2021 Silverstone Moto2 Race Result: The Agony And The Ecstasy

The intermediate class served the dessert at the end of a MotoGP ready meal in Silverstone and the remaining spectators enjoyed a showdown to the final lap between the championship leader and the poleman. Remy Gardner was the eventual victor over 18 laps, while Bezzecchi settled for second and Jorge Navarro returned to the podium after over a year off it.

Bezzecchi had made a good start from pole but Sam Lowes went around the outside at Becketts to lead the way by the end of the first lap from the poleman, Navarro and the KTM Ajo boys. Bezzecchi got back ahead at Brooklands one lap later and Gardner promptly joined the podium positions ahead of Navarro, leaving teammate Raul Fernandez in 6th, behind Di Giannantonio and ahead of Augusto Fernandez. Gardner’s next victim was Lowes on lap 4 and the championship leader pursued Bezzecchi for the next lap. The Australian attacked at Farm curve on lap 5 but Bezzecchi fought back at Stowe and resumed the lead. While Lowes, Navarro and Di Giannantonio kept in touch with the leading duo, the Fernandezes kept each other busy one second behind that podium battle.

Bezzecchi almost threw it all away at Aintree as he briefly lost the front and Gardner narrowly avoided a collision, but the duo finished lap six unscathed and trading places once more. Gardner pushed at the front but couldn’t shake off Bezzecchi, who reclaimed the lead at Stowe on lap 9, the exchanges allowing Lowes back into contention. However, the trio distanced Navarro and Di Giannantonio, who were slowly getting reeled in by Augusto and Raul Fernandez.

Things settled a little bit for the next few laps and Bezzecchi held onto the lead until seven laps remaining, when Gardner attacked once more at Village and picked up prime spot. Lowes was pushing to stay in the victory battle but then dropped almost a second back with four laps remaining, while Navarro was getting closer from behind. Navarro got ahead of the home favourite that same lap, but the cameras didn’t linger too long on that exchange, as Raul Fernandez crashed out of seventh place at Farm curve, in a big blow to his championship chances.

Agony for Fernandez and ecstasy for Gardner, who had broken away with Bezzecchi and left Navarro defending third place from Lowes. Bezzecchi kept close on the final lap but couldn’t find any weakness in Gardner and the championship leader secured victory over the Italian. Navarro took third, leaving Lowes fourth, while Di Giannantonio got past Augusto Fernandez on the final lap to reclaim fifth. Aron Canet, Xavi Vierge, Ai Ogura and Joe Roberts completed the top 10.

Gardner’s fifth victory in the intermediate class and his teammate’s disastrous result grows the gap between them in the championship standings to 44 points, with Bezzecchi 52 points down.

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