The Ajo Academy rider takes his first win of the season in the last race, ending the year as the Moto2 European Championship runner-up.

The Ajo Motorsport Academy finished the Moto2 European Championship season in style this Sunday, with a first victory for rider Tetsuta Nagashima at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. The Japanese rider, who suffered an injury at the same track in the first round of the year, put the demons to bed with an excellent performance throughout the weekend. The win also gives Nagashima the runner-up spot in the overall standings for 2016.

Qualifying on Saturday saw Nagashima claim second place on the starting grid –his sixth front row spot of the season. In the first session he was second with a time of 1:36.127, and he repeated the position in QP2 with a 1:36.401.

After a poor start in the race that relegated him to sixth place on the first lap, Nagashima latched onto the lead group. Fighting for victory along with five other riders, the Japanese took the lead and tried to break away thanks to his great pace. In the final stretch he was able to ride by himself, and cross the finish line alone for his first win of the season. Thanks to the result, the Ajo Academy rider was crowned Moto2 European Championship runner-up for 2016, with 162 points.