Toni Elías took another step towards sealing the 2010 Moto2 World Championship with victory in the Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday, holding off the determined challenge of Julián Simón to take his seventh win of the season.
Immediately from the off pole man Simón and Elías, who started from the front row, were at the head of the race and they swapped the lead on a number of occasions in the early stages.
The duel between Elías and Simón continued to rage at the front whilst Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2), Yuki Takahashi (Tech3 Racing), Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) and Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team) all remained in the hunt for third place.
Elías managed to resist Simón's determined push and eventually finished 0.315s ahead of his fellow Spaniard. For the Gresini Racing rider victory stretched his advantage at the top of the Championship to 81 points over Simón, who finished second for the fourth race in succession.
An intense last-lap push for third place saw De Angelis and Abraham touch bikes on the final lap, with the Czech rider coming out on top for his first ever World Championship podium.