2012 Misano Moto3 Race Result: Five Men Battle For Victory In Thrilling Last Laps

Results and summary of a thrilling Moto3 race at Misano:

Sandro Cortese has taken a major step towards the 2012 Moto3 title, with a clever victory at Misano. Cortese's title chances were aided by his main rival for the championship, Maverick Vinales, getting caught up in a last-corner battle, which saw him dumped from 3rd down to 5th.

After a strong showing in practice, Cortese was also away at the start, taking Red Bull KTM teammate Danny Kent with him. Cortese was joined by Aspar's Jonas Folger, the German pair quickly getting a small gap at the front, but within a few laps they were being chased down by Romano Fenati and Luis Salom. Once Fenati caught them, he was quickly through to the lead, getting the smallest of gaps at the front while Cortese chased.

Fenati was pushing hard to get a gap, but was not fast enough to put any real space between himself and the chasing group. He had help from behind, though, with Luis Salom and Cortese focusing more on each other than on catching Fenati. When Cortese did briefly take the lead, it lasted only a lap, before the Italian was once again past.

While Fenati led, a large group had assembled behind, consisting of Salom, Cortese, Alex Rins, Miguel Oliveira, Efren Vazquez and a strong recovery by Maverick Vinales, who had started from the 4th row on the grid and then lost even more places in the first two corners. As the race wound down, just five men remained, Fenati leading, ahead of Cortese, Rins, Salom and Vinales. With two laps to go Cortese finally retook the lead, attacking simultaneously with Alex Rins, dumping Fenati down the order. Vinales soon disposed of Salom and Rins, and went on to attack Cortese, hoping to slide underneath through Tramonto. He was not quite close enough, forced to back off and losing ground down Misano's fastest section of turns through the Curvone and on to Turn 12.

Cortese was now clear, and went on to take a relatively comfortable win, and grab even more points in the championship. Vinales looked set to take a safe 2nd, but that was reckoning without Alex Rins, who was determined to get ahead of his fellow Spaniard. In the final corner, Rins dived underneath Vinales running the pair of them wide and on to the grass, and allowing Luis Salom to grab 2nd, while Romano Fenati grabbed 3rd. Vinales crossed the line in 5th, having given up valuable championship points and allowing his shot at the title to slip. Vinales is now 46 points behind Cortese, with just 5 races to go. The Moto3 championship is now out of Vinales hands; he will need help from others if he is to beat Cortese.

Results: