Scott Redding Moto2 lead cut as Esteve Rabat wins Malaysian GP

Britain's Scott Redding saw his Moto2 championship lead cut to nine points with three races left as Esteve Rabat won a shortened Malaysian GP in Sepang.

Redding had risen from 10th on the grid to fourth place when the scheduled 19-lap race had to be stopped after a major crash on the opening lap.

But the grid was retained for the restart, with the race cut to 12 laps.

Redding was seventh as Rabat won from pole, with Pol Espargaro's second place narrowing the Briton's series lead.

After winning his home GP at Silverstone in September, 20-year-old Redding's lead over Spaniard Espargaro was 38 points, but he finished only sixth and fourth in the two subsequent races.

And he looked set for sixth place at Sepang but was pipped by Frenchman Johann Zarco on the final straight.

The original race had reached Turn 14 when five riders were involved in a pile-up, Spanish rider Axel Pons the first to fall, sending four others off the track. All escaped serious injury, according to race officials.

Two more riders went off on the first corner in the restart, sliding just in front of Redding's bike.

Malaysian GP result:

1. Esteve Rabat (Spa) Tuenti HP40 25 minutes 45.411 seconds

2. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Tuenti HP40 25:46.974

3. Thomas Luthi (Swi) Interwetten Paddock 25:48.321

4. Mika Kallio (Fin) Marc VDS 25:50.225

5. Dominique Aegerter (Swi) Technomag carXpert 25:52.763

6. Johann Zarco (Fra) Came Iodaracing Project 25:55.201

7. Scott Redding (GB) Marc VDS 25:55.251

8. Takaaki Nakagami (Jpn) Italtrans 25:57.305

9. Jordi Torres (Spa) Aspar 25:57.713

10. Julian Simon (Spa) Italtrans 26:00.935

Moto2 standings after 14 of 17 races:

1. Scott Redding (GB) Marc VDS 224

2. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Tuenti HP40 215

3. Esteve Rabat (Spa) Tuenti HP40 196

4. Mika Kallio (Fin) Marc VDS 156

5. Takaaki Nakagami (Jpn) Italtrans 138

6. Dominique Aegerter (Swi) Technomag carXpert 133

7. Johann Zarco (Fra) Came Iodaracing Project 123

8. Thomas Luthi (Swi) Interwetten Paddock 110

9. Nicolas Terol (Spa) Aspar 108

10. Jordi Torres (Spa) Aspar 90