Australian Moto2: Arbolino declared winner in red flagged race

Tony Arbolino was declared the winner of the Moto2 Australian Grand Prix after a spell sat in the pits waiting for news after the intermediate race was red flagged for safety.

The grand prix only lasted nine laps, but it was the Elf Marc VDS Kalex rider who was ahead.  His gap was a convincing 15.088s as the rider most capable in the cold, low visibility, high spray, wet and windy conditions that met round sixteen.

Arbolino had set the fastest time in the specially organised warm-up, but had that lap cancelled for yellow flags, before he brought out his own with a crash, one of seven fallers in just two minutes - a warning for what was to come.

The race was initially lead by rookie Sergio Garcia before he fell from first, taking over at the front himself after Alonso Lopez crashed out at the start of the race when trying to hit the front and take over from Aron Canet.

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Laps three and four take out leaders

A series of crashes at the front of the race came in quick succession.

As Garcia flew over his bike at turn eight it was just seconds before Filip Salac, second at the time , barrel rolled into the same piece of gravel.

That was was not the begiining or the end of the carnage of that lap - Darryn Binder had already slipped away at the start at turn one.

Zonta van den Goorbergh had topped the wet warm-up, the Fieten Olie Racing rider was another of the many fallers in that session. He went on to crash out again along with his teammate, Barry Baltus, with the pair falling in quick succession.

Sam Lowes was off on the same lap at MG corner. Fellow Brit Jake Dixon didn’t last much longer, with Mattia Casadei still to follow after working his way through the pack.

The #14 had been second behind Garcia after working forward from eighth rapidly - and that left him clear in first with bikes exiting all around him.

As the wind worsened, the red flag came out and, eventually the race was declared. Half points were handed out as the two thirds distance requirement wasn’t met, with Arbolino picking up his third win.

Behind, on lap eight, Aron Canet had just found a way past Fermin Aldeguer so took yet another second place for Pons Wegow Los40.

Fermin Aldeguer began on pole for the second year in a row, and this time it served him no better. His record pace on the Beta Tools Speed Up in the dry may was of little reference in the wet as he could not match Arbolino on the Boscoscuro in the rain, leaving him a close third to his fellow countryman.

All other riders were classed as a lap down, regardless of their position on track.

Jeremy Alcoba had moved into fourth for QJMotor Gresini while Joe Roberts slipped back a place from where he started on the grid for Italtrans in fifth.

Rookie Izan Guevara had climbed from 23rd to sixth for Inde GasGas Aspar before the wind picked up.

Somkiat Chantra was seventh at the flag for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia with Bo Bendsneyder next on track for the Pertamina Mandalika SAG team.

Acosta stuck at ninth after crash on sighting lap

There was early drama, when the championship leader, Pedro Acosta, fell on the sighting lap. A rapid fixing session saw him start 31st at the back of the grid with plenty to do to gain places for Red Bull KTM Ajo when most were riding with caution.

Up to ninth when the race was halted, the Spaniard had just passed both tenth placed Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) and Taiga Hada (Pertamina Mandalika SAG) who placed eleventh - his best finish and just his second in the points after collecting 14th in Indonesia. That helped lessen the damage to his title lead, as did the half points award.

Rory Skinner was another rider who had been brave and made huge gains, finishing twelfth on the second American Racing entry, for his first points finish after starting 28th.

The remaining points places went to Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46) in 13th , Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in 14th and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) in 15th.

The other finishers in the race were Kohta Nozane, Dennis Foggia, Alberto Surra, Alex Escrig and Lukas Tulovic.

Crashes, injuries and replacements

Alonso Lopez was four laps down and circulating when the red flag came out, so was deemed unable to rejoin if the race was to be restarted, though that idea was soon squashed.

The original race start saw Lopez off almost immediately.

Jake Dixon hurt his shoulder when he fell and was transferred to hospital for a MRI scan.

Lorenzo Baldassarri was in the paddock as an unused replacement for Celestino Vietti, who was one of many fallers

Mattia Casadei was handed a grid penalty which sent him to the back of the grid before he fell out of contention.

Where does that leave the championship?

Pedro Acosta picked up 4.5 points and still holds the overall lead on 280.5. Tony Arbolino was looking to take a large chunk out before the half points were announced, taking him to 224.5 points.

Dixon remains third but did not score, while Aron Canet had his 20 for second halved to ten, moving his tally to 154 points in fourth.