GARDNER EXTENDS MOTO2 LEAD AFTER FERNANDEZ CRASHES

Aussie Remy Gardner came home a disappointing seventh in the second Moto2 race at Misano, however he was let off the hook when his championship rival Raul Fernandez crashed out of the lead.

It was a dramatic and thrilling encounter that was eventually won by pole-sitter Sam Lowes, his first since taking back-to-back race victories in Qatar to start the season.

The pole-sitter didn’t have things his own way when the charging Fernandez came through at the mid-way stage of the race.

At the start of the race, both Gardner and Fernandez made progress from their lowly grid positions, Fernandez from ninth and Gardner from 14th.

By lap 6 Fernandez had made his way up to second position and it looked as though the championship lead would change hands with Gardner buried in the back end of the top 10.

With his major title rival now in second position Gardner knew he had to make progress and fast, he attempted a move on Somkiat Chantra into Turn 14.

The lunge did not pay off, the Aussie caught the rear of the Japanese rider’s bike causing Chantra to crash out of the race.

At the head of the field on lap 12 Fernandez capitalised on a mistake from Lowes to take the lead.

Gardner’s race was not going to plan, and he was dealt a further blow when he was handed a long lap penalty for knocking Chantra out of the race.

However, within seconds of Gardner receiving the penalty, the championship turned on its head once more as Fernandez crashed out of the lead spectacularly.

Fernandez locked up his front wheel and was sent barrel-rolling through the gravel trap at high speed, he was uninjured however his KTM Ajo was destroyed.

This let Gardner off the leash, Gardner served the long lap penalty and remained in seventh, however his chances of making any further progress by the end of the race were almost nil.

Gardner brought his KTM Ajo bike home in a lonely seventh position after Marco Bezzecchi crashed trying to make his way past the Aussie.

Despite finishing outside of the top five for the second time this season Gardner was able to extend his championship lead to 18 points.

Out front Lowes cruised to victory, taking the win by 1.2s from his Marc VDS teammate Augusto Fernandez.

Fernandez overtook Aron Canet coming out of the final corner when the Spaniard’s bike began to choke due to a lack of fuel.

With the Valentino Rossi tribute livery, VR46 rider Celestino Vietti powered home to finish in fourth ahead of Jorge Navarro, Stefano Manzi and Gardner.

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