Celestino Vietti scored his second win in the opening three races of the 2022 Moto2 season in Argentina, despite a clash with Fermin Aldeguer that saw the latter crash out.
The VR46 rider started well to move from sixth to second in the early stages behind pole-man Aldeguer after taking advantage from issues with other riders ahead, though he would soon move into the race leadership due to a mistake from Aldeguer at Turn 2 just a few circulations in.
He failed to make much of a break from the 16-year old rookie though as the laps continued to fall away, with the Speed Up racer’s sustained pressure causing Vietti to run wide at Turn 13 at around a thirds-distance, opening the door for Aldeguer on the inside.
The Spaniard was unsighted though as Vietti moved back to take the racing line, resulting in a collision that saw Aldeguer go down and retire from the encounter – Vietti escaping unharmed as the clash was later ruled a racing incident.
Vietti then survived an attack from Indonesian Grand Prix victor Somkiat Chantra throughout the middling portion of the sprint – having temporarily lost the lead after running wide at Turn 13 once again before the Honda Team Asia man did the very same and relinquished the position a lap later – to ease his machine home 1.5 seconds clear of the Thai pilot to score his third straight top-two finish.
Behind the leading duo an entertaining scrap for the final rostrum position was at play between the other Honda Team Asia entry of Ai Ogura and Pons Racing’s Aron Canet, the pair swapping places on several occasions across the final lap, with Canet holding the spot as they approached the final two bends.
Ogura launched a move to the inside of Turn 13 as a last ditch effort to score his first podium appearance of the year, the Japanese ace pulling up his machine perfectly on the apex to secure the position and claim third just ahead of the Spaniard.
Jake Dixon rounded out the top five on his GasGas entry after having passed Tony Arbolino in the closing stages, the Brit very nearly joining the tussle for third on the last tour.
Arbolino would hang onto sixth ahead of reigning Moto3 world champion Pedro Acosta who scored his best intermediate class result to date, with the other GasGas Aspar bike of Albert Arenas grabbing eighth ahead of Bo Bensneyder and Sam Lowes.
Augusto Fernandez meanwhile saw his race chances disappear after crashing out at Turn 1 on the opening lap, the Spaniard trying to make up for a sluggish start before clipping the rear wheel of another rider and ending his race in the gravel – an incident that also forced Manuel Gonzalez to run out wide, the rookie eventually taking the chequered flag in 14th.
Vietti now holds a commanding 18 point series lead courtesy of his blistering start to the year over Canet, while Chantra currently sits third after three encounters.
