On his birthday, Iván Ortolá won the Moto3 British GP at Silverstone on Sunday. In an intense and unpredictable race, the Spaniard secured his victory only on the final lap with a decisive overtaking move.
Ortolá (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM) had a good start, but Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports/KTM) overtook him to take the lead in the first corner. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM) moved into third place, while David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar) was in fourth.
Lap 1 complete and @JoelKelso66 has got his skates on!
— MotoGP™
The Aussie leads across the line!#BritishGP
pic.twitter.com/1Ww08L044N
(@MotoGP) August 4, 2024
During the first lap, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) moved up to third place, while Yamanaka dropped to fifth. Holgado continued to gain positions in the second lap, overtaking Ortolá, and by the third lap, he became the new leader. Meanwhile, Alonso had fallen to fifth.
The Colombian was overtaken by Stefano Nepa (LevelUp-MTA/KTM), who kept climbing the standings getting to a podium position. The leading group remained tightly packed, with frequent position swaps. After five laps, Kelso was back in the lead, with Holgado in second and Alonso in third.
A two-in-one move from @stefanonepa82!
— MotoGP™
It's all action in the leading group!#BritishGP
A situation that lasted only briefly before Ortolá returned to the lead. However, no one could hold the lead for long, with constant changes in positions. The leading group had several riders separated by less than a second, and anything could happen.
With four laps to go, Ortolá was leading ahead of Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), with Alonso in third. A smaller group was starting to emerge at the front, consisting of seven riders. Veijer managed to take the lead… before being overtaken by Alonso two laps from the end.
— MotoGP™
@CollinVeijer95 leads the for the first time!
And David Alonso is going with him!
As the last lap began, Veijer was leading, followed by Holgado in second, Ortolá in third, and Alonso in fourth. Ortolá and Alonso overtook Veijer, with Ortolá holding onto the lead to win 0.123s ahead of Alonso in a thrilling finish. Veijer settled for third place, with Holgado in fourth and Nepa in fifth.
