Now that Hunter Lawrence has clinched the 250 title, there’s one more thing for Honda to accomplish in the 2023 regular season: Jett Lawrence’s perfection. But first he has to win Moto 1.
Chase Sexton choses to start directly next to Jett Lawrence at the gate drop.
Lawrence pulls out to the lead with a huge jump at the gate and captures the holeshot; Adam Cianciarulo follows. Chase Sexton is slow off the gate and has to work through from fifth.
Sexton finds his line and quickly makes it into the top three behind Aaron Plessinger as Cianciarulo falls to fourth.
At the end of the opening lap, Lawrence leads Plessinger by 1.5 second and Sexton is another half second behind.
With 27 minutes remaining, Sexton passes Plessinger for second. Sexton was faster than Lawrence on the opening lap by a hair, but Lawrence finds the speed on the second lap.
Dylan Ferrandis passes Garrett Marchbanks on the inside for sixth with 23 minutes remaining.
A third of the way finished and Lawrence is still comfortably leading. Sexton had it down to almost a second before Lawrence stretches it out to 2.775.
Ferrandis passes Cianciarulo to move into the top five.
Halfway mark and Lawrence leads by more than five seconds. The closest battle is between Ferrandis and Plessinger and after about three fourths of a lap, Ferrandis finally finds his way around Plessinger for fourth.
With 13 minutes remaining Lawrence catches lapped traffic.
Ferrandis makes a huge leap off of Godzilla lands hard but is able to keep the pace and make the pass on Jason Anderson for third place.
The clock expires, (two laps remain), and Lawrence leads 9.186 seconds over Sexton. Ferrandis follows in third. Anderson and Plessinger round out the top five.
Lawrence stays perfect! We’re one race away from history for the young Australian rider. Sexton follows crossing the line 5.88 seconds behind. Ferrandis holds on to the final podium position followed by Anderson and Plessinger.
“You don’t usually get teammates lining up next to each other,” Lawrence responded when asked if Sexton’s gate pick affected him, “I just didn’t want to mess his start up.
“We’re both trying to go for a win he’s going to try to do whatever he can and I’m the same. We live for this, we want to finish on top but it puts the extra bit of pressure because if you don’t these guys close you out real fast.”
