2012 Assen Moto3 Race Result: Thrilling Finish To Vicious Battle

Results and summary of a fantastic Moto3 race at Assen:

Maverick Vinales has taken his third victory in a row, winning a scintillating and at times vicious race after a smart move at the final chicane to take back the lead and take the win, his fourth of the season. Vinales' victory gives him a 7 point lead in the championship over Sandro Cortese, the title fight still tight with 11 races still to go.

The race was a thriller from start to finish, with a massive group racing at the front for the first half of the race. The group was gradually whittled down from 24 men to just 7, with Vinales, Cortese, Danny Kent, Luis Salom, Louis Rossi, Alex Rins and Zulfahmi Khairuddin. Khairuddin was the first to drop off the back, followed shortly afterwards by Rins after running wide, leaving five men battling at the front. Though Louis Rossi could follow, he was unable of mixing it for the win, staying with the front group until the end but settling for 5th.

Victory would be decided at the final chicane, but not before the lead changed multiple times over the laps. Despite the fact that two teammates were involved, there was no quarter asked or given by Cortese and Kent, Cortese in particular verging on the dangerous, barging Kent off the line on the exit of the very fast Ramshoek corner.

After practicing a fast but unconventional line through the Ramshoek, passing other riders on the inside, Salom looked like the favorite for the win as the entered the last half of the lap. As expected, Salom flew underneath Cortese and Vinales to take the lead at the Ramshoek, but his line left him too slow into the GT chicane, and Vinales blasted past into the lead, with Cortese just behind. A photo finish was needed for 3rd, with Kent being given the nod over Salom, though Salom's RW Racing team immediately protested the decision.

Results: