Baldassarri triumphs in Moto 2 despite late Luthi charge

Flexbox HP 40’s Lorenzo Baldassarri had to fight off huge last lap pressure from the returning Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) to take Moto2 victory at the VisitQatar Grand Prix.The Italian lead from lap two but had to ride brilliantly in the final sector of the last lap to hold off a charging Luthi, eventually taking the chequered flag just 0.026 of a second ahead.As the lights went out it was Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) who took the holeshot from the middle of the front row of the grid whilst carnage ensued behind.Debutant Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing Team VR46), Iker Lecuona (American Racing KTM) and Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) all crashed out at Turn 1 before Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Marco Bezzechi crashed out of his debut ride at Turn 6. Baldassarri blasted his way past Vierge on lap two before slowly but surely beginning to build up an advantage over the chasing pack.Luthi then got in on the act, fighting his way through to fifth place before setting back-to-back lap records around the Losail International Circuit to close in onto the back of Marquez before quickly disposing of the Moto2 veteran.The Kalex man then jumped into third place past Australian Gardner with six laps remaining and set up a grandstand finish by catching and passing teammate Schrotter with four laps left.Meanwhile, Japanese teenager Kaito Toba snatched victory in the first Moto3 Grand Prix of the season yesterday, dramatically overtaking rival Lorenzo Dalla Porta on the final straight.In doing so, the 18-year-old Honda star became the first ever Japanese rider to win in the Moto3 class.“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said afterwards. “This weekend we have worked very, very hard.”Toba and Dalla Porta were wheel-to-wheel rounding the last corner of the 18-lap race in Doha, but the Japanese rider had just enough speed to grasp victory in the final few metres, winning by less than a wheel’s length.“I did my best,” said the Italian runner-up, also riding a Honda.