Moto2 dominio Acosta Mugello 2023

 

Moto2, risultati ed ordine d’arrivo GP Italia Mugello 2023: dominio Acosta, Arbolino secondo in rimonta

Sesta gara dell’anno del mondiale di Moto2. Sul circuito del Mugello, ad imporsi è Pedro Acosta, protagonista di un dominio assoluto e capace di recuperare terreno in classifica generale. Secondo posto per un super Tony Arbolino, che si riscatta dopo una qualifica non altezza e mette in piedi una grande rimonta. Completa il podio infine Jake Dixon. Quinto posto per l’altro azzurro Celestino Vietti, mentre vanno a punti anche Mattia Pasini (11°) e Dennis Foggia (13°). Al comando della classifica generale resta Tony Arbolino, con 20 punti di vantaggio su Acosta.

Mugello 2019 - Moto 2 - Vince Alex Marquez

Alex Marquez conquista la gara del Mugello in Moto2. Trionfo italiano in Moto3: Arbolino, dopo essere partito dalla pole, vince al fotofinish davanti a Dalla Porta e Masia

Uno attacca, l'altro s'attacca. Il risultato è sempre bello: una prima volta. Quella di Luca Marini, il leader dello Sky Racing Team VR46 Campione del Mondo in carica in Moto2 con Bagnaia, che non era mai salito sul podio al Mugello. E quella di Tony Arbolino, che come Petrucci in MotoGP ha ottenuto la prima vittoria della carriera, ma in Moto3. Due condotte di gara differenti, per forza di cose, viste le differenze tra le due categorie.

Marini d'assalto, a combattere e risalire, fermato nella sua rincorsa ad Álex Marquez dai piloti Dynavolt. Schrötter gli ha fatto perdere il treno dei migliori nel primo attacco, Lüthi lo ha rallentato nel recupero su Marquez in modo decisivo, perché poi, a gomma finita, Luca non è più riuscito a ricucire lo strappo. Va bene lo stesso dopo un inizio di stagione difficile. Il secondo posto è un punto di partenza, forse, anche di un duello tra i fratelli illustri di Valentino e Marc.

Arbolino invece non ha dominato né recuperato. È stato paziente, alle spalle di uno straordinario Dalla Porta, che ha chiuso secondo, e lo ha battuto al fotofinish. Da sciacallo, per fare arrabbiare i rivali che aveva già bruciato con pole e record della pista il sabato, abilissimo a sfruttare le scie. Lo scia-callo ride sempre per ultimo. E se si chiama Arbolino lo fa finendo primo.

Mugello 2019 - Moto 2 - Pole Positione per Schrotter

Italiani sottotono, a eccezione dei due piloti dello Sky Racing Team VR46. Male Baldassarri (quindicesimo) in difficoltà a trovare la messa a punto e obbligato a una gran rimonta per difendere la leadership nel mondiale. Mattia Pasini solo diciottesimoNon sarà una gara facile per gli italiani. Nessuno di loro in prima fila, i primi due Bulega (quarto) e Marini (sesto) in seconda, Baldassarri obbligato a una gran rimonta (quindicesimo), insieme all'amico Pasini (diciottesimo come l'amico Valentino Rossi in Motogp). Di sicuro è mancato qualcosa sul giro secco, perché, Baldassarri a parte, i nostri erano partiti in forza per puntare alla pole position. Alla fine è andata a Schrotter, davanti a Luthi e Marquez. La peggior prima fila immaginabile in ottica campionato per l'attuale leader Baldassarri che in classifica se li trova tutti alle calcagne. Navarro incluso, che col quinto posto, parte tre file più avanti. "Faccio molta fatica, ma non per i postumi dell'incidente di Le Mans. La spalla è a posto ma non riesco a trovare la messa a punto" ha spiegato il pilota del team Pons. Anche Marini poteva puntare alla prima fila, ma è già consolante in previsione gara il passo trovato fin qui (anche grazie al nuovo telaio portatogli dalla Kalex). Per il suo compagno di squadra è la migliore classifica della stagione, ottenuta anche grazie alla scia regalatagli da Marini. Una qualifica per altro determinata per lo più nelle prime fasi. A fine turno gli ultimi acuti sono venuto da Schrotter e Navarro, è mancato il guizzo finale da parte di molti possibili protagonisti. Sono finiti indietro anche Enea Bastianini (undicesimo), Fabio Di Giannantonio (quattordicesimo) e Brad Binder (diciannovesimo), come tutte le KTM. La migliore alla fine è risultata quella della matricola Jorge Martin (dodicesimo).

Moto2: Oliveira conquista il Mugello

Pasini cade mentre è al comando. Secondo posto per Baldassarri. Bagnaia è quarto e mantiene la testa del campionato 

Combattuta, come sempre, la gara della Moto2 al Mugello. Vince Miguel Oliveira che nelle battute finali ha la meglio, in una battaglia a quattro, su Lorenzo Baldassarri e su Joan Mir, al suo secondo podio. Francesco Bagnaia non è al massimo delle sue possibilità e chiude quarto ma si mantiene al comando della classifica iridata.La gara - Bagnaia è partito bene dalla seconda fila e si è portato al comando, per poi cedere all’attacco del portoghese su KTM. Alla fine, a causa di poco feeling e alcuni problemi fisici, ha la peggio con l’arrivo di Mir ed è quarto. Per il rookie spagnolo è il secondo podio consecutivo. 

Ottima partenza anche per Oliveira: il pilota del Red Bull KTM Ajo dalla quarta fila ha recuperato diverse posizioni portandosi rapidamente al secondo posto. Poi ha avuto la meglio su Bagnaia portandosi al comando e duellando per tutta la corsa con Baldassarri. Con la vittoria, Oliveira tiene aperto il campionato. 

Baldassarri è rimasto vicino al gruppo di testa: il marchigiano della VR46 Academy non ha trovato lo spunto necessario nelle ultime curve per aver la meglio sul portoghese. Con il secondo posto fa passi in avanti nella classifica generale. 

Gli altri italiani - Luca Marini è settimo, Andrea Locatelli è ottavo e Simone Corsi chiude la top ten. Caduta per Stefano Manzi (Forward Racing Team) alla curva 2. 

Grande gara per il poleman Mattia Pasini, protagonista della lotta per il podio, Pasini e ha percorso al comando ben nove passaggi prima di una caduta alla San Donato, a otto giri dalla fine. 

Problemi tecnici invece avevano messo fuori gara Romano Fenati, costretto al ritiro all’ottavo giro mentre era settimo.

In campionato Bagnaia è leader con 111 punti davanti a Oliveira con 98 ed a Baldassarri con 84.

Moto 2 Mugeello : Pasini in Pole

Ottima prestazione del 32enne romagnolo che conquista la pole del GP d'Italia davanti a Schrotter e Marquez. Bagnaia, Corsi e Fenati in 2a fila.

Fantastica pole-position per Mattia Pasini (ItalTrans Racing) al Gran Premio d'Italia, sesto round del Motomondiale 2018!

Mettendo a segno il crono di 1:51.575, il 32enne riminese si è aggiudicato la 'partenza al palo' nella gara della classe Moto2 di domani (clicca qui per orari e copertura TV) bissando così quanto fatto in Argentina, con il tedesco Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP) e lo spagnolo Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) che lo accompagneranno in prima fila con distacchi inferiori al decimo.

Seconda fila tutta italiana con il leader del Mondiale Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46, +0.346), Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2, +0.384) e Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team, +0.398) mentre in terza fila ci saranno Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46, +0.404) e Luca Baldassarri (Team Pons HP40, +0.508) insieme allo spagnolo Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) che era stato il più veloce del venerdì di libere.

Moto 2 2017 : Mugello, Pasini hits full power to take a hard-fought home win

 Pasini hits full power to take a hard-fought home win

Stunning three-way ght for the victory at the Italian GP sees the tricolor atop the podium

Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) has taken his rst victory in the World Championship since 2009 at the Italian GP, coming out on
top in style after a ght to the ag against Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) and Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). The three men crossed
the line covered by just over a tenth in one of the closest Moto2™ races of the season so far.
It was tight into Turn 1 but there were no changes in the top three on the grid past the rst corner, before Pasini struck for the lead soon after to cross the line in P1 rst time round, ahead of polesitter Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Marquez.
Drama then struck on the rst lap just behind the front three, as Forward Racing Team’s Lorenzo Baldassarri highsided into Turn 15 – collecting title hopeful Takaaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the two tumbled out into the gravel, but both riders escaped the incident unharmed.
Back at the front, Marquez took Morbidelli for second to settle into the rhythm behind Pasini, as Lüthi pushed to stay with and catch the front trio. Marquez then took the lead, Pasini hit back, and the front four found themselves the pacesetters as they pulled over two and a
half seconds clear of chasing Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in P5.
Morbidelli then began to drop back, trailing the top three by over a second as the trio at the head of the pack held station. Then, the race burst back into life as Pasini, Marquez and Lüthi took the gloves o , with a three-way ght for the win lighting up Mugello.
As the nal lap dawned, Lüthi struck for the lead in spectacular style, but Pasini dug in on home turf. Having been pushed back to third, the Italian pulled his almost signature move on Marquez through Casanovi and Savelli, before striking against Lüthi straight after. Ahead as the end of the lap appeared, Pasini kept himself clear in the lead and pushed hard through the nal corners to hold it over the line as the two men behind tried to slipstream. The Italian took his rst win in the Moto2™ class and his rst win since the 250 race at Mugello
in 2009 by only 0.052 over Lüthi, with Marquez only another 0.084 back after the incredible showdown.
Morbidelli came home in a solid fourth place as he kept it calm to take home good points for his Championship charge, ahead of an equally lonely ride for Miguel Oliveira to take yet another top nish in fth.
Luca Marini (Forward Racing Team) just pipped Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) over the line to sixth, with Italian veteran Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) taking eighth on home soil. Top rookie was an impressive weekend from Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini
Moto2) to cross the line in ninth, after key rookie rival Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) crashed out late on.
Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had a stunning comeback from his arm injury to take tenth, riding for the rst time since Argentina and putting on an impressive show.
Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP), Ha zh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) and Isaac Viñales (BE-A-VIP SAG Team) were 11th to 13th respectively, with Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) nding some better luck to come home in P14. Xavier Simeon (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) completed the points.
Now it’s Marquez turf at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as the Championship closes back up a little on the road back from Mugello.

Moto2 Race Results
1 - Mattia Pasini (ITA - Kalex) 39'30.974
2 - Thomas Lüthi (SWI - Kalex) + 0.052
3 - Alex Márquez (SPA - Kalex) + 0.136

Moto 2 Mugello 2016 - France’s Johann Zarco came out on top after a thrilling ten lap battle with Lorenzo Baldassarri, the Italian taking second with Lowes third.

Valentino Rossi may have been unable to score, but the fans in Mugello were treated to a do or die duel between Lorenzo and Marquez. For the first time since 2008, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) lined up for the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM in pole. The last time he started from pole in Mugello he won, having not returned to the top step of the podium since 2008. Over 100,000 people lined the hillside stands of Mugello to see if ‘The Doctor’ could win once more. But it wasn’t going to be easy with Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) right alongside him on the front row. Riders filtered through clouds of yellow smoke on their warm up lap, getting a final pre-race taste of what the Mugello circuit was like. There was little time to think as the lights went out, Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) making an incredible start to lead into Turn 1 from fifth on the grid. It was a disastrous start for Viñales who dropped down to 11th. Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS), Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Loris Baz (Avintia Racing) all came together at the first corner and fell. The trio retired from the race, Baz heading to the medical center for checks. The French rider was diagnosed with a fracture of the third metatarsal and will undergo surgery in Switzerland. Every lap Rossi attempted to pass Lorenzo into Turn 1, but Lorenzo remained in charge thanks to his incredible performance under braking. Their battle had allowed Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to close down the Yamaha pair, the trio separated by under half a second. Lorenzo closed every door that Rossi tried to open, defending at every corner. Further down the field Iannone and Viñales recovered from their poor starts as they blasted past Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) down the end of the straight to move into seventh and eighth. On lap eight Mugello fell silent as Rossi encountered a technical problem. The Italian dropped down to ninth and continued to drop back, his race over. His head hung low as he pulled off to the side of the track and returned to the pits on a scooter. The fans were silent as their hero trudged into the pits, hardly lifting his visor. Soon after Redding also retired from the race due to a technical issue. Rossi may have retired but the race was by no means over, Marquez right behind Lorenzo as they crossed mid-race distance. Their battle wasn’t the only one, as Iannone’s comeback from a poor start continued, finding himself behind his teammate and battling for third. Iannone would eventually gain the upper hand, moving to third on the 17th lap but Dovizioso responded soon after, all the while Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) closed in. A mistake from Dovizioso ended his chances of a podium. On lap 20 Marquez launched his first attack but ran wide, Lorenzo hanging onto the lead. The attacks didn’t stop and Marquez passed Lorenzo at the start of the final lap but Lorenzo responded again. Marquez looked to have the race won as they exited the final corner but his front wheel lifted ever so slightly, Lorenzo able to grab an incredible photo finish victory. 0.019s is all that separated them across the line, the closest finish of the year. Pedrosa and Iannone’s battle also went down to the final lap with Iannone able to win out by 0.168s and return to the podium once again. Seventh place saw Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) finish as the top Independent Team rider. Lorenzo leaves Mugello with a ten point lead over Marc Marquez in the World Championship standings, Rossi holding onto third overall but now 37 points behind his teammate. During the race Andrea Iannone hit 354.9km/h, setting a new top speed record in the MotoGP™ World Championship. Full race results can be seen here.

MOTO 2 : Lowes takes first win of 2016 with perfect Spanish GP

 He may have had to fight in the opening laps, but once Lowes was ahead he was untouchable. Folger and Rins joining him on the podium.  The sun blazed down on the thousands of fans gathered at the Circuito de Jerez to witness the Moto2™ World Championship race at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. It was a reduced grid as both Julian Simon (QMMF Racing Team) and Edgar Pons (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) withdrew from the race on medical grounds. All riders, aside from Alessandro Tonucci (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) chose to run the medium front and hard rear tyres.  At the head of the grid Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) remained focused on the task ahead, the Brit knew he had the pace to win but had crashed several times throughout the course of the weekend. With a number of his title rivals such as Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) starting outside the top six, the scene was set to opening up his championship lead.  Red flag removed and lights out, Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) shot off the front row of the grid to grab the holeshot into Turn 1. There were a number of moments behind but everyone made it through the first corner safely. Xavi Vierge  (Tech 3 Racing) and Ratthapark Wilairot (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) had a heavy fall at Turn 5, but the racing continued. The pair was taken to the medical center where Wilairot was diagnosed with cranial trauma and taken to a local hospital.  Folger continued to up the pace, Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) unable to match the speed and sliding off at Turn 2. Try as he might, Folger was unable to hold off Lowes who took the lead midway through lap two. From seventh on the grid, Rins made the start he needed and put a hard move on Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) to get up into third. Unfortunately Zarco did not make as strong a start and was battling down in 12th in the opening laps.  The leading four were all within touching distance, Lowes unable to shake off Folger as they traded fastest sectors. Their speed was brutal and the top three opened up a second leader over Morbidelli. Lap times were quick but the conditions caught many out as Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed early at Turn 2. Luca Marini (Forward Team) slid off at Turn 13 at the end of lap four and Sandro Cortese’s (Dynavolt Intact GP) front row start ended in the gravel at Turn 2 on lap five.  Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) crashed and remounted at Turn 6 as Axel Pons (AGR Team) was another victim of Turn 13. All of these falls occurred within the first six laps, the conditions slightly different to Qualifying and proving difficult. No such issues for the leading three as they maintained their pace in the mid 1’43s, Rins just dropping back slightly as the race crept towards half race distance. Morbidelli was having a lonely ride in fourth, but fellow Italian Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Team) was steadily closing the two-second gap.  Having worked on used tyres for the majority of Free Practice, many were expecting Alex Rins to be strong towards the end of the race but as the laps went by, the Spaniard dropped further back. With 16 laps remaining, Lowes and Folger had opened up a second on the local rider and looked set to decide victory between them. The German and the Brit were taking radically different lines around the Jerez circuit, but the gap remained constant.  By lap 13 Baldassarri was with Morbidelli and fighting for fourth, the Forward Team rider waiting for his chance and spending several laps behind him. Morbidelli would respond and up his pace to open up a half second advantage over his compatriot.  Lowes continued to push ahead at the front of the race, his Kalex bucking and weaving underneath him as he extended his advantage over Folger to near a second on lap 17. Each time Lowes had a moment, Folger would up his pace and continue pushing the Brit in an attempt to push him over the limit. But Folger’s attacks would work and soon Lowes opened up a lead of over a second and a half, the Brit just needing to remain upright for the final six laps. Further down the order there were great rides from the likes of Miguel Oliveira (Leopard Racing) who battled with Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) for sixth, the pair ahead of Zarco. After a challenging start to the race, Zarco found his rhythm and was able to get inside the top ten. Disaster struck for Oliveira on lap 21 as he slid off at Turn 4, his bike tumbling through the gravel trap.  Zarco eventually got past Luthi to move into sixth with four laps to go, the leading five too far ahead for even the reigning Moto2™ World Champion. But Zarco would benefit from a late fall by Baldassarri, the Frenchman promoted into the top five.  The last lap began with the podium set in stone, Lowes crossing the line over three seconds ahead of Folger for his first win of 2016 and just the second of his Moto2™ career. Alex Rins would complete the podium with a steady ride to third position. Unfortunately Rins encountered problems on the cooldown lap and had to ask Zarco for assistance in getting back to the pits.  After the pressure of Baldassarri, Morbidelli took his best race result of the year with fourth ahead of Zarco.  Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten), Luis Salom (SAG Team) and Xavier Simeon (QMMF Racing Team) formed the top ten.  Victory is exactly what Lowes needed, the Brit extending his championship lead to 10 points over Alex Rins. Johann Zarco takes third with 56 points, 16 behind Lowes. Folger, who took his fifth podium in six Jerez visits sits fifth with 47 points.  Marcel Schrotter (AGR Team) also crashed at Turn 13, remounting to later crash at Turn 9.  The Monster Energy Grand Prix de France will host round five of the Moto2™ World Championship in early May.

Moto2™ Race Results 

1 - Sam Lowes    (GBR)   KALEX 44'58.624 

2 - Jonas Folger (GER) KALEX  + 2.480 

3 - Alex Rins (SPA) KALEX + 8.113

Moto 2 : Back-to-back Argentina GP victories for Johann Zarco

Johann Zarco kept his cool during a hectic Moto2™ race to take his first win of 2016 ahead of Lowes and Folger.   A dry race was declared for the Moto2™ World Championship round at the Gran Premio Motul de la República Argentina, the second race of 2016. Conditions were not perfect as damp patches littered the circuit. All the riders lined up on slick tyres, the Moto3™ race before demonstrating this as the clear choice. Everyone chose the medium front and hard option rear tyre, a level playing field for all 29 riders on the grid.   As the lights went out it was Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) who charged into the lead as the intermediate class ran down into Turn 1. As in Qatar, the German pushed immediately but had Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) and Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) for company. Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) was within touching distance as the leading quartet opened up a two second lead over the rest of the pack.   At the start of lap 2, Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) slid off at Turn 1, re-joining the race down in 29th before retiring. He has failed to finish both races so far in 2016.   Meanwhile the top four closed up, Folger maintaining his lead and perfectly navigating the wet patches out on track. The battle behind was not as calm as the likes of Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) tried to gain on the leaders, but the gap continued to grow with each lap.   With 20 laps to go, Sam Lowes struck, jumping into the lead and pushing Folger back down into the clutches of Zarco and Morbidelli. Lowes’ bike squirmed beneath him as the Brit opened up a gap, half a second clear of Folger as lap four began. Fastest sector after fastest sector came from the leading four, all pushing each other to the limit as they sparred for victory. Turn 1 saw all of the leading four to bunch together with each lap, no one able to open up a lead of more than half a second in the opening stages.   Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten) was a man on a mission, the Swiss rider quickly catching and passing Syahrin and Rins with 19 laps to go. But Syahrin upheld his reputation as a rider who shines when conditions are at their most difficult, the Malaysian able to re-pass Aegerter soon after. The pair would duel for the majority of the race.   On lap nine, Lowes was able to drop into the 1’46s and open up a lead of over half a second for the first time in the race. His rivals immediately responded on the next lap, all able to drop into the 1’46s as well. But it was Folger who upped his pace the most, the German able to produce a 1’45.726 to drag himself from a distant fourth to a fighting third as the race approached mid-distance.   After a slow start to the race, Alex Rins rallied and cut past Aegerter, the Spaniard up to sixth. He then set his eyes on Syahrin just ahead, the leading four now almost seven seconds in the lead. But Rins continued to go faster and faster, able to drop into the 1’45s and exceed the pace of the leading riders by almost a second for multiple laps in succession.   A classic slipstream manoeuvre down the back straight on lap 13 saw Johann Zarco charge into the lead. With clear track ahead of him, Zarco went about opening up a comfortable margin from Lowes, the Brit turning his attention to fending off Morbidelli as the laps ticked down. Zarco remained calm in the lead, focusing on staying as smooth as possible, a stark contrast to Lowes’ aggressive-sideways style. Just as one of the leading four thought they had their position secure, another would immediately close the gap.   Although Rins had broken away from them, Syahrin and Aegerter continued to push each other and produced a thrilling battle for sixth place. The Qatar GP race winner, Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) was unable to close down on the pair and spent much of the Argentina GP in a lonely eighth place.   Fastest laps continued into the closing stages, Alex Rins trying all he could to close down on the leading four and return to the podium, constant battling ahead giving the Spaniard hope. As the final five laps began, the leading four upped their pace; a mistake from Lowes saw the Brit drop down from second to third at Turn 7 on lap 19.  This gave Zarco clear track yet again, the Frenchman not wasting his time nor his second opportunity and opened up an advantage of one second on the 20th lap, focusing on slowly growing it in the final stages.   Fastest sectors continued to flow as the leading five dropped into the 1’44s but on the 22nd lap of the race, Franco Morbidelli fell at Turn 1 as he attempted to push past Lowes. The Italian remounted but finished outside the points in 25th. Morbidelli’s fall solidified the top three, Zarco’s one-second lead unbeatable, despite Lowes’ best efforts.   Zarco returns to the top step of the podium for the first time since the Malaysian GP in 2015 and wins the Argentina GP for the second time in his career. Lowes took second, 1.347s behind the Frenchman with Jonas Folger completing the podium.   It was a valiant effort from Alex Rins as he attempted to come back from his poor start, the Spaniard reducing the gap to the podium to 3 seconds as he wrapped up the race in fourth. Dominique Aegerter would eventually get the better of Syahrin for fifth.   Hafizh Syahrin, Thomas Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten), Axel Pons (AGR Team), Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) completed the top ten. Thanks to his seventh place finish, Luthi retains the lead in the Moto2™ World Championship with 34 points, Zarco moving to second after his win.   Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed out at Turn 9 on the 13th lap.

Moto2™ Race Results 

1 - Johann Zarco (FRA)   KALEX 40'57.806 

2 - Sam Lowes    (GBR)   KALEX +1.347 

3 - Jonas Folger   (GER)   KALEX + 2.754

A number of early penalties and crashes saw the Moto2™ race turned upside down, Luthi taking victory from Salom and Corsi.

A number of early penalties and crashes saw the Moto2™ race turned upside down, Luthi taking victory from Salom and Corsi. Starting from pole position and having won the 2015 edition of the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar, many saw Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) as the race favourite. The German got a great launch from the line and soared into the lead, unaware of the issues unfolding behind him. Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) settled in behind Folger, but the German was off like a rocket and opened up a one second lead by the end of the first lap. Lowes and Nakagami were joined by Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) but disaster quickly struck for a number of riders behind. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport), Sam Lowes, Marcel Schrotter (AGR Team) and Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) were all handed ride through penalties for jumping the start. Zarco came into the pits first followed by Lowes, Schrotter and Rins on the following lap. While this drama was unfolding, Folger continued to push at the front but the German quickly found he had exceeded the limit and fell at Turn 4, crashing out of a comfortable lead on the third lap. “I was pushing really hard to make a gap, it would have been the last lap of pushing hard. It was my fault, I expected a lot more,” he said after the incident. This handed the race lead to Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS), the Italian battling with Luthi out at the front. As Luthi took the lead Nakagami and Robin Mulhauser (CarXpert Interwetten) were also handed ride through penalties for jumping the race start. At this stage Nakagami was sat in third position. The battle continued to rage between Luthi and Morbidelli at the front, the Italian living up to his reputation as one of the hardest men in the intermediate class, throwing himself up the inside of Luthi whenever a gap opened. With 15 laps to go Nakagami came into the pits for his ride through penalty, promoting Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) to third with Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) right behind him. Luthi and Morbidelli remained locked in combat, two great battles for first and third lifting the crowd to their feet. The Swiss rider showed his experience, staying cool, calm and collected despite the constant assault from Morbidelli. On lap ten Morbidelli regained the lead of the race and attempted to open up a gap ahead of Luthi. Behind the leading duo, Cortese latched onto Corsi like a rabid dog, doing everything he could to remain with the Italian as they raced for the final podium spot. The battle for fifth was also thrilling, Luis Salom (SAG Team) leading a group of five riders including reigning Moto3™ World Champion Danny Kent (Leopard Racing). Little did they know this would quickly become a battle for the podium. On the 14th lap of the race it was announced that the race starts of Morbidelli and Cortese, who were at the time in first and fourth, were under investigation by race direction. Unaware of what was going on, Morbidelli continued to push at the front with Luthi in tow, the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS man doing all he could to earn his first race victory in the World Championship. In the closing laps Morbidelli was able to hold a steady lead of just over a tenth of a second from Luthi but midway through the penultimate lap the Swiss rider saw his chance and began to close in. Unfortunately for the Italian and his team it was announced on the final lap that Morbidelli would be handed a 20 second penalty after the race. Sandro Cortese was also given the same penalty. This fact was unknown by the leading duo, Morbidelli and Luthi continuing to fight for the win as normal. Luthi just edged out the Italian as they dragged to the line, but it would be of little consequence as Morbidelli found himself pushed down to seventh. Luis Salom and Simone Corsi completed the podium, both in their first races with new teams. Corsi was also the leading non-Kalex machine, a great first result for Speed Up. There was a stunning fourth place finish for Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) who ended ahead of experienced campaigner Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten). On his return to the Moto2™ class, Kent secured sixth ahead of Morbidelli. A great ride after his jump-start penalty saw Alex Rins end the race in eighth ahead of Lowes, who also received a penalty for the same incident. Completing the top ten was Moto2™ rookie Luca Marini (Forward Team), Rossi’s half brother battling through the pain barrier for a top ten finish after a heavy crash in Qualifying on Saturday. Edgar Pons (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and Julian Simon (QMMF Racing Team) crashed out of the race. With 14 laps remaining Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) fell at Turn 4. Xavier Simeon (QMMF Racing Team) fell with five laps remaining, but remounted before retiring. Axel Pons (AGR Team) slid off at Turn 14 late in the race, as did Xavi Vierge (Tech 3 Racing). No riders were seriously injured. 

Moto2™  Race Results 

1 - Thomas Lüthi   (SWI)   KALEX    40'14.293 

2 - Luis Salom (SPA)   KALEX    + 9.610 

3 - Simone Corsi (ITA) SPEED UP   + 9.665

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Moto 2 - Tito Rabat marks 150th Grand Prix start with victory

 The Gran Premio d’Italia TIM saw Tito Rabat took his first victory of the 2015 season despite a late charge from Zarco. Round six of the Moto2™ World Championship began as a very Swiss affair, as Thomas Luthi and Dominique Aegerter both started strongly as soon as the lights went out. Luthi’s lead would not last long as the Le Mans winner suffered a crash as he pushed to increase the gap over Aegerter. Luthi was unhurt, saying after the race that scoring zero points hurt more than the crash itself.   Mugello has seen Dominique Aegerter return to his 2014 form as he and the team begin to fully understand the Kalex after racing the Suter for multiple seasons. Aegerter’s riding style of high corner entry speed and low mid corner speed makes him very difficult to pass, but Rabat did eventually manage it. From here the 2014 Moto2™ champion attempted to push and expand his lead as best he could.   The excitement continued to the last lap as Johann Zarco, who qualified in sixth, made a late charge. Rabat had been able to maintain the gap between he and the Frenchman at over half a second in the latter stages of the race as Aegerter’s challenge faded. However, the ever-determined Zarco set a 1’52.685 on the final lap, Zarco’s personal best time of the race. A gap of just 0.308s split the Kalex pair as they finally crossed the line.   Rabat’s victory is his first since Misano last season as he has struggled with front-end feel. The Spaniard moves to second in the championship with 78 points but is still 31 points behind Zarco, more than a race win worth of points. Third was a welcome return to the podium for Aegerter, who surprised even himself.   Sam Lowes had displayed solid pace earlier in the weekend but was forced wide after contacting Simone Corsi at Turn one and had to settle for fourth. Corsi fell as a result, but was uninjured. Jonas Folger also fell while in podium contention, since claiming his second victory of the season in Jerez Folger has failed to score points.   After two crashes in Jerez and Le Mans, Alex Rins was only able to manage 11th at Mugello having struggled all weekend.

Moto2™: Superb Silverstone victory secured by championship leader Rabat

www.motorsportimages.it - The Moto2™ race at the Hertz British Grand Prix was won by Tito Rabat (Marc VDS Racing Team) on the last lap, with teammate Mika Kallio and Maverick Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) joining him on the podium.

Standings leader Rabat rode brilliantly from fourth on the grid, staying with the front group and making a move on provisional leader Kallio in the final stages, to take maximum points again.

Kallio did his best to hold off his Spanish colleague but was eventually beaten to the line by just 0.063s, whilst Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) showed his talent once again to finish in third place, only 0.14s adrift of Rabat.

Pole man Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing) came home fourth, 2.571s back on the race winner. Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) and Franco Morbidelli (Italtrans Racing Team) picked up good points in fifth and sixth.

Home rider Sam Lowes (Speed Up), Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia), Mattia Pasini (NGM Forward Racing) and Axel Pons (AGR Team) completed the top ten.

An early crash ruined the day for Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert) as he clipped the back wheel of Maverick Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and ended up in the gravel. The Swiss rider remounted to finish 21st.

Also struggling early in the race was debutant Dakota Mamola, who was forced to pull into the Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 garage with a technical problem. Substituting for unwell Spanish rider Nico Terol, Mamola rejoined and gathered experience at the back of the field.

Xavier Simeon (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) crashed midrace, whilst fighting for top ten points on his birthday.

A mistake by Jonas Folger (AGR Team) at turn 16 on lap 13 saw him slide out and take Simone Corsi (NGM Forward Racing) with him – causing a DNF for both riders.

On the Taylor Made bike for Brough Superior Racing 50 year-old veteran Jeremy McWilliams rode valiantly, despite a broken nose sustained in a Saturday practice crash and a lap time way off the pace of the rest of the field. He was lapped by the frontrunners with three laps to go but collected crucial data for the team.

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Rabat takes charge of title race with flying Czech win

www.motorsportimages.it - Moto2™ World Championship leader Tito Rabat scored a dominant win at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky, with Mika Kallio and Sandro Cortese joining him on the podium.

Starting on pole for the seventh time in 2014 Rabat stormed away from the line, leading from start to finish and opening up a clear gap at the front. The Spaniard crossed the line three seconds ahead of Marc VDS Racing Team colleague Kallio to increase his championship lead to 12 points.

A first Moto2 podium for Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) was secured by a two second gap from Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2). Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert) crossed the line just behind Luthi in fifth, with Maverick Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) nearby in sixth.

The top ten was completed by Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team), Franco Morbidelli (Italtrans Racing Team), Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing) and Marcel Schrotter (Tech 3).

Wild card Miroslav Popov (Montaze Broz Racing Team) crashed out midrace, taking Robin Mulhauser (Technomag carXpert) with him. Sam Lowes (Speed Up) crashed and was forced to retire, with Luis Salom (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) also suffering a spill which led to a DNF for him too.

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Moto2™: Rabat cruises to win in front of home fans

Tito Rabat extended his Moto2™ World Championship advantage with a dominant win from pole at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, with Maverick Viñales and Johann Zarco also on the podium.

The Spanish Marc VDS Racing Team rider crossed the line 4.2 ahead of Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40), with Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing) a further seven seconds back, after an incident packed race.

Zarco won a late battle for third, overcoming Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team) and Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) in the final stages.

The top ten was completed by Mattia Pasini (NGM Forward Racing) , Ricard Cardus (Tech 3), Axel Pons (AGR Team), Marcel Schrotter (Tech 3) and Anthony West (QMMF Racing Team).

Jordi Torres (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2) and Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert) were both in the podium hunt until a late lowside crash by Torres ended his race, with Aegerter forced wide – the Swiss rider eventually finishing 14th.

Jonas Folger (AGR Team) saw his race ended prematurely as he crashed after taking evasive action to avoid hitting Luis Salom (Paginas Amarillas HP 40). The Spaniard hit the ground in front of the German rider, with Salom later taken to hospital for treatment on a fractured finger.

Randy Krummenacher (IodaRacing Project), Simone Corsi (NGM Forward Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Italtrans Racing Team), Sam Lowes (Speed Up), Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP), Xavier Simeon (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Tetsuta Nagashima (Teluru Team JiR Webike) were amongst those who also suffered crashes, but none were injured.

Moto2™: Viñales charges to win at round two

Moto3™ World Champion Viñales rode brilliantly from sixth on the grid, holding his nerve in an incident-packed ‘dry race’ which was slightly delayed by rain in Texas, the Spaniard eventually crossing the line four seconds ahead of Rabat.

Aegerter took the final podium spot a further three seconds back with Xavier Simeon (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) crashing out of the rostrum hunt at the end of the penultimate lap having earlier led the race.

There was chaos at the first corner when the race got underway as a crash hindered the race of many riders, with Josh Herrin (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing), Mattia Pasini (NGM Forward Racing), Axel Pons (AGR Team), Nico Terol (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2), Sam Lowes (Speed Up) and Luis Salom (Pons HP 40) all involved. Of that group only Herrin, Terol and Salom were unable to finish the race and all riders were ok.

Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing) crashed out on lap two taking Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team) with him, though the latter remounted to finish 23rd. There were crashes too for Louis Rossi (SAG Team), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Gresini Moto2) and Jonas Folger (AGR Team), though they too escaped injury.
Behind the front three Mika Kallio Marc (VDS Racing Team) missed the podium by just over a second, whilst Simone Corsi (NGM Forward Racing) also made the top five.

Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2), Anthony West (QMMF Racing Team), Alex De Angelis (Tasca Racing Moto2) and Tech 3 pair Marcel Schrotter and Ricard Cardus completed the top ten.

Pol Espargaro: Moto2™ World Champion 2013

Pol Espargaro’s 2013 success signals his first title win in the World Championship. The 22-year-old Spaniard becomes the fourth Moto2™ World Champion and the 107th different rider to win a title in the history of the World Championship.

The younger brother of MotoGP™ racer Aleix Espargaro made his World Championship debut as a wildcard in 2006, at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya situated barely ten minutes’ drive from his Granollers home. From 27th on the grid, Pol would finish that 125 race in 13th position to become the youngest ever rider to score points in the World Championship, barely one week after his 15th birthday. Covering for the injured Andrea Iannone for the final six races, Espargaro impressed with sixth place in the Valencia season-closer. His first full season came in 2007, switching from Derbi to Aprilia equipment and achieving a first podium finish at Estoril as he finished only two tenths of a second behind winner Hector Faubel.

Espargaro switched back to a Derbi bike for his final three 125 seasons. In 2008 came a further three podium finishes plus his career-first pole position in Barcelona. He would finish fourth in the standings in 2009, then going one better to manage third overall as he missed the podium on only five occasions in 2010. Marc Marquez would win the title before both he and Espargaro jumped up to Moto2™ for 2011. Espargaro’s first campaign in the intermediate category was with FTR machinery and would prove to be difficult, not scoring a podium until Indianapolis before following up with another top three result in Malaysia. He ended a somewhat low-key year 13th in the championship, switching to a Kalex for a title assault in 2012.

Remembered for the battle between Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez, the 2012 Moto2™ World Championship would not be without its controversy. Espargaro would rack up no less than eight pole positions and four race victories, including Round 2 at Jerez which was red-flagged. The other three wins came at Silverstone, MotorLand Aragón and Phillip Island, with the Australian success being nothing short of dominant as he clinched victory by the massive margin of nearly 17 seconds. However, there was a contentious incident in Barcelona when Espargaro crashed following a chop from Marquez who was recovering from an incident of his own. He would eventually end the year as runner-up and 56 points in arrears of Marquez.

A favourite for the title in 2013, Espargaro started off as he meant to continue by winning in floodlit Qatar but only after an entertaining battle with Scott Redding. He would not retain the championship lead for long, crashing at the inaugural Grand Prix of the Americas two weeks later. A third place in Jerez was followed by a crash at Le Mans and fourth at Mugello, then celebrating back-to-back wins at Barcelona and Assen. The low point was eighth at Silverstone as title rival Redding romped away to a popular home victory, but victories at Misano and Phillip Island were more than welcome. The turning point was qualifying in Australia, when Redding crashed and fractured his left wrist which left the Englishman on the sidelines for a race.

Espargaro clinched the title at Motegi on 27th October, winning the Japanese Grand Prix after closest rivals Redding and Tito Rabat were involved in a first-lap multiple collision. In 2014, he will step up to MotoGP™ with Monster Yamaha Tech3 and is expected to be in contention for podium finishes as he partners Bradley Smith.

A few facts about Pol Espargaro:

Espargaro becomes the sixth Spanish rider to win the intermediate class world title, joining: Sito Pons (1988 and 1989), Dani Pedrosa (2004 and 2005), Jorge Lorenzo (2006 and 2007), Toni Elias (2010) and Marc Marquez (2012)

Espargaro has won the title by recovering from a 38-point deficit to Scott Redding following the 11th race of the year at Silverstone

From the 16 Moto2™ races so far in 2013, Espargaro has had most pole positions (five), most podium finishes (ten) and most race wins (six)

Biography

Date of birth: 10th June 1991
Place of birth: Granollers, Spain
First Grand Prix: Catalunya 2006, 125
First pole position: Catalunya 2008, 125
First podium finish: Portugal 2007, 125
First Grand Prix victory: Indianapolis 2009, 125
Grand Prix starts: 121
Grand Prix victories: 15
Podium finishes: 44
Pole positions: 16
Fastest race laps: 15

World Championship Wins: Moto2™ (2013)

MotoGP™ Career:

2006: 125 World Championship – 20th position on Derbi, 7 starts, 19 points
2007: 125 World Championship – 9th position on Aprilia, 17 starts, 110 points
2008: 125 World Championship – 9th position on Derbi, 14 starts, 124 points
2009: 125 World Championship – 4th position on Derbi, 16 starts, 174 points
2010: 125 World Championship – 3rd position on Derbi, 17 starts, 281 points
2011: Moto2™ World Championship – 13th position on FTR, 17 starts, 75 points
2012: Moto2™ World Championship – 2nd position on Kalex, 17 starts, 268 point

2013: Moto2™ World Championship – WORLD CHAMPION on Kalex, 16 starts, 265 points

Moto2™ - Australian Grand Prix : Pol Espargaro will start from his fifth pole position

Pol Espargaro will start from his fifth pole position of the Moto2™ season at the Tissot Australian Grand Prix, whilst championship leader Scott Redding has been ruled out of the race after fracturing his left wrist in a crash. The race will take place over the shortened distance of 13 laps.

A dramatic day of qualifying at Phillip Island drew to a close with the intermediate category, with the session being interrupted with red flags following a crash for Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2’s Thitipong Warokorn. As the Thai rider was transported away for medical check-ups and soon diagnosed with a fracture to his right scapula, ruling him out of action for the rest of the race event, whilst Esteve Rabat, who also crashed, was effectively given extra time for bike repairs as he made his way back to the Tuenti HP 40 garage.

No sooner had Rabat re-joined the session than the Spaniard crashed once again, having by this point lost provisional pole to teammate Espargaro who will start in front thanks to his leading lap time of 1’32.530. Rabat missed out by just one hundredth of a second, while there were identical times for Jordi Torres and Alex de Angelis; the former (Aspar Team Moto2) will start third by virtue of his quicker second best lap time, leaving the NGM Mobile Forward Racing rider fourth.

Tom Luthi rounds out the top five for Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Racing, while Mika Kallio will be the leading Marc VDS Racing Team rider in sixth; however, the Finn suffered a sizeable accident in the Hay Shed section. Just moments later, teammate Redding crashed at the end of the lap and was duly taken to the Medical Centre where the Englishman complained of pain with his left wrist. Having already posted his 1’32.962 lap time, Redding sank to tenth position in the results and soon headed towards Melbourne to operate on the left wrist fracture.

More drama came at the end of the session, with reigning Moto3™ World Champion Sandro Cortese being the last to suffer an incident. The Dynavolt Intact GP rider will start seventh on the grid behind Kallio, while Aspar’s Nico Terol and NGM Mobile Racing’s Mattia Pasini fill positions eight and nine ahead of the unfortunate Redding.

Moto2™ Qualifying Practice Classification 1- Pol Espargaro ITA Kalex 1:32.503 2- Tito Rabat SPA Kalex +0.010 3- Jordi Torres SPA Suter +0.239

Mika Kallio has won in Moto2™ for the first ever time

Mika Kallio has won in Moto2™ for the first ever time, celebrating victory at the end of a dramatic and closely fought bwin Grand Prix České republiky. The Finn shared the podium with Takaaki Nakagami and Tom Luthi, as championship leader Scott Redding limited the points-loss by finishing four places behind Pol Espargaro.

Before the start of the 20-lap encounter at Brno the worry was a threat of rain, but the race would eventually not be affected by any showers. Kallio started fourth for the Marc VDS Racing Team, as the grid was headed up by Nakagami (Italtrans Racing Team). As the former moved up to second at the start, all were away cleanly with the exception of Nakagami’s teammate Julian Simon who crashed at the first corner.

The race would prove to be one of two major focal points. The first was a titanic contest for the lead, which was shared over the distance by Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Racing’s Tom Luthi and Aspar Team Moto2’s Nico Terol, as well as Nakagami and Kallio. The top spot first became Kallio’s on the fourth lap, but perhaps the most crucial moment of all was when he extended the lead to half a second as the chasing group fought furiously on the final tour. This would prove to be Kallio’s first victory since he won the 250 race at Donington Park five years ago.

The other obvious battle of the day was that of the title pretenders, as Espargaro (Tuenti HP 40) and Redding (Kallio’s teammate at Marc VDS Racing Team) duelled with each other on-track, somewhat surprisingly as the Spaniard had started on the front row whereas the Englishman – who was yet to score at Brno in Moto2 - was coming from 13th on the grid after struggling in qualifying. Redding grabbed fifth place from his rival on Lap 9 but, having escaped a tap from Espargaro, would soon feel the wrath of others and ultimately sank to eighth whereas his chief opponent forcefully took fourth from Came IodaRacing Project’s Johann Zarco on the last lap.

As Kallio beat Nakagami to a first Moto2 win and Luthi picked up his second rostrum placing of the season, Espargaro and Zarco completed the top five from Terol, Indianapolis winner Tito Rabat (Tuenti HP 40) and Redding. Eight riders failed to finish, including reigning Moto3™ World Champion Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) who - after starting fifth on the grid - suffered a crash at Turn 1 and will now require surgery to attend to a fractured right ulna. With five laps to go, there was a three-way collision at Turn 3 triggered by the out-of-control Mike di Meglio (JiR Moto2), who was collected by Alberto Moncayo (Argiñano & Gines Racing) as Marcel Schrotter (Maptaq SAG Zelos Team) also crashed out of proceedings. It was later confirmed that di Meglio had sustained a fractured sacrum in the lower back.

Sunday’s result sees Espargaro close in on championship leader Redding by five points, bringing the leading gap down to 21 with seven races remaining in the 2013 season; winner Kallio jumps up one championship position, to fourth overall.

 

Moto2™ Race Classification 1- Mika Kallio FIN Kalex 41:11.785 2- Takaaki Nakagami JPN Kalex +0.590 3- Thomas Luthi SWI Suter +0.799

 

Scott Redding returned from a low-key start to the weekend to seize pole position

Moto2™ championship leader Scott Redding returned from a low-key start to the weekend to seize pole position for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. The Marc VDS Racing Team rider will start alongside title rival Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP 40) and Takaaki Nakagami (Italtrans Racing Team).

Espargaro, who had topped the final practice session earlier on Saturday, could be seen during qualifying to run in Redding’s slipstream; the latter slowed in a bid to avoid this from being possible, but his rival would apply the same tactics on his final run. Redding’s eventual pole time came in the form of 1’43.026, which sealed the top spot by just 27 thousandths of a second. Nakagami was a tenth and a half off pole, having begun the weekend on top by posting the quickest time in opening practice.

Row 2 will be made up of Tito Rabat (Tuenti HP 40), Simone Corsi (NGM Mobile Racing) and Nico Terol (Aspar Team Moto2), while Terol’s teammate and Sachsenring race winner Jordi Torres will start seventh from Maptaq SAG Zelos Team’s Marcel Schrotter and Italtrans’ Julian Simon. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Sandro Cortese rounds out the top ten for Dynavolt Intact GP.
Further down the grid, a pair of less familiar faces will begin the race locked together, as American wildcard rider James Rispoli lines up 29th for GPTech and Thitipong Warokorn starts 30th for Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2; the Thai rookie replaces fellow countryman Ratthapark Wilairot, who has now retired from Grand Prix racing

 

Moto2™ Qualifying Practice Classification
1- Scott Redding	GBR	Kalex	1:43.026
2- Pol Espargaro	SPA	Kalex	+0.027
3- Takaaki Nakagami	JPN	Kalex	+0.149

 

Moto2™ title rivals Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding

Moto2™ title rivals Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding went toe to toe at Assen on Saturday, with the Spaniard triumphing in the Iveco TT Assen. Switzerland’s Dominique Aegerter finished third after leading earlier in the race, confirming his second ever podium finish after Valencia 2011.

On a weekend full of dramas, the first retirement came before the race had even started as 2010 class champion Toni Elias crashed on the Warm-Up lap. As the lights went out, Marc VDS Racing Team’s championship leader Redding quickly dispatched of Espargaro and his Tuenti HP 40 teammate Esteve Rabat to seize the lead.

The front battle hit fever pitch on the eighth tour. Espargaro had retaken the lead from Redding but, as the Englishman dived up the inside of the first corner, both men went wide and it was Aegerter who led the race to the delight of his team. As the front end pace increased, he would drop back into a battle with Rabat and Johann Zarco.

Espargaro handed the lead to Redding on the 20th tour, then following closely before mounting a strong challenge into Turn 1 at the start of the final lap. He would keep the top spot, defending at every one of Assen’s 18 corners. More last lap drama saw Rabat plummet from third to fifth, handing the final rostrum position to Aegerter on the Suter, while Redding’s teammate Mika Kallio finished fourth.

The aforementioned Zarco ended his day in sixth place for Came IodaRacing Project, with the rest of the top ten all crossing the line somewhat spaced out; positions seven to ten were filled by Desguaces La Torre Maptaq’s Xavier Simeon, Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Racing’s Tom Luthi, Aspar Team Moto2’s Jordi Torres and QMMF Racing Team’s Anthony West. A total of four riders failed to make the finish. Following the pre-race demise of Elias, there were crashes for NGM Mobile Racing’s Simone Corsi, Blusens Avintia’s Kyle Smith and JiR Moto2’s Mike di Meglio

 

Moto2™ Race Classification 1- Pol Espargaro ITA Kalex 39:51.883 2- Scott Redding GBR Kalex +0.017 3- Dominique Aegerter SWI Suter +3.509