Remy Gardner streaked to his first Moto2 win of 2021 as he passed team-mate Raul Fernandez on the final lap to extend his series lead.
Gardner made a strong start from fourth to tuck in behind Fernandez on the opening lap, the two Ajo machines immediately gapping third-placed Tony Arbolino in the opening couple of laps to establish themselves out in front.
Sam Lowes meanwhile looked to be the only man to have something for the leaders as he made his way up to third soon after the start, the Marc VDS racer swiftly turning his attentions to closing down his title rivals ahead.
Gardner found himself unable to live with the pace of his team-mate in the early goings and duly lost out to Lowes just prior to mid-distance, the Brit then beginning his quest to reduce Fernandez’s now two second advantage.
He had managed to narrow the gap to just over seven-tenths of a second before losing the front of his Kalex at Turn 8 just five tours from home, leaving him pointless once again and the Ajo men once again running 1-2.
Fernandez looked to be struggling with his tyres as the race wound down though, Gardner edging ever closer in the final circulations until he had arrived onto the rear wheel of the Spaniard with only a couple laps remaining.
Now visibly struggling with rear tyre grip, Fernandez doggedly held on to the leadership as the final lap began, though Gardner was able to set-up a move as he got a far superior exit from Turn 9, achieving the slightest overlap and firing down the inside of Fernandez into Turn 10.
The rookie found himself unable to snap back in the final few bends, though a healthy dose of slipstream allowed him to draft right back on Gardner on the run to the line, though the lead would remain unchanged as the duo took the chequered flag to the tune of just 0.014s.
The battle for the final podium spot was just as breathless, Joe Roberts hanging on for a second ever intermediate class podium result ahead of VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi by just 0.015s-though the American would soon find himself bumped back to fourth after he was dropped a position for a track limits infringement.
Marcel Schrotter came home a distant fifth on his Intact GP-prepared machine ahead of Ai Ogura, the Japanese ace leading a train of bikes battling for the lower top ten positions.
He would be followed across the line by Arbolino who faded in the latter stages, while Cameron Beaubier staged a phenomenal comeback from 26th on the grid to finish eighth ahead of Hafizh Syahrin and Stefano Manzi.
Fabio Di Gianantonio saw a strong result go begging after crashing out from fourth while closing on the podium battle at mid-distance, while Jorge Navarro wasted a front-row qualifying effort as he went down at Turn 1 just five laps in.
Gardner’s victory means he holds an extended six point lead over Fernandez heading to next weekend’s Catalan GP in Barcelona, with Bezzecchi now 26 away from the lead-Lowes a daunting 48 points adrift of Gardner thanks to his third DNF in the past four encounters.
