2010 Aragon 125cc Race Result - Last-Corner Pass Decides Race-Long Battle

Results and summary of the 125cc race at Motorland Aragon:

The 125cc championship took another dramatic turn at the Motorland Aragon circuit today, with events in the first and last corners of the race throwing the title race up into the air. Prime victim in Turn 1 was (at that point) championship leader Marc Marquez, the Red Bull Ajo rider getting a difficult start and losing a couple of places. As Marquez turned in for the first corner, though, STIPA Molenaar's Randy Krummenacher came barreling wildly up the inside, cutting the kerb, then crashing and wiping out Marquez' back wheel, taking the Spaniard out of the race. Marquez' day was over before it began. Krummenacher's was over shortly afterward, the Swiss rider being given the black flag for the incident.

Marquez' exit gave his chief challengers for the title free reign: Bancaja Aspar's Nico Terol and Tuenti Derbi's Pol Espargaro soon dispensing with the opposition put up by Bradley Smith, and making a break to dice for the win. A now typical race-long duel spun out over the course of 15 laps, which saw Terol and Espargaro size each other up, though rarely did they pass each other. Terol made the early running, before making a mistake and running wide, allowing Espargaro past into the lead.

Terol soon rejoined Espargaro, but took 5 laps to get back past. The Bancaja Aspar rider looked to have the measure of Espargaro, but the Tuenti Derbi rider was just keeping his powder dry. Espargaro attacked as the first lap started, but his early efforts went unrewarded. It was only down the long, downhill back straight that his attempts were rewarded, pulling out of Terol's slipstream and into the lead. Espargaro held Terol off around the endless final corner at Aragon, and went on to take victory, just ahead of Terol. Bradley Smith crossed the line nearly nine-and-a-half seconds later, to grab the final podium spot.

Espargaro's victory and Marquez' misfortune has tightened the championship right up. Marquez' lead is gone, and the Red Bull Ajo rider now trails the new championship leader by 11 points, 208 to 197. But Espargaro's victory took 5 valuable points from Terol, put him on 202 points, 6 behind Terol and 5 ahead of Marquez. The title fight looks like going down to the very last race.

Results: