepa Angeluss MTA Team	82	KTM	16	+5.221 33'55.915	0.082	152.2
19	S. Ogden VisionTrack Racing Team	19	Honda	16	+5.589 33'56.283	0.368	152.1
20	X. Artigas CFMoto Racing PruestelGP	43	CF MOTO	16	+7.934 33'58.628	2.345	152.0
21	R. Yamanaka GAVIOTA GASGAS Aspar Team	6	GASGAS	16	+8.140 33'58.834	0.206	151.9
22	S. Azman MT Helmets - MSI	63	KTM	16	+22.445 34'13.139	14.305	150.9
23	D. Salvador CIP	38	KTM	16	+22.622 34'13.316	0.177	150.9
24	L. Fellon CIP	20	KTM	16	+33.718 34'24.412	11.096	150.1
25	M. Aji Honda Team Asia	64	Honda	16	+34.010 34'24.704	0.292	150.0
26	D. Moreira MT Helmets - MSI	10	KTM	16	+41.722 34'32.416	7.712	149.5
dnf	F. Farioli Red Bull KTM Tech 3	7	KTM	3	+13 Laps 6'25.293	13 Laps	150.8	Accident
dnf	J. Whatley VisionTrack Racing Team	70	Honda	0				Accident
View full results

Aldeguer wins third-straight Moto2 race as MotoGP rumours persist

Fermin Aldeguer, Speed Up Racing (Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images)

SpeedUp rider Fermin Aldeguer scored his third-successive Moto2 victory in dominant fashion in Qatar.

The Spaniard took the lead from Aron Canet with 10 laps to go in the grand prix and eased off into the distance towards the chequered flag.

Aldeguer remains in the frame for a MotoGP step in 2024 with VR46 Ducati, should Luca Marini sign for Honda to replace Marc Marquez.

The podium was completed by Manuel Gonzalez, who snatched second from Pons rider Canet on his Yamaha VR46 Master Camp-run bike by 0.009s.

Recently-crowned Moto2 world champion Pedro Acosta was eighth.

Moto2 Qatar GP results

Driver Info

Cla	Rider	#	Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Retirement	Points
1	F. Aldeguer Beta Tools - Speed Up Racing	54	Boscoscuro B-21	18	-				25
2	M. Gonzalez Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp	18	Kalex	18	+2.643 2.643	2.643			20
3	A. Canet Pons Wegow Los40	40	Kalex	18	+2.652 2.652	0.009			16
4	A. Ogura Honda Team Asia	79	Kalex	18	+4.585 4.585	1.933			13
5	J. Dixon Inde GASGAS Aspar Team	96	Kalex	18	+4.645 4.645	0.060			11
6	C. Vietti Ramus Fantic Racing	13	Kalex	18	+5.936 5.936	1.291			10
7	S. Chantra Honda Team Asia	35	Kalex	18	+6.212 6.212	0.276			9
8	P. Acosta Ajo Motorsport	37	Kalex	18	+6.598 6.598	0.386			8
9	A. López Beta Tools - Speed Up Racing	21	Boscoscuro B-21	18	+7.269 7.269	0.671			7
10	T. Arbolino Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	14	Kalex	18	+11.302 11.302	4.033			6
11	J. Roberts Italtrans Racing Team	16	Kalex	18	+11.565 11.565	0.263			5
12	S. Lowes Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	22	Kalex	18	+11.663 11.663	0.098			4
13	M. Ramirez American Racing	24	Kalex	18	+16.105 16.105	4.442			3
14	D. Binder Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	15	Kalex	18	+16.306 16.306	0.201			2
15	J. Alcoba QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2	52	Kalex	18	+19.293 19.293	2.987			1
16	D. Foggia Italtrans Racing Team	71	Kalex	18	+19.513 19.513	0.220
17	S. García Pons Wegow Los40	11	Kalex	18	+19.602 19.602	0.089
18	B. Baltus Fieten Olie Racing GP	7	Kalex	18	+19.968 19.968	0.366
19	Z. van den Goorbergh Fieten Olie Racing GP	84	Kalex	18	+23.303 23.303	3.335
20	Á. Escrig Forward Team	17	Forward F2	18	+25.075 25.075	1.772
21	A. Arenas Ajo Motorsport	75	Kalex	18	+28.571 28.571	3.496
22	B. Bendsneyder Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	64	Kalex	18	+28.636 28.636	0.065
23	I. Guevara Inde GASGAS Aspar Team	28	Kalex	18	+30.571 30.571	1.935
24	R. Skinner American Racing	33	Kalex	18	+32.413 32.413	1.842
25	T. Hada Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	23	Kalex	18	+35.127 35.127	2.714
26	M. Casadei Fantic Racing	9	Kalex	18	+36.741 36.741	1.614
dnf	K. Nozane Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp	5	Kalex	11				Accident
dnf	L. Tulovic Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	3	Kalex	7				Retirement
dnf	S. Kelly Forward Team	4	Forward F2	4				Retirement
dns	F. Salač QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2	12	Kalex	0
View full results

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