The Japanese rider has his first shot at the crown in Malaysia, but it’s a long one as Fernandez looks to make amends

Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had chance to capitalise big Down Under as Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) suffered arguably his toughest weekend of the season so far, languishing outside the top ten. But in a shock twist on Sunday, Fernandez slid out from third and what would have been a sizeable points lead, meaning it’s Ogura who instead heads to Sepang with his first match point.

The gap, however, remains tiny. It’s just 3.5 points but that is enough to mean that, if Ogura wins and Fernandez doesn’t finish better than 13th, the title goes to the Japanese rider. Will Fernandez hold his nerve? Can Ogura come out swinging and bounce back? The psychology of heading into the round knowing you made a mistake vs knowing you just weren’t that fast is an interesting balance. So who will balance it best?

One rider who doesn’t need to balance much is Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) as the rookie pulled off a stunning second win, overcoming a Long Lap and still winning by over three seconds – before pulling a literal ace out of his sleeve after the flag. He will most definitely be pushing to lead the resistance as the rest of the field fight it out for their own glory.

Don’t miss another stunner at 13:20 (GMT +8) as Moto2™ go racing at Sepang International Circuit.

Moto2™ CHAMPIONSHIP: THE CONTENDERS
1 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 242
2 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 238.5

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