Pedro Acosta, the Spanish rider on a Kalex, edged out Italy by a razor-thin margin of one thousandth of a second to claim his second victory of the season, following his win in Portugal. Tony Arbolino, also on a Kalex, finished close behind, while the American Grand Prix at the Moto2 America Circuit in Austin marked a dramatic chapter in the season.
Arbolino led for most of the race and positioned himself at the head of the standings with 61 points. Pedro Acosta sits second with 54, and he remains third in the world championship with 41, as fellow Spaniard Arón Canet, aboard a Kalex, placed eighth.
One of the pre-race favorites in Austin, Jake Dixon on a Kalex suffered a crash during the warm-up lap which damaged his bike, ruling him out of contention and casting a shadow over his chances today.
[Consulta la clasificación del Mundial de Moto2]
As the lights went out, the early pace was set by the Spanish riders. Alonso López resisted the early assault from Acosta, who rode a Kalex for Speed Up, with the Italian leader Celestino Vietti also entering the fray after a less-than-ideal start.
DANCE, PEDRO, DANCE @37_elif He gives his all to the bike after his victory in Austin #AmericanGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/EkL6d1vK9u
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) April 16, 2023
Strong start from Acosta
Acosta immediately took command from the opening corner, with Arbolino and López close behind, followed by Arón Canet and Filip Salac, both aboard Kalex machines. The fourth lap saw Acosta make a rare mistake at Turn 12, where a section of the track had some potholes, but the Spaniard regained his rhythm quickly and rejoined the leading pack with authority.
The group that soon formed included Arbolino, López, Acosta, and a pursuing set featuring Canet, Jeremy Alcoba (Kalex), Salac, Barry Baltus (Kalex), and Fermín Aldeguer (Speed Up).
Moto2, WORKING!!!@37_elif in front #AmericanGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/BXbQ2UOHFS
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) April 16, 2023
The race then saw López swing wide to avoid trouble, leaving Arbolino and Acosta to lead the duel at the front. Baltus, who later retired with a technical issue after a fall, and Marcos Ramírez (Kalex) also dropped out, narrowing the leading chase to a tighter group.
Sergio García Dols (Kalex) also faced retirement due to technical problems, removing another potential challenger from the frame.
[Consulta el calendario del Mundial de Moto2]
To the rhythm of Arbolino
At the start, Arbolino set the pace while Acosta kept close, already establishing a two-second gap over the rest of the pursuing pack led by Canet, Aldeguer, Alcoba, Salac, and López, who pushed hard at various points around the circuit.
Arbolino and Acosta pushed ahead, seeking the victory that would mark a second win for each in the season after Acosta’s triumph in Portugal and Arbolino’s win in Argentina. Behind them, more than 3.5 seconds back, lay a quartet consisting of Aldeguer, Alcoba, Canet, and Salac, with López slightly detached from that group at times.
Entering the thirteenth lap of the scheduled sixteen, Arbolino made a mistake at Turn 1 and briefly ceded ground, allowing Acosta to seize the moment and move ahead before Arbolino recovered his rhythm.
Fight in the final laps
ACOSTA DECIDES THE RACE
SECOND WIN OF THE YEAR!!! A stellar ride and a thrilling finish. What a way to wrap up the race!#AmericanGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/d945FMUwS0
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) April 16, 2023
Only in the final lap did Acosta launch his decisive attack on Arbolino in the early section of the track, overtaking him and then closing every gap until the checkered flag. The Italian’s attempts to reclaim the lead were politely refused by Acosta, who drove with precision to seal the victory.
In the wake of the podium contenders, a Spanish trio looked likely for a top-three finish. However, a late surge by the Dutch rider Bo Bendsneyder, who had not been part of the leading pack earlier, propelled him to a spectacular podium finish that marked the first podium of his career. Alcoba claimed fourth, Salac fifth ahead of Aldeguer, who had endured a heavy fall the day before that damaged his left hand. López, Canet, Vietti, and Manugas (Kalex) completed the top ten with robust rides.
Arenas (Kalex) finished twelfth and Gómez (Kalex) twentieth, while Guevara (Kalex) and Sanchís (Kalex) trailed further back in the field.