2012 Mugello Moto3 Race Result: Three-Way Thriller Sees Race Decided At Line

Results and summary of the Moto3 race at Mugello:

Maverick Vinales has taken his fifth win of the season, coming out on top of a fierce last-lap battle with Romano Fenati and Sandro Cortese to win by just two hundredths of a second. With his win, Vinales closes the gap in the championship to just 9 points.

The race turned into a Moto3 classic. A group of 14 riders broke away in the early laps led by Zulfahmi Khairuddin, with Alex Rins chasing. Romano Fenati soon made his way to the front, and the group began to break up shortly after that. It splintered into two after the first few laps, with seven riders left at the front: Fenati and Rins, along with Maverick Vinales, Sandro Cortese and Efren Vazquez, while Danny Kent and Niccolo Antonelli joined them soon after.

There was no settled order in the front group. The rider that led along the front straight would inevitably get swamped in the braking battle for the first corner at San Donato. But as the laps ticked off, a pecking order started to be established. On lap 13, Maverick Vinales made his move, taking Sandro Cortese and Romano Fenati in his wake. The trio soon broke the chasing group, leaving Danny Kent, Alex Rins, Efren Vazquez and Niccolo Antonelli to scrap over 4th.

Vinales looked to have the upper hand, with Cortese following closely, while Fenati waited for a chance to pounce. On lap 17, the Italian nabbed 2nd from Cortese, and made his intentions to Vinales perfectly clear. Over the line, Fenati tried drafting past Vinales, getting past as they crossed the line, only losing out to thee Spaniard braking into San Donato. As they started the final lap, Fenati swooped past Vinales, running wide in the attempt and allowing both Vinales and Cortese to come by. He corrected his mistake brilliantly, swooping back inside to take back the lead he had lost. Vinales attacked again at Arrabbiata 1, but ran wide defending at Palagio, leaving the door a fraction open for Fenati. The Italian passed the Vinales, but Vinales struck straight back, allowing Cortese to get past Fenati to 2nd.

It would be a race to the line out of the final corner, with Cortese choosing Vinales back wheel, while Fenati used a slingshot out of the final corner to take the wider line. Vinales crossed the line in first, but only just, Fenati just two hundredths of a second behind the Spaniard, while Cortese was forced to settle for 3rd. Fenati's 2nd place helps Vinales in the championship, the Spaniard closing the gap to Cortese to just 9 points.

Result: