Adrian Fernandez started his Moto3 season with a hard-fought podium in Thailand, finishing third at the Chang International Circuit after a remarkable comeback ride.

Fernandez started the season-opening race from 11^th on the grid, but after the first lap the Leopard Racing rider found himself down in 14^th on his Honda NSF250RW machine. Regrouping, he started to make swift progress back through the 26-bike field and by lap five he was already back into 7^th.

In typical Moto3 fashion, that leading group was tightly bunched, which Fernandez used to his advantage. Whilst the race leader Jose Antonio Rueda had been allowed to build a comfortable margin because of this battle for second place, Fernandez quickly found his way to the front of it, and by the penultimate lap was still lying in second place. On the last lap he was just got the better of by Alvaro Carpe, crossing the line just 0.065seconds behind to start this new season with third and a trip to the podium.

Finishing just behind Fernandez, making two Honda machines in the top four, was SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Stefano Nepa, who also didn’t have a straightforward race.

Starting second on the grid, his early laps saw him tumble down the order to 11^th by lap five, including being passed by his teammate Luca Lunetta who mounted a podium challenge of his own. Moto3 being as close as it is though, Nepa’s race was far from over. From 11^th he mounted a steady comeback of his own and with three laps remaining was in second, just ahead of Fernandez. Taking the chequered flag in fourth, he was just over 0.3seconds adrift of second place.

Further down the order, there was frustration for Lunetta as his podium challenge was derailed on lap nine when contact pushed him wide and down to 20^th place. Finishing the race in tenth at the flag, aided by non-finishes from other riders, the Grand Prix of Thailand was a case of unrealised promise.

Ricardo Rossi finished 8^th for Rivacold Snipers Team, making for five Hondas in the top ten, whilst his teammate Nicola Carraro was one of 11 non-finishers.

The script was not dissimilar for Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato too – starting ninth, he found himself 13^th by the second lap. Having fought back to sixth by lap seven with a promising show of form, unfortunately a crash cut his race short. He joined Tatchakorn Buasri in a double DNF for the team.

GRYD – Mlav Racing’s Marcos Uriarte finished 13^th whilst Eddie O’Shea’s race was over almost before it had begun as he didn’t finish the first lap.

The next Moto3 Grand Prix takes place in Argentina at the Termas di Rio Hondo circuit on 14-16 March.