Romano Fenati flew to a first Moto3 victory in over a year in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the Italian pipping Celestino Vietti by just 0.036.
Fenati displayed much improved speed across the second Misano race weekend of the year, the MAX Racing rider qualifying a season-best sixth before remaining in the lead battle throughout the course of the 23-lap encounter.
Championship contender Albert Arenas was keen to put his retirement from the first Misano contest behind him, snatching the lead from Vietti at Turn 10 on the final tour as he looked to secure a fourth victory of the year.
The long-back straight soon put pay to his hopes though, the Spaniard dropping to fifth by the time the field headed into the sweeping Turns 12 and 13, Jaume Masia having wrestled away the leadership.
Vietti though was desperate to bag a win on his VR46 team’s home turf, sending a move to the inside of the Leopard Racing machine at the tight Turn 14-the pair running wide as a result and thus allowing Fenati to slip up the inside.
With just two corners remaining Fenati was not to be denied, although Vietti got extremely close on the final run to the chequered flag.
Completing the podium was the ever-consistent Ai Ogura, who passed title rival Arenas with just a few turns remaining to notch up his sixth rostrum result of the season.
Arenas therefore had to make do with fourth and a slightly reduced points advantage, while Masia completed the top five.
Raul Fernandez came home sixth for his Ajo KTM outfit ahead of team-mate Deniz Oncu, while Andrea Migno and Kaito Toba banked solid points for eighth and ninth respectively.
San Marino GP victor John McPhee struggled throughout the Emilia Romagna contest to catch his fellow championship challengers from his lowly 20th qualifying position, a clash with Jeremy Alcoba on the final tour putting him out of range of the top five, thus leaving him to complete the top ten.
Tony Arbolino finished a disappointing 12th after looking like a threat for supremacy early on, the Snipers pilot heading Gabriel Rodrigo in 13th.
Czech GP winner Dennis Foggia slid out of the race early on from a promising fifth after contact with Gresini man Alcoba, the Spaniard running out wide slightly at Turn 4 into the path of Foggia.
The resulting contact caused the Leopard Honda’s front end to fold, eliminating Foggia from the encounter.
Darryn Binder was another to miss the chequered flag, the South African getting caught out by an off-line Arenas into Turn 1 at the mid-point of the race.
Arenas had been pushed wide into the turn, leaving Binder nowhere to go but up as he locked the rear wheel of his CIP bike and suffered a fairly significant high-side-although he walked away seemingly without harm.
Arenas’ championship lead now stands at just two points heading to the Catalan GP at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya next week, while McPhee now drops to 21 behind the Aspar man overall.
