Today’s 125cc Top Gun at Sepang was Maverick Vinales (2011 Rookie of the Year) who took his third win of the season, but the news is the championship is still open between Nico Terol and Johann Zarco, after a final last lap thriller changed the outcome of the race.
The Aspar rider headed the field for most of the race looking like he would wrap up the last 125cc championship title at Sepang, as closest rival Zarco had to come from his qualifying 15th place to fifth on the first lap.
With seven laps to go Terol became embroiled in a battle with Vinales who grabbed the lead, with Sandro Cortese also going past the Bankia rider who found himself in third with Zarco right behind him.
An error by Vinales saw Terol pick off Cortese and then re-take the lead from the Spanish rookie with just two laps to go and victory almost in sight.
With one lap remaining Cortese put in fighting pass as Terol suffered a massive tank slapper as his tires went off, which put Vinales into second, who then proceeded to fight off Cortese to take the win.
The championship leader would have other moments as he rode off track to return in fifth.
This further mistake allowed Zarco to take the third spot on the podium, while Terol’s own team mate Hector Faubel took advantage of the dramatic situation to ride to fourth.
Terol finished in fifth, but he was exhausted suffering from heatstroke and possibily injured as on the cool down lap he stopped his bike to lay down on the ground and later had to be accompanied to the medical center.
Jonas Folger took sixth after Efren Vazquez crashed out on the last lap.
Malaysian Zulfahmi Khairuddin was seventh, his best result of the season, with Jakub Kornfeil, Alberto Moncayo and Danny Kent closing out the top ten.
125cc Sepang race results:01- Maverick Vinales – Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing – Aprilia RSA 125 – 18 laps in 40’34.
28002- Sandro Cortese – IntAct Racing Team Germany – Aprilia RSA 125 – + 0.
35403- Johann Zarco – Avant AirAsia Ajo – Derbi RSA 125 – + 2.
45504- Hector Faubel – Bankia Aspar Team – Aprilia RSA 125 – + 2.
92105- Nico Terol – Bankia Aspar Team – Aprilia RSA 125 – + 10.
04906- Jonas Folger – Red Bull Ajo MotorSport – Aprilia RS A125 – + 17.
96407- Zulfahmi Khairuddin – AirAsia SIC Ajo – Derbi RSW 125 – + 38.
70608- Jakub Kornfeil – Ongetta Centro Seta – Aprilia RSA 125 – + 39.
09909- Alberto Moncayo – Andalucia Banca Civica – Aprilia RSA 125 – + 39.
22310- Danny Kent – Red Bull Ajo MotorSport – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 40.
23711- Efren Vazquez – Avant AirAsia Ajo – Derbi RSA 125 – + 54.
80612- Alexis Masbou – Caretta Technology – KTM RC 125 – + 1’07.
89113- Danny Webb – Mahindra Racing – Mahindra GP 125 – + 1’07.
90714- Josep Rodriguez – Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing – Aprilia RSA 125 – + 1’08.
09915- Alessandro Tonucci – Team Italia FMI – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 1’08.
15616- Jack Miller – Caretta Technology – KTM RC 125 – + 1’15.
23017- Giulian Pedone – Phonica Racing – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 1’18.
70318- Louis Rossi – Matteoni Racing – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 1’18.
91319- Sturla Fagerhaug – WTR Ten10 Racing – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 1’30.
27020- Arthur Sissis – TT Motion Events Racing – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 1’31.
81021- Taylor Mackenzie – Phonica Racing – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 1’44.
25022- Manuel Tatasciore – Phonica Racing – Aprilia RSA 125 – + 1’50.
69023- Marco Colandrea – WTR Ten10 Racing – Aprilia RSW 125 – + 2’02.
25224- Farid Badrul – AirAsia SIC Ajo – Derbi RSW 125 – + 2’16.
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