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Pol Espargaro won a dramatic 125cc Portuguese Grand Prix from Sandro Cortese while Briton Bradley Smith was also on the podium.

Championship leader Julian Simon could have wrapped up the title this weekend but - after one of the necessary boxes was ticked when Nicolas Terol crashed out - dumped his Aspar Aprilia in the grass while six seconds clear at the front.

The pole sitter was beaten by fourth-starting Marc Marquez off the line but quickly reclaimed first position as Terol tore up from sixth into third ahead of Smith.

Simone Corsi overtook the Oxford rider on the third lap while Terol continued his sensational run by moving all the way into the lead.

Espargaro had begun in second but immediately dropped back to sixth; by lap five, with positions typically changing hands at every other corner, he was fourth with Smith at the front.

There was contact between Smith and Terol and the Jack & Jones competitor hit the deck; he mounted his bike again quickly but it was damaged and he had to trundle to the pits.

Simon retook the lead as Smith fell back as low as sixth - he seemed to have a problem perhaps stemming from the Terol incident - and Marquez began to cement second position.

With 12 laps remaining Corsi crashed out from the front few and he was not the last: a lap later Marquez flew off and with seven left Simon lost control.

Before that crash Smith had begun his battle with Cortese and Espargaro and it continued when they assumed the front three spots.

Smith led twice - on the first occasion failing to make it stick against Cortese - before Espargaro took to the front with three laps remaining and did not look back.

Stefan Bradl was fourth with Joan Olive, Sergio Gadea, Esteve Rabat, Dominique Aegerter, Johann Zarco and Randy Krummenacher completing the top 10.

Highlights of all three races at Estoril at 7pmon British Eurosport 2 (Sky 411 / Virgin Media 525); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport