Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) was on the roll of rolls to start the season. Winning in Qatar and coming back to racing after four months to pick up exactly where he left off, the Spaniard had started to require the music from Jaws to accompany his well-thought out tactics in the latter stages of a Moto3™ race. But then disaster truck in the Andalucia GP and he crashed out, leaving his rivals with a big chance to hit back. For certainly two of them, it was a chance they took.
It’s now Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in second after his stunning win last time out, and the Japanese rider looks like a serious threat. He said he was surprised to take pole because he’d been working towards Sunday pace, and Sunday more than saw that pay off as he took command of the front group and seemed the favourite from lights out. John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) made up some ground too after a crash in the Spanish GP too, and the three are now covered by just 10 points. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) was prevented from gaining ground after he hit some bad luck, but he remains in the mix and at Brno, it’s anyone’s game.
For McPhee, the Czech Repubic holds good memories as it’s the site of his first Grand Prix win. Suzuki has had some solid speed at the venue too, and Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was on the podium there last year. Ogura was in the top six – as a rookie – Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power), who stormed from the near back of the grid to take fourth in the Andalucia GP, was a top ten finisher in 2019. The likes of Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) have solid finishes at the track too, adding more and more names to the hat for who will be fighting it out it what will surely prove another Moto3™ classic battle at Brno.
Albert Arenas remains both the Championship leader and the probable favourite in 2020 despite that crash. But the cast of characters looking to bite back and shuffle themselves to the top is sizeable, and we’ll find out who leaves in the driving seat soon enough. Moto3™ race on Sunday at 11:00 (GMT +2).