2012 Brno Moto3 Race Result: Drying Conditions Unleash Tight Battle For Podium

Results and summary of the Moto3 race at Brno:

Jonas Folger has won the first race of the day at Brno, taking brilliant advantage of changing conditions to build up a huge lead as the track dried, which he could defend to the end. Behind Folger, a hard battle last-lap battle saw Sandro Cortese gain extra points over Maverick Vinales in the championship.

The race started with a damp track on which a drying line was quickly appearing, leaving the riders to gamble on running slicks or rain tires. Efren Vazquez gambled on wets, and immediately took off into the distance, building a decent gap in the first couple of laps. But even by lap 3, it was clear that this was the wrong gamble, as the dry line continued to get wider and wider.

Jonas Folger made the best use of the tires, pushing as hard as he dared on slicks in the early laps, quickly chasing down Vazquez and then leaving him for dead as the Spaniard's rain tires became more of a hindrance than a help. Lapping a couple of seconds a lap quicker than anyone else on the track, Folger quickly built up a massive lead. Over 10 seconds at the halfway mark, then adding another couple of seconds in the following laps, enough of a cushion to defend by the time the rest of the field were up to speed and chasing. Folger cruised home to take an impressive win, brilliant strategy paying off handsomely. His decision to switch from the IODA team to Mapfre Aspar has been equally rewarding, for both the German and for Jorge Martinez' Aspar team.

Behind Folger, the battle for the podium started off as a fight between Jakub Kornfeil, Miroslav Popov and Zulfahmi Khairuddin, but behind them, a massive group was on a charge. That group contained the title candidates, with Sandro Cortese, Maverick Vinales and Luis Salom all vying to get on the podium and take points off one another. They picked off the men ahead one by one, and a massive battle ensued on the final couple of laps.

Vinales was the first to lose touch, close to the rear wheel of Salom and Cortese, but not close enough to attempt a pass. Luis Salom was the most determined - and the least concerned with risk - of the three,  and a daring and hard pass on Sandro Cortese going into Turn 13, the first of the final two corners. Cortese tried hard to come back, but could not quite make it, despite pushing again on the run to the line. Salom took 2nd, just ahead of Sandro Cortese, while a disappointed Maverick Vinales was forced to settle for 4th. Cortese extends his championship lead by 3 valuable points, his advantage now 32 points over Vinales, 200 for Cortese and for Vinales. With six races left in the championship, there is still everything to play for, but Cortese clearly has the upper hand.

Results: