At the end of a decidedly demanding race, Aleix finished in the points on a circuit – his home circuit – which has not reserved any great satisfaction for him in recent years. After a good start, Bradley Smith battled at the edge of the points zone. It was a benchmark that he missed by just a few tenths, some of which were lost because of having to react to other riders’ crashes.
Both Aprilia riders gained some positions straight away at the start. Espargaró managed tyre wear in the centre of the group, benefiting from a few DNFs to finish twelfth, 15 seconds behind the leader.
Bradley battle with Lecuona, Rabat and Bradl for all 24 laps. Toward the end, he had to give in to a lack of traction, finishing just outside the points zone.
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