Moto2 Qatar Preview: All Set for the Duel in the Dusk

The intermediate class has garnered a reputation over the past few seasons as the hardest category to succeed in. How appropriate then should the new race schedule see the Moto2 field commence battle in the most challenging conditions of the weekend.

The race at the Losail International Circuit is set to begin at 1720 local time on Sunday, with sunset due at 1744. As such, we can expect a dramatic loss of track temperature during the closing stages of the grand prix, and ever changing levels of visibility with the setting sun before the floodlights take over.

The 2018 season looks set to begin with a plethora of riders all with realistic ambitions and expectations of being crowned world champion.

After a solid maiden campaign with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team last year, Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira arrives at Qatar in the eyes of many as the favourite for the championship.  Having finished 2017 with a hat trick of victories at the final three rounds both he and the team have steadily made progress throughout the winter, with the focus been on gleaning an ideal race setup. This has been backed up by his teammate, the 2016 Moto3 world champion Brad Binder. The South African endured a troublesome campaign last year, owing much of this to an unfortunate series of injuries. However, following a full winter testing program he looks ready to join his teammate as a front running contender this season.

Francesco Bagnaia (Sky VR|46 Racing Team) stole the headlines during the winter, not just for his out right pace in testing. The Italian announced last month that he will be moving up into MotoGP from 2019. The move will see the 21 year-old become the second man from Valentino Rossi’s academy (after 2017 Moto2 Champion, Franco Morbidelli) to make it into the premier class. How we dearly wants to arrive there as a world champion, already.  Bagnaia is joined this season by compatriot Luca Marini, who moves across from the Forward Racing Team. Marini endured a difficult two years at his former team, and will be looking to make 2018 somewhat of a breakthrough season for him. Yet to feature on the podium in Moto2, the 20 year-old from Urbino needs to hit the ground running if he is not to be overshadowed by his teammate.

With Franco Morbidelli having moved up to MotoGP during the winter, Alex Marquez will be expected to deliver the title for the EG 0,0 Marc-VDS team. Inconsistency plagued the young Spaniard’s title ambitions in 2017, but the word from the team is that he has made a considerable effort this winter to curb his tendency to ride beyond the limit of the bike’s capabilities. There is no doubt he is extremely talented and is rightly considered a genuine front runner for this season. Despite a slow start to his Moto2 career, the 21 year-old has made significant improvements in his three years in the class. A strong winter has left both he and his team confident that the world championship could be theirs for the taking in 2018. Marquez is joined by rookie Joan Mir this season. The current Moto3 world champion signed a 4-year contract with the MarcVDS outfit late last season, leading many to speculate that he has his future sorted all the way into MotoGP. There is no denying he is an extremely talented rider, but will take time to adjust to the physical demands of the 600cc prototype, having moved up from the 250cc machines used in the junior class. Perhaps not a championship contender for this year, but definitely one to watch as the season progresses.

Sam Lowes returns to the intermediate category after a tough debut season in MotoGP with Aprilia. The British rider joins the Swiss Innovative Investors team for the 2018 season. Winning the championship with the team being the clear intention. The Lincolnshireman has looked strong throughout the winter testing, looking comfortable on the bike and setting headline lap times from the start. There is undeniable pressure on his shoulders. It is fair to say he did not get a fair opportunity last year in the premier class, and desperately wants to return. To do that, race wins and a strong challenge for the championship can be the only objectives he is striving towards this season.

Lowes is not the only British rider who faces pressure this season. Danny Kent (Beta Tools Speed-Up Racing) returns for a third stint in Moto2. For many reasons, Kent’s grand prix career has not managed to kick on properly, following winning the Moto3 crown in 2015. A third new team in as many seasons perhaps already puts the 24 year-old at a relative disadvantage to most of his competitors, as he has to adapt to a new machine. Kent still has the self belief that he can and will succeed. A good start this weekend in Qatar might provide the launch pad for his best season yet in the intermediate class.

Finally, it would be wrong to ignore Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team). The veteran Italian racer broke his duck last season with a breathtaking victory at his home grand prix in Mugello. A regular contender for podiums last season, and never outside of the top 5 in winter testing, makes it impossible to ignore that Pasini has as good a chance as the likes of Oliveria, Bagnaia and Marquez of becoming world champion in 2018. Especially impressive when one considers he is riding a customised Kalex machine with left-hand braking, to compensate for an old MX injury which has left the Italian unable to use a conventional right-hand braking system.

The Moto2 QatarGP race begins at 1420 GMT on Sunday, March 18th. 

Oliveira Wins in Malaysia as Morbidelli is Crowned Champion

Two great winners and two exceptional sportsmen

Miguel Oliveira took KTM to their 2nd consecutive victory on Sunday in the Moto2 race, beating teammate Brad Binder to give the Austrian manufacturer their first ever back-to-back 1-2. Franco Morbidelli was crowned champion before the race even got underway, due to Thomas Luthi being ruled out but he still celebrated in style, as he mono-wheeled across the line for 3rd.

The race started and initially, it was Miguel Oliveira who led from Morbidelli and Alex Marquez, with Pecco Bagnaia pushing his way into 4th place. Carnage erupted at the back of the field though, as Andrea Locatelli knocked off Luca Marini who then took down Axel Pons and local hero, Khairul Idham Pawi. Simone Corsi also went ride to avoid disaster. Over at turn 2, Alex Marquez had crashed out, topping a difficult weekend for the Spaniard.

More drama unfolded at turn 6, when Sandro Cortese got his Dynamo Intact GP Suter completely crossed up, ramming the back of Japanese rider, Takaaki Nakagami. Both riders cartwheeled through the gravel trap, with Cortese’s Suter catching fire. Nakagami rode his bike back to the pits and retired from the race. Both Idemitsu Kalex bikes had been innocently taken out in the first half a lap, in what was one of the team’s most important races of the season.

Back at the front, Oliveira had already pulled out an early advantage over Morbidelli, Bagnaia, Brad Binder and local rider, Hafizh Syahrin. Front row starter, Fabio Quartararo, had dropped to 6th but it was the 7th place rider who gained much interest. Up from 17th on the grid, Stefano Manzi had made a sensational start and had got ahead of the likes of Marcel Schrotter and Mattia Pasini.

By the end of lap 8, we saw our first change at the front of the field. Brad Binder forced his way past Francesco Bagnaia for 3rd and kept the position. He then set his sights on Italian, Franco Morbidelli. Further down the field, Xavi Vierge and Mattia Pasini were moving forward, demoting Marcel Schrotter and also Isaac Vinales.

It wasn’t until lap 16 where we saw our 2nd change at the front. Brad Binder moved ahead of Franco Morbidelli, sending KTM into a frenzy in pit lane, as the rookie team now looked like they could be on for yet another 1-2 finish. Back in 4th, the battle was starting to close up, with Bagnaia being hunted down by a resurgent Fabio Quartararo and a hard-changing Matti Pasini. Isaac Vinales had also fought his way back through the field, as he occupied 7th.

As the rain began to fall, Bagnaia was caught, passed and left behind by Fabio Quartararo and Matti Pasini. However, the rain didn’t last and before long, ‘Pecco’ was back ahead and it was Quartararo being dragged back into the clutches of first, Pasini and then, Vinales.

As the rain dissipated, it was Portugal’s Miguel Oliveira who took the win ahead of his South African teammate, Brad Binder. Yet another win for Miguel and another 1-2 for KTM. This is the first time that a manufacturer other than Kalex has won back-to-back races in Moto2 since Suter in 2012, with Marc Marquez at Misano and Brno. Franco Morbidelli came home in 3rd to take his long-awaited Moto2 crown, with Mattia Pasini fighting to 4th.

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Moto2 Australian GP Review: Oliveira and Binder make History

Miguel Oliveira took the Australian GP by storm, taking his first Moto2 victory by three seconds to take KTM’s first win in Moto2. The record breaking continued behind, as teammate Brad Binder took his first ever podium in the intermediate class as his rookie year continues to get better, following a tough, injury-hit start to the season. This was South Africa’s first podium in the intermediate class since Mario Rademayer in 1985, in South Africa. Franco Morbidelli was third and maintained his title aspirations, extending his lead in the title race on main rival Tom Lüthi, who had a tough day to come home tenth, following two big crashes through the weekend.

Oliveira who took the hole-shot down to turn one, with pole-sitter Mattia Pasini losing out and Binder moving up into second. Pasini was as low as 7th after a tentative start. Morbidelli slotted into third, with Dominique Aegerter moving into fourth. Lüthi got a good start and shot up into sixth, moving around the outside as he attempted to get in the fight at the front of the field from way down on the grid.

The pack then started to swap places but a massive crash for Marcel Schrötter collected Pasini and sent Aegerter out on the grass – as Oliveira started pulling away at the front. The crash continued Pasini’s run of never scoring a point at Phillip Island in the intermediate class. Morbidelli’s teammate, Alex Marquez, had a huge moment as Lüthi began to struggle. The top three of Oliveira, Binder and Morbidelli found themselves in clear air. Morbidelli and Binder started swapping places, handing Oliveira an advantage of six seconds with seven laps to go.

Takaaki Nakagami was the man on the charge in the middle of the race, closing in on the leading three before passing both Binder and Morbidelli. The South African and the Italian exchanged some tough passes and spectacular moves yet again, in what looked set to be a hard-fought battle over the last place on the podium. However, it began to rain, meaning the rain flag came out near the end of the race. Oblivious to the situation, Nakagami slid out at Lukey Heights as he chased down Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese rider crossed the line almost three seconds clear, with Binder setting the fastest lap on the penultimate lap to take second and Morbidelli a safe third.

Jesko Raffin was an extraordinary surprise in fourth, ahead of yet another fine performance from Motegi podium finisher, Xavi Vierge. Alex Marquez recovered from his moment early in the race to take sixth, ahead of veteran Italian, Simone Corsi. Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter rode a solid race after drama early on, finishing ahead of Sandro Cortese and a struggling Lüthi.

Axel Pons, Francesco Bagnaia and fellow VR46 rider Stefano Manzi were 11th, 12th and 13th respectively. 2016 San Marino GP winner, Lorenzo Baldassarri was 14th, despite dislocating his shoulder (again) on Saturday. Remy Gardner completed the points, giving the home fans something to cheer.

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Moto2 Japan Grand Prix: A Masterclass From Marquez

Alex Marquez reminded everyone of his full potential today, with a faultless performance in appalling conditions.

Adverse track and weather conditions ensured that the Moto2 Grand Prix was reduced in distance to 15 laps, from the originally scheduled 23. The continuous heavy rain meant that the traditional first lap scramble simply became a trial just to survive.  Pole sitter Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) led an understandably cautious field during the early stages of the race, as the riders found their bearings on a track which resembled more a river than a circuit. Gradually a quintet pulled clear of the main pack, which would fight for the honours.

Marquez (EG 0,0 MarcVDS) has, on a few occasions, perhaps been guilty of letting his heart rule his head when the pressure increases in races. Today was no such day. Having started in second place on the grid, he initially dropped back during the opening laps, the Spaniard never lost focus, giving himself time to find what little grip was to be had. Once confident, he set about chasing down his rivals with ruthless, yet clean, efficiency. With 7 laps of the race remaining, he passed Nakagami for the lead and didn’t look back. He produced a string of fastest laps and pulled clear of the rest.

It’s the third time in his Moto2 career that Marquez has taken victory and it has easily been his most complete, utilising both the bike’s speed and his own nous. He may be signed on for another year in the intermediate class but make no mistake, the premier class have noticed him.

It was a triumphant day for Spanish Rider Xavi Vierge and his team (Tech3), has they finished the race in second place. Both rider and team have been somewhat of a revelation this season, consistently challenging for the larger point hauls at each race. Never troubled by the conditions, it was a commanding ride from the 20-year old, who executed a perfect block pass on Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing) and managed to keep his bike shiny side up – not many can say that.

The final place on the podium went to Hafiz Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia). Regarded in the paddock as a wet weather warrior the 23-year old from Ampang, Malaysia, duly stood up. Having started the race from sixth position, there was a feeling that he could be the man to snatch victory today, before Marquez broke clear from Nakagami. Quite a turnaround when you consider that he finished down in sixteenth place – and out of the points -last time out at Aragon. It was a timely return to form, and it was his second podium finish of the season.

Just missing out on a podium spot was Sky VR|46 rider, Francesco Bagnaia. Although initially bogged down in the mid-field early on, the former Moto3 race winner carved his way through the field, culminating in a daring overtake on Pasini on the final lap, at the treacherous turn 11. “Oh for one more corner” would have been the cry from rider and team-boss alike, as he crossed the line glued to the back of Syahrin’s machine.

In terms of the championship, it was a case of severe damage limitation for series leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 MarcVDS). The Italian endured a difficult weekend, and will be glad to be leaving the circuit behind tonight. Nevertheless, despite finishing in a relatively lowly P8, he still managed to increase his lead over Swiss rival Thomas Luthi, who could only manage P11. It means that Morbidelli heads into next week’s Australian Grand Prix with a 24-point lead in the championship.

Finally a word for Tarran MacKenzie. The diminutive British rider has been competing for the Kiefer-Racing outfit since the French Grand Prix at Le Mans this year. Today, he finally secured his first World Championship point with a brilliant – if unheralded – ride to fifteenth place today (he started on the grid in P31). To say it has been a baptism of fire would be the understatement of the century. No pre-season testing, and very limited in-season testing allowed, it has been a tough ask for him just to be competitive – not to mention that aside from Assen and Silverstone, all the circuits are new to him. Today has made his season, as well as for those mechanics working with him. Chapeau!

Race Result Top 5:

1: Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 MarcVDS) – 32:08.901

2: Xavi Vierge (Tech3) + 1.465

3: Hafiz Syahrin (Petronas Raceline) + 3.134

4: Frencesco Bagnaia (Sky VR|46) +3.415

5: Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing) +5.618

 

Moto2 Japan Preview: Morbidelli and Luthi set for Japanese Dual

The first of the three fly-aways gets underway this weekend for Moto2, with Franco Morbidelli coming into the final four rounds with a 21 point lead. That means that he can finish 2nd to Tom Luthi in every race that remains and still finish as overall champion.

The Italian out-battled his fellow countryman and hard-charging Mattia Pasini in Motorland Aragon, to re-claim a sizeable championship lead over the Swiss veteran, Tom Luthi. The 22-year-old will have his work cut out in ‘The Ring’, with Motegi being a happy hunting ground for the 31 year old Interwetten rider, who won there in 2014 and 2016. He also stood on the podium in 2011 and 2013, but crashed out in the wet in 2015.

Morbidelli, of course, is no slouch in Japan. He claimed third place here last year and the same again this weekend would be the bare minimum, especially if Luthi gets to the chequered flag first. All things being considered, if the Marc VDS rider can come out on top in Japan, you have to feel like the championship is his to lose – if it isn’t already.

Takaaki Nakagami is the home-hero in Moto2, placed as top Japanese in the class. The British GP winner will be more determined than ever to take his second win of the year in front of his adoring fans. The team is also run by another Japanese sensation, Tadayuki Okada. Okada himself is an intermediate class race winner in Japan, back in 1994 at Suzuka.

The Idemitsu Honda Team Asia pilot, soon to be in MotoGP with LCR Honda, is riding without the added pressure of a title fight or looking for a ride for next year. A sixth podium of 2017 is certainly on the cards this weekend for the 25 year old.

Alex Marquez is another rider who has fond memories of the Twin Ring Motegi track. The 21-year-old took points as a wildcard in 2012, won his first Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi as a rookie in 2013 and then followed it up a year later with another win at the venue, on his way to the Moto3 World Championship. A healthy younger Marquez brother is a dangerously quick younger Marquez brother but will his fitness allow him to challenge for the win this weekend?

Mattia Pasini and Miguel Olivera are two others who will be looking to spoil the party. Mattia has developed a habit of starting from pole this season and has won at Motegi in his lightweight class days; you’d be a fool to count him out. Olivera has a podium in Japan in Moto3 and his pole last time out shows he’s got some fight left in him in 2017. He’s been the spearhead in KTM’s first season in Moto2 onboard the Red Bull KTM Ajo machine, with teammate Brad Binder looking to finish the season strongly as he continues to recover from a terrible arm injury, sustained earlier in the year.

With so much at stake, neither Morbidelli or Luthi can afford to slip up. What will the championship look like after Sunday? It’s only a matter of time before we find out.

Words by Elliott York. Follow on Twitter for more – @journoyork

Image by: HondaProRacing

Jorge Navarro Impresses, Sunday was ‘Bittersweet’

Jorge Navarro had his joint best result of the season at Aragon on Sunday, as he finished sixth and top Spanish rider in the Moto2 race. The Federal Oil Gresini rider qualified sixth, just 0.186 off of a first ever intermediate class pole position. It was the strongest weekend the Spaniard has had so far in Moto2, showing much promise and potential from the get-go on Friday morning.

“It’s been a good race, although it left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Yesterday, I had the pace to stay with the leaders, but today with different conditions my feeling changed”, said the former Moto3 race winner.

“It has been a positive weekend nevertheless, maybe the best of the season and surely the best race start of the year”, he continued. Navarro has had a solid debut season in the intermediate class, scoring points in every race that he has finished in.

“I enjoyed the battle with Corsi – one of the most expert riders in the class – and I’m sure it’ll help my learning curve”, he concluded.

Whilst not being able to reach the podiums of fellow rookie and Kalex rider, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge has nonetheless been impressive. He is just seven points away from finishing in the top 10, with another rookie, Brad Binder, currently holding onto that position. He is only one point ahead of Italian, Luca Marini.

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Morbidelli takes on Pasini in Thrilling Moto2 Race

Franco Morbidelli took a scintillating victory in front of a capacity Aragon crowd during the Moto2 race, beating Mattia Pasini in one of the closest races of the season. Portuguese rider and pole-sitter, Miguel Oliveira completed the podium and had there been another lap, he may have even gone better. 2nd place man in the championship, Tom Luthi, took 4th ahead of a courageous Brad Binder, to keep his championship hopes alive.

The race got underway and initially, Oliveira took the lead but Morbidelli wasted no time in making his way to the front. Tom Luthi, who started 7th, was up to third by turn 5, whilst Mattia Pasini headed a returning Alex Marquez.

Morbidelli escaped as Oliveira and Pasini battled, with the Italian getting the upper-hand on this occasion. Alex Marquez also made his way passed the KTM rider, whilst Tom Luthi was only 5th, as he dropped back despite challenging early on. Luthi hadn’t looked like a serious front-runner all weekend.

Talking of dropping back, Alex Marquez was now in 8th place and involved in a tight scrap with German, Sandro Cortese and Japanese rider, Takaaki Nakagami. After Cortese negotiated his way passed the fading Marc VDS rider, Nakagami had a go. Takaaki and Alex clashed at the final corner, both very lucky to stay aboard their Kalex bikes.

Jorge Navarro was having a mega ride, as he duelled with Moto2 hard-man, Simone Corsi. On the ninth lap, he was promoted to top Spanish rider, as Marquez faded back. Alex retired a lap later, complaining of hip pains, stemming from his monster crash during Misano FP1.

At the front, the lead that Morbidelli had built up was being whittled away and soon, Pasini had savaged the 1.9s he had to make up. An audacious move at the end of the straight on lap 13 – after a two failed attempts previously – saw Morbidelli cut back under him but the elder statesman couldn’t fend off the young pretender, who gapped him within the first few corners.

Despite Pasini briefly getting away, Morbidelli reeled him back in and before long, the two Italians were scrapping once more. Championship leader Morbidelli retook the lead on lap 17 and led across the line for the remainder of the race – although Mattia Pasini made it a lot harder than it sounds!

On the final lap, Pasini dived up the inside at turn 5, holding onto the position as Morbidelli tried to cut back and get the drive up the short straight, through turn 6 and into the tight turn 7. Morbidelli set up a pass at the Corkscrew. He set the move up in turn 8 and executed it at turn 9, sitting Pasini up in the process. Despite Pasini’s best efforts, he couldn’t topple Morbidelli, who took his 8th victory of the season. Pasini was a sporting 2nd as the two shook hands – it was Pasini’s third podium of the year.

Miguel Oliveira closed in rapidly on the final lap but couldn’t quite reach the leading two, finishing third to take his sixth podium of the season. Luthi’s race was more damage limitation, as he took 4th ahead of a sensational Brad Binder, who came from 20th on the grid to finish 5th. This was the first time that KTM had both of their Moto2 bikes inside the top 5.

Jorge Navarro remained top Spaniard, taking his joint best finish of the season in 6th, ahead of Simone Corsi, who was again, top Speed Up. Nakagami finished 8th, with Sandro Cortese finishing 9th. Francesco Bagnaia completed the top 10 – the first time that he has finished inside the top 10 across all classes at Aragon.

Quartararo beat Aegerter and Baldassarri, with Vierge and Manzi completing the point scorers. Stefano Manzi finished in a point-scoring placing for a 3rd race in 2017. The Italian has started to come good, as he was 10th when he crashed out at Misano – although he won’t be riding at the VR46 outfit in 2018. Aegerter and Baldassarri could be considered disappointments of the day, as the Swiss won the previous race in Misano and Baldassarri was 7th in the event last year.

The championship now heads to Japan in the Far East and the Motegi circuit. Tom Luthi won the Moto2 race at Motegi in 2014 and 2016, so he has good form at the track, whereas Morbidelli has just the one podium from last season. Alex Marquez also won at the circuit – twice in Moto2, firstly in 2013 but also a year later, in 2014.

Top 5 Championship Standings

1.) Franco Morbidelli     248

2.) Thomas Luthi            227

3.) Miguel Oliveira          157

4.) Alex Marquez            155

5.) Francesco Bagnaia 130

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Moto2: Aragon Preview – Morbidelli and Luthi are Head to Head

Moto2 arrives in Spain for the third time this season, at the MotorLand Aragon circuit for the 14th round of 18 in the championship. Franco Morbidelli had his lead in the championship well and truly savaged by Tom Luthi last time at Misano, after he crashed and the former 125cc champion finished 2nd. We head into Aragon – a circuit that neither rider has won at before – full of expectation of a fiery dual in the middle of the Spanish desert.

Franco Morbidelli looked like he was starting to inch closer to Italy’s first intermediate class championship win since Marco Simoncelli in 2008 before throwing it all away early on at Misano. The rider with seven victories so far in the championship now only leads Tom Luthi by nine points. Morbidelli was on the podium at Aragon in 2016 – the result kickstarted a run of form that would see the 22-year-old feature on the podium in every race up until Jerez this season. Another win for Morbidelli would see him go just one away from Marco Melandri’s nine intermediate class victories achieved, back in 2002. Will Morbidelli become the first Italian to win at Aragon in Moto2 since Andrea Iannone, in 2010?

Tom Luthi will be trying to stop him. The Swiss rider has just one DNF to his name and is proving that consistently finishing in the top four pays dividends. Luthi was 4th at Aragon last season, his best result at the circuit. Luthi’s last win in Spain was at Valencia in 2014 but he has never scored a podium in the race straight after the San Marino GP. Will Aragon break that chain? Luthi won at two of the remaining races last season so it may not be essential for him to take victory this weekend. Will a cool head be best in this high-pressure situation?

Alex Marquez missed the San Marino GP after a huge crash on the Friday free practice day. The Spaniard will be making a return to action this weekend and although a shot at the championship seems to have faded away, he now needs to keep hold of this place. Marquez was 2nd at Aragon last season and also 2nd in 2014 on a Moto3 bike. Along with that, the former Moto3 champion has won both races that have already been held in Spain this year and will be hoping to become the first Spanish rider since Dani Pedrosa in 2005 to win three Spanish races in an intermediate class year.

Miguel Oliveria has been nothing short of outstanding in 2017 onboard a brand new KTM. Five podiums place him 4th in the championship, just 14 points behind Alex Marquez. A first win in the intermediate class still eludes him however. Oliveira missed the race last year due to injury but he won the Moto3 race at the track in 2015. A win for Oliveira would see him become the fourth rider to win in two classes at the circuit – Pol Espargaro, Nicolas Terol and Marc Marquez are the current three.

Francesco Bagnaia has the luxury of being top rookie in the Moto2 class this year. He is the only rider to finish every race since Catalunya in the points, an impressive achievement for the Italian. Unfortunately for Pecco, Aragon has proven not to be his most favoured circuit, as he is yet to break into the top 10 in a race there. Bagnaia is only 17 points behind Oliveira in the championship, meaning he is keeping the pressure on as we near the season’s end. Could the VR46 rider crack the top 10 at Aragon for the first time this weekend?

Takaaki Nakagami completes the all-important top six. 15 points behind a rookie is not what we would’ve expected from Taka but he isn’t a million miles away from the top five. Nakagami has scored points in every Moto2 outing at the circuit since 2013 and achieved his best finish last year of 5th. The former Suzuka 8 Hour winner will be desperate to take his second win of the season, which would make him the first Japanese rider since Hiroshi Aoyama to win more than one race in the intermediate class in a season.

Image by Honda Pro Racing

British GP: Moto2 Review – Nakagami Rules the Roost

Japan had a Grand Prix winner once again as the intermediate class served up a thrilling race at Silverstone. With air and track temperatures considerably hotter than at any other point in the weekend, the riders had to balance racing on the limit and conserving enough precious life in their tyres.

It was a case of ‘what might have been’ for Alex Marquez. Having dominated the early stages of the weekend, the Spanish rider began the race from the middle of the front row and dictated much of the early laps in the lead. With teammate, Franco Morbidelli, in tow, the MarcVDS team once again found themselves with a sizeable lead to the rest of the field. However, as has been the case on more than one occasion this season, the pressure of leading got to him and unceremoniously dropped his machine on the entry to the Wellington loop. Morbidelli inherited the lead, but could not hold out for long as first Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) then Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) caught up and passed by, as his tyres slowly gave up the ghost. Third place was what the championship leader had to be content with this time.

That left the Italian and the Japanese rider to slog it out at the front for top honours, and what a show they put on for the fans. Despite initially building a healthy lead, Nakagami was slowly closed down by Pasini as tyre wear became critical. Once back together there would never be more than 1 second between the pair, the final seven laps consisted of some of the most thrilling racing as Pasini desperately tried to find a way past an inspired Nakagami. Having distanced the rest of the field, the gloves came off and neither gave any quarter as man and machine were tested to the limit. victory was not secured until the final lap when Pasini overcooked his braking down into Stowe corner, giving the Japanese rider a priceless half second lead, which was all he needed. Both looked shattered in parc ferme afterwards. Nakagami stated that “I had never pushed so hard”, whilst Pasini declared it “The hardest race of my life”.  

There was action further down the field as Francesco Bagnaia (Sky VR|46) led home a ferocious battle over 5th to 9th places. The Italian has impressed in his debut season in the Moto2 category and this was a further achievement added to his CV, holding off the likes of Simone Corsi (Speed Up), VR|46 teammate Stefano Mazi, and the KTM duo of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder.

KTM had a mixed weekend. After a strong showing during Friday practice, the team found themselves going backwards through the field as the meeting progressed. Oliveira could only manage P8 in qualifying and had to ride out of his skin to finish in the same position. However, there was some cause for celebration as Brad Binder produced a very solid performance. The current Moto3 champion has endured a wretched season being plagued by injuries that simply refuse to heal up. Silverstone marked somewhat of a breakthrough for the South African who led his teammate for much of the race. A double points finish for KTM has been a rare occurrence this season, so this would have provided some consolation.

A final mention goes to the British riders. Jake Dixon road as a wildcard for the Dynavolt Intact team and finished in P25. The rising British Superbike star had never ridden a Moto2 machine prior to this weekend and met the team’s target of not finishing in the bottom three positions. Keifer Racing’s Tarran MacKenzie continued his baptism of fire in the class. Having lost the front end early in the race, all he could do was keep the engine running and complete his home round in 30th.

The race and the day belonged to Nakagami. He had faced much criticism in the build up to the British Grand Prix, following the announcement that he would be joining LCR Honda in MotoGP next year. This result was the perfect response.   

Race Results

1: Takaaki Nakagami – 38:20.883

2: Mattia Pasini – + 0.724

3: Franco Morbidelli – + 2.678

4: Thomas Luthi – + 4.645

5: Francesco Bagnaia – + 9.515

British GP: Moto2 Preview – Tightening at the Top

The championship battle in the intermediate class has properly begun to heat up as the Grand Prix circus heads to Silverstone in Northamptonshire this weekend.

Having looked almost like running away with the championship just a few rounds ago, championship leader Franco Morbidelli has seen his lead in the standings slowly diminish to his rivals. Admittedly, the MarcVDS rider has a 26 point buffer to his chief rival, Interwetten’s Thomas Luthi but the Swiss has once again shown himself to be one of the most consistent competitors – scoring points at ten of the eleven championship rounds so far – including victory at Brno three weeks ago. How far Luthi can push Morbidelli for the title will be fascinating both this season and beyond – the pair will be team-mates next season at MarcVDS-Honda in MotoGP.

Whilst it is still mathematically possible for Morbidelli’s current team-mate, Alex Marquez to take the Moto2 crown, it is looking practically ever more unlikely. With 153 points, the Spaniard will need a miracle to overhaul the deficit. Race wins are now the priority and after Friday’s practice sessions at Silverstone, he looks set to be targeting just that – finishing the day as the fastest man in the Moto2 field. With his team-mate departing for the premier class in 2018, the time has come for Marquez to lay down a marker for next season as the man to beat on a 600cc prototype machine.

Another rider who will be targeting podiums and victories during the latter part of this season is KTM’s Miguel Oliveira. The former Moto3 winner has had a superb maiden season with Aki Ajo’s factory supported team, notching up five podium finishes so far. The team entered the class at the start of this season with the ambition of emulating their successes from the junior category and so far, they’re not doing bad. Olivera’s reputation has grown considerably this season, leading to expectations from many onlookers that the Portuguese rider will – sooner rather than later – progress to the MotoGP paddock with the Austrian team. A victory here at Silverstone would further strengthen his claim to a place in the premier class and seek to be Portugal’s greatest motorcycle racer.

As it’s the British Grand Prix, the Moto2 class is the recipient of a wildcard entrant. None other than the flamboyant British Superbike race winner, Jake Dixon, who is swapping his RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki machine for a ride with the Dynavolt-Intact team, alongside Sandro Cortese. His appearance means British fans now have two native riders to cheer on Sunday, with fellow compatriot (and regular Moto2 entrant) Tarran MacKenzie riding for Kiefer Racing. There is much hope for a good result from the young Brit this weekend, as he gets the chance to race at a circuit he’s already familiar with. With both riders coming from the British series, it highlights just how competitive and strong our domestic championship is.

The Moto2 race gets underway on Sunday at 14:00 UK time. 

Ed Hocknull – @EdHocknull

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