The Moto2 Championship leader won his sixth race of the season in a race which was overshadowed by tragedy after Shoya Tomizawa passed away due to injuries sustained in a crash.
Toni Elías won from pole position at Misano on Sunday in the Moto2 Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini to extend his Championship lead to 83 points, achieving his sixth victory of the season and his fourth in a row. Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) moved into second place in the standings with second position in the race, whilst Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Moriwaki) made a return to the podium. However, the day was overshadowed by the tragic death of Shoya Tomizawa who passed away due to injuries sustained in a crash during the race.
Andrea Iannone led from the off but a jump start meant the Fimmco Speed Up rider had to take a Ride Through penalty early on, and that allowed the trio of Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing), Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team) and Tomizawa to enjoy running at the front.
Pole starter Elías was not far off however and after just six laps the Gresini Racing man assumed the lead, with Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) keeping tabs on him. There was then a pivotal moment in the race when the chasing trio of Tomizawa, Redding and Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2) were involved in a big crash as the Japanese rider fell and was struck by oncoming bikes, and he and Redding were stretchered off and required medical attention at the Clinica Mobile. Tomizawa was transported to hospital in nearby Riccione but tragically succumbed to his injuries and sadly passed away. Redding escaped serious injury in the incident.
As the battle continued at the front Simón went through on Corsi to move into second, whilst wild card Mattia Pasini and Sergio Gadea’s races ended early with crashes. Yuki Takahashi (Tech 3 Racing) was another faller as he pushed hard to maintain fifth position.
As Elías continued to lead comfortably the impressive Lüthi reeled in Corsi and passed him having been over six seconds adrift at one stage, and also having started from 15th on the grid. Iannone’s day was then capped off with a mechanical fault that forced his retirement as he sought a points-scoring finish further back whilst Xavier Simeon crashed when flying high in seventh.
Elías crossed 1.969s clear of Simón with Lüthi securing his fifth podium of the campaign in third, and Elías now stands on 211 points in the Championship with Simón moving up to second on 128 and Lüthi remaining in third on 124.
Corsi took fourth, with Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing), Cluzel, Gabor Talmacsi (Fimmco Speed Up), Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP), Claudio Corti (Forward Racing) and Roberto Rolfo (Italtrans STR) completing the top ten.
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