David Alonso emerged in the final laps and won once again in the Moto3 World Championship, not at the Indonesian GP at Mandalika. The Colombian is now on the verge of securing the title, which could be clinched as early as next week.
Good start from Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) taking the lead, though he was quickly overtaken by Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Adrián Fernández (Leopard Racing/Honda). By the second lap, Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar) had climbed to fourth, while Iván Ortolá (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM) dropped to 16th after serving a Long Lap penalty.
Briefly, Fernández overtook Veijer to reclaim the lead, but the Dutchman got back to the top by the fourth lap. Furusato remained near the front, along with Alonso.
Midway through the race, Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) broke into the podium positions, with Alonso in fourth and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) in fifth. Furusato dropped to sixth, while Ortolá faced further setbacks with a third Long Lap penalty.
Drama unfolded on lap 12 when Veijer, who was leading, crashed in turn 13, allowing Fernández to inherit the top spot. Shortly after, Holgado moved up to second, overtaking Suzuki, while Alonso fell behind Ángel Piqueras (Leopard Racing/Honda) and Furusato.
OH DEAR! @CollinVeijer95 IS DOWN! 💥💥💥@31AdriFernandez now leads @daniholgado96 and @TatsukiSuzuki24 🆙#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/hwaHXZeQEn
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 29, 2024
A luta pelos lugares cimeiros continuou animada. A seis voltas do fim, Fernández liderava com meio segundo de vantagem para Holgado, enquanto o segundo lugar era mais disputado, com vários pilotos juntos e algumas trocas de posição entre eles.
Depois de ter um avanço de meio segundo, Fernández não conseguiu manter-se na frente, e a quatro voltas do fim desceu para quinto de uma assentada. Holgado colocou-se na liderança, com Furusato em segundo e Alonso em terceiro… antes de chegar ao topo nessa mesma volta.
Tudo estava em aberto, com os oito primeiros separados por menos de um segundo. Emoções fortes para as últimas voltas, tal como é habitual no Moto3. Furusato caiu na 18.ª das 20 voltas, deitando por terra uma boa prestação.
An aggressive move on @daniholgado96 resulting in a crash 😱@Taiyofurusato72 is OUT of contention with 3 laps remaining 💥💔#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/coeKDHTEjF
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 29, 2024
The battle for the lead intensified, with Fernández holding a half-second advantage over Holgado with six laps remaining. However, the second position was fiercely contested, with multiple riders constantly swapping places.
Despite his advantage, Fernández couldn't maintain the lead and dropped to fifth with four laps to go. Holgado moved into first place, followed by Furusato and Alonso, who quickly took the lead on that same lap.
With just under a second separating the top eight riders, the final laps were filled with tension, as is customary in Moto3. Furusato crashed on lap 18 of 20, ending what had been a strong performance.
An aggressive move on @daniholgado96 resulting in a crash 😱@Taiyofurusato72 is OUT of contention with 3 laps remaining 💥💔#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/coeKDHTEjF
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 29, 2024
The lead remained unpredictable as Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse/Honda) briefly led before dropping to fourth behind Fernández, David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports/KTM), and Alonso.
On the last lap, Alonso regained the lead at turn 10. Muñoz briefly held second place, but Fernández quickly reclaimed the spot. Alonso held on to his lead and secured the win by 0.085s, tying the record for 13 Moto3 victories. The title is now within reach and could be decided next week at the Japanese GP.
Fernández finished second getting his first Moto3 podium, with Muñoz completing the podium. Piqueras came in fourth, followed by Lunetta in fifth. Holgado ended in sixth, while Ortolá recovered from three Long Lap penalties to finish ninth.
