FIM Moto2 World Championship Valencia, Spain November 6 Race Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires): 1. Michele PIRRO, Italy (MORIWAKI), 27 laps, 46:22.205 2. Mika KALLIO, Finland (SUTER), -6.150 seconds 3. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), -6.363 4. Anthony WEST, Australia (MZ-RE HONDA), -8.843 5. Kenny NOYES, USA (FTR), -9.229 6. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (FTR), -9.926 7. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (TECH 3), -10.115 8. Xavier SIMEON, Belgium (TECH 3), -10.385 9. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Germany (MZ-RE HONDA), -13.018 10. Julian SIMON, Spain (SUTER), -13.685 11. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUTER), -14.686 12. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (MOTOBI), -15.200 13. Jules CLUZEL, France (SUTER), -18.428 14. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (FTR), -19.177 15. Claudio CORTI, Italy (SUTER), -20.356 16. Randy KRUMMENACHER, Switzerland (KALEX), -26.031 17. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (SUTER), -27.160 18. Jordi TORRES, Spain (SUTER), -33.813 19. Alex BALDOLINI, Italy (MORIWAKI), -46.003, crash 20. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (SUTER), -49.635 21. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (PONS KALEX), -72.187 22. Santiago HERNANDEZ, Colombia (FTR), -74.567 23. Bradley SMITH, Great Britain (TECH 3), -75.394, crash 24. Robertino PIETRI, Venezuela (SUTER), -76.767 25. Elena ROSELL, Spain (SUTER), -79.893 26. Joan OLIVE, Spain (FTR), -82.339 27. Mashel AL NAIMI, Qatar (MORIWAKI), -1 lap 28. Oscar CLIMENT, Spain (MIR RACING), -1 lap 29. Nasser Hasan AL MALKI, Qatar (MORIWAKI), -1 lap 30. Scott REDDING, Great Britain (SUTER), -1 lap, crash 31. Raffaele DE ROSA, Italy (SUTER), -2 laps, DNF, crash 32. Simone CORSI, Italy (FTR), -2 laps, DNF, retired 33. Valentin DEBISE, France (FTR), -7 laps, DNF, retired 34. Ratthapark WILAIROT, Thailand (FTR), -14 laps, DNF, retired 35. Mattia PASINI, Italy (FTR), -17 laps, DNF, crash 36. Esteve RABAT, Spain (FTR), -21 laps, DNF, retired 37. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan (MORIWAKI), -22 laps, DNF, crash 38. Stefan BRADL, Germany (KALEX), -23 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (after 17 of 17 races): 1. Bradl, 274 points 2. Marc Marquez, 251 3. Iannone, 177 4. De Angelis, 174 5. Luthi, 151 6. Corsi, 127 7. Smith, 121 8. Aegerter, 94 9. Pirro, 84 10. Rabat, 79 11. Takahashi, 77 12. Aleix Espargaro, 76 13. Pol Espargaro, 75 14. Simon, 68 15. Redding, 63 16. Kallio, 61 17. Sofuoglu, 59 18. Krummenacher, 52 19. Yonny Hernandez, 43 20. Neukirchner, 42 21. Cluzel, 41 22. West, 40 23. Di Meglio, 30 24. Pasini, 28 25. TIE, Corti/Simeon, 23 27. Baldolini, 18 28. TIE, Noyes/Kev Coghlan, 11 30. Wilairot, 4 31. Ricard Cardus, 2 32. Pons, 1 More, from a press release issued by Marc VDC Racing Team: MARC VDS SIGN OFF 2011 WITH A STUNNING SECOND The Marc VDS Racing Team ended the 2011 Moto2 World Championship in stunning fashion today, as Mika Kallio brilliantly mastered treacherous conditions to finish the GP Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana in second position. A terrific start from the front row of the grid meant Kallio was in contention for the team’s first rostrum of 2011 right from the start of the 27-lap encounter, which took place in the worst conditions imaginable. The first laps were all about assessing track conditions and grip levels as light rain fell as the field set off on slick tyres. Fortune favoured the brave and Kallio displayed fantastic skill and composure at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit to make a decisive break away from Xavier Simeon and Dominique Aegerter in third position with 13 laps remaining. He exerted intense pressure then on Yonny Hernandez in second position and his dogged determination paid off when he passed the Colombian rider at the first corner on lap 24. With six laps remaining the rain started to fall more heavily but once again Kallio quickly calculated where he could push hard and he used all of his experience to bring his Suter MMXI machine home to a richly deserved podium. The season ending encounter didn’t live up to pre-race expectations for British rider Scott Redding. He too quickly mastered the tricky conditions after starting from 14th and he had just moved into the top six when his podium challenge ended at the start of lap four. Battling to adjust his riding style to cope with quickshifter and an engine misfire issue, Redding fell out of contention at the first corner. He escaped injury in the heavy tumble and remounted to finish in 30th position. Today’s race marked the end of a two-year partnership between the Marc VDS Racing Team and Suter Racing. The Marc VDS Racing Team will switch to Kalex machinery for their assault on the 2012 Moto2 World Championship, starting with tomorrow’s post race test at Valencia. All at the Marc VDS Racing Team would like to thank Suter Racing for the past two seasons, especially engineer Alessandro Guissani, who worked closely with the team from the start. Mika Kallio #36: 2nd Position “Today was a fantastic race for the Marc VDS Racing Team and second feels almost as good as a win. It has been a difficult season and much harder than we expected, so to finish with a podium is an unbelievable feeling. We never gave up or stopped working and we have improved a lot in the last five races. So to finally get on the podium is a reward for all our efforts. We just had one target today and that was to finish on the podium. I’d been strong all weekend in the wet and dry conditions but the race was really difficult and a big test of concentration. It was easy to make a mistake with rain falling throughout but I just pushed as hard as I could without taking too many risks. The last few laps were tough with the rain falling more heavily but it is a nice way to end the season and I want to thank the Marc VDS Racing Team for all their support in 2011.” Scott Redding #45: 30th Position “I’m pretty disappointed to end the season like that. The bike kept cutting out and then off the start the quickshifter wasn’t working. So I just decided to get my head down and push as hard as I could. I made some aggressive moves but the bike kept cutting out and I’m not sure if somebody hit me going into the first corner but I was wide going in and because I was off the racing line, I was down. I was lucky because I nearly got my foot caught in the footpeg before the bike flipped over. I got back in the race in case it was red flagged for rain and there was a restart, but it only started raining hard right at the end. I’d like to congratulate Mika though because he did an amazing job and it is great for the Marc VDS Racing Team to be back on the podium.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager “Finally we have scored a podium finish in 2011 and I suppose it is a case of better late than never. I want to say a big thanks to Mika because the conditions were incredibly difficult and he didn’t put a foot wrong for the whole race. He was fast in all conditions on Friday and Saturday, so honestly we were very confident he could finish on the podium today. But he still got the job done in demanding conditions and I want to congratulate him and his crew for putting the Marc VDS Racing Team on the podium where we know we should be. It is a pity that Scott had some problems because when he crashed he was the fastest rider on the track. He was pushing hard and at that stage we thought both of them could be on the podium. I want to thank Scott too for getting back in the race. He never gave up and showed a great attitude. Finally I’d like to congratulate all at the Gresini Racing Team. It has been a very difficult period for them after the loss of Marco Simoncelli in Sepang, and today’s victory was certainly a fitting tribute to a rider the whole paddock will miss a great deal.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Siméon to finish 2011 with best result of the season Xavier Siméon finished the Generali GP de la Communitat Valenciana today in 8th position, his best result of his rookie season in the Moto2 world championship. The 22 year old had a strong weekend al l together and after he qualified 8th yesterday he could defend his position and finished 8th, which secured him another 8 points for the championship. Tomorrow the preparations for the 2012 season already start with the first test of the 2012 Mistral 610 bike. Xavier Siméon, 8th: “žI am happy and disappointed at the same time. I am of course happy that I met my target and finished this race in the Top 10, but on the other side I know I could have finished higher than that today. When it started raining stronger towards the end of the race I did not want to risk crashing and I was very tense on the bike. I did not want to be too aggressive, but maybe a little bit more aggressive would have been good. Today I had the pace and the feeling for a podium finish. I want to thank my team for all their effort and support throughout the 2011 season and I am looking forward to continue where we finished this year. Tomorrow I will test the new bike and I am quite excited for that.” Hervé Poncharal, Team Manager: “I am happy for Xavier. He likes these conditions and he was fighting in the top group for most of the race. Unfortunately at the end he lost a little bit, as he did not want to risk crashing and was a bit tense on the bike. The group was able to catch him, which they would never have been able if he continued to ride like he did in the beginning of the race. It is a little bit disappointing after seeing him fighting so strong as he could have been on the podium today. Xavier will be with Tech3 next year and it should be much easier for him as now he knows all the circuits and he can fully concentrate on his season. I am quite sure next year he will be a regular Top 10 finisher like he showed us today.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Super seventh for di Meglio, Smith disappointed in Valencia The Tech 3 Racing Team ended the 2011 Moto2 World Championship campaign in Valencia today with contrasting fortunes for Mike di Meglio and Bradley Smith. The 27-lap race started with light rain falling over the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, though the race was declared dry and di Meglio and Smith started on slick tyres. The tricky conditions provided a serious test of skill and concentration as di Meglio and Smith quickly tried to gauge grip levels in the early phase of the race. Frenchman di Meglio adopted a cautious approach in the opening 10 laps, the former 125cc World Champion gradually building up his speed and confidence as he got engaged in a typically frenetic battle that has become a feature of the ultra-competitive Moto2 category. He eventually finished in seventh position to claim his third top 10 of the campaign, and he was less than a second away from the top five. The season ending GP Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana finished in disappointing fashion for British rider Smith. He immediately thrust himself into contention for the podium with a lightning start that moved him from 12th on the grid into fifth at the end of the first lap. Pushing hard to try and find a way by Finnish rider Mika Kallio, he crashed out at the second corner on lap two. He landed hard on the left collarbone he broke 17 days ago after a practice crash in Sepang, but fortunately suffered no additional damage and he remounted to finish 23rd. Mike di Meglio 7th 30-points: “I am happy to have finished my last race for Tech 3 Racing in seventh and battling hard for the top five. I started off quite cautious for first 10 laps because I didn’t have so much grip, and it was easy to make a mistake with the light rain making it very difficult to push with any confidence. Then it rained more and I think I was more comfortable in those conditions than those around me and I could have a nice battle in a big group. Finishing inside the top 10 is a positive way to end the season and I want to thank all my crew at Tech 3 for their incredible hard work this season. It has been a difficult year and I haven’t achieved the results I expected, but I have a learned a lot and I’m sure that will help me for the future” Bradley Smith 23rd 121-points:ng> “I am really disappointed with the crash because I had a very good first lap. I was aggressive and I had a very good feeling with the bike, even though the conditions were far from ideal. I passed Kallio going into the first corner and was looking to push on when he was quite aggressive at Turn 2. I had a big slide from the front and rear tyres and it was impossible to save it. Today pretty much summed up my luck in the final part of the season and I seem to have been followed by bad luck for a few weeks now. It is a shame that we couldn’t finish the season with some stronger results but we have proved capable of fighting for the top five on a regular basis. Luckily it was quite a slow crash at that part of the track and my shoulder didn’t suffer any damage. I’ll be testing the new 2012 Mistral 610 machine tomorrow and I’m looking forward to that. We’re confident we have made big improvements with the new bike that will help me fight a t the front consistently next season.” Hervé Poncharal Team Manager: “That was a very hard race for everybody with the conditions being very difficult. At times it was like riding on ice because this track is quite slippery anyway, and the rain made it even harder to understand grip levels. Unfortunately Bradley was ruled out very early when he crashed and that is not how we wanted to end the season. It is disappointing because he immediately found a good pace in the difficult conditions and we probably would have been in the battle for the podium. A few mistakes recently have cost us a lot of points but this has been a learning year for Bradley and there are still a lot of positives to take from it, including some fantastic performances like in Silverstone. Next year he will be stronger and more experienced so we can look forward to 2012 with a lot of optimism. Mike also did a very good job today and I am happy he was able to show his fighting spirit in his last race with Tech 3 Racing. It was nice to see the Mistral 610 machine fighting hard for the top five once again and in the last few races Mike has done a very good job. It is sad to see him leaving us and I would like to wish him all the best for the future. Now we have to focus on preparing for next year when we test the new Mistral 610 tomorrow. The whole Team is excited to check the potential of the new bike. I would also like to congratulate everybody associated with the Gresini Racing Team for their emotional win today. They have shown incredible dignity in dealing with the tragic loss of Marco Simoncelli, and I am sure he would be very proud of their success today.” More, from a press release issued by JiR Moto2 Team: GP of Valencia, race The Valencian GP has brought about a final goodbye to the 2011 season in Moto2, with a race ran today on a circuit made wet by the rain that fell this morning, thus demanding particular attention and expertise from the riders. The forfeit made by Marc Marquez of the Valencian race put the World Title in Stefan Bradl’s hands even before the green light, who benefitted from the success in a season he has built up with consistency and determination. The race had therefore the challenge of where 3rd place in the series would end up, and it was fought between Andrea Iannone and our Alex De Angelis. At the end of the 27 laps the two riders finished respectively in 11th and 12th place, giving the final result to the Italian by 3 points. The JiR Team ends its 2011 season then with 4th place in the Riders’ World Championship and the same 4th place in the Manufacturers’ World Championship, two results that confirm the good job made this year by the staff headed by Gianluca Montiron. For this reason the whole team wants to say thank you to all the partners and sponsors that actively participated in this season, giving their contribution and support not only economic or technical but also emotional and human. Gianluca Montiron Overall I can define the season as positive, recognizing the first two riders classified as able to make a difference to others. Last year the best of our riders, Simone Corsi, finished in 5th place with 132 points while this year De Angelis takes 4th with 174 points. So we have improved the position in the standings while keeping the 4th place in the Constructors’ Championship, a sign that even with a single rider we had a good consistency of performance. I thank all partners who have supported us by allowing us to maintain a structure of the first order and to the contribution of an experienced rider like De Angelis well supported by his team. Alex DeAngelis These were certainly the most difficult conditions throughout the weekend and certainly the least suited to us. A race to forget, I feel sorry because we fought to reach third place in the Championship and still to finish the season in the best way but it did not go well. We know we have done our best today, I still brought home the points and the result ends a good season with many good results close to the fastest and always consistent as I am. More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team: QMMF Racing Team riders Al Naimi and Al Malki survive tricky conditions to finish 27th and 29th QMMF Racing Team riders Mashel Al Naimi and Nasser Hasan Al Malki finished 27th and 29th in today’s final Moto2 race of the season and achieved the best possible results in extremely difficult conditions. Even though the race was declared “dry” and everybody started on slicks, the Moto2 field was soon challenged with intermittent rain drizzles that made the Ricardo Tormo circuit damp and slippery, but that were never strong enough to justify a race interruption. A smooth riding style was the key to safely finishing the event, especially when the rain got harder for the last six of the 27 laps. Al Naimi and Al Malki, who are both from Qatar and thus used to hot and dry conditions, managed their task beautifully. Even though points were out of reach, they finished the season on a high note and are now determined to come back stronger next year. Mashel Al Naimi 27th “This was a very strange race, because the weather changed not only once but two or three times! I started well and passed many riders, but then I lost grip and they came back on me. I started to push again, but had many slides, especially when the track got a little bit dryer. I once again passed some of the others, but it started to rain again and I almost highsided several times. It was the last race of the season and I wanted to push for a good result, but it was very strange. I want to say thanks to my sponsor QMMF for giving me the chance to ride in this category, and I am sorry that I wasn’t able to deliver them the results we hoped for this year. I came here to learn, but I didn’t improve in comparison to the other riders that made a big step from the first to the second year of the Moto2 class in terms of bike set-up and riding. I want to come back stronger and I hope I will be able to show that I am able to get good results!” Nasser Hasan Al Malki 29th “I am happy because I finished the race without accidents or crashes. The weather looked good at the beginning, but when I started to push after two laps with warmer tyres, it rained again. It was the first time for me to race in such conditions and it was very difficult. I don’t have a lot of experience with this kind of weather and also not with this bike. I will definitely not forget this day! My plan for next year is to train a lot and to improve as a rider. I completed only my fifth year as a motorcycle racer and I want to be well prepared for future challenges, maybe in the Spanish Moto2 championship, but with a little luck maybe also in Grand Prix racing!” More, from a press release issued by Italtrans/AGP Racing: Grand Prix of Comunitat Valenciana Valencia, 4th – 6th November 2011, Race Results Claudio Corti (46’42″561 – 15th) Robertino Pietri (47″38″972 – 24th) It depends from points of view. Anyway, according to the garage opinion, the glass is half-full. The team landed in Valencia with an optimism dictated by the result got in Malaysia and Australia especially the latter – suggesting everybody that the last race of the season, in Spain, could be a great one. The result was not what expected but, if we take into account how the week-end evolved, it is fair claiming that the team got the most out of it. Claudio Corti: “I gave up with antibiotics just yesterday. Tonsillitis, fever at 39. I was not in my best shape, and the bike too had not his best set-up. Strange track condition, with the grip changing meter by meter. When rain began to drop, I decided to stay on the safe end, and lost a few position. On the contrary, when it changed into pouring rain, I made up the lost places, being faster than anyone in front. If the race was to last a few more laps, certainly my position would be fairly better”. Robertino Pietri: “Our bike, on the front was super. Even on the wet perfect. On the contrary, we had some problems at the rear. Good pace in the first part, but in the second half I began to slide quite a lot. I’ve to say that I was a bit cautious, but I didn’t want to close the championship with a crash”. Claudio Macciotta (Technical Director): “We didn’t read well the situation. We have not been able to solve the puzzle, which was really treacherous. Claudio didn’t make any mistake and I agree with him preferred to stay a little bit away from the limit. We got a point, and it’s good. We are already thinking to the future: we will be back her in two weeks’ time, for a three-day test”. Luigi Pansera (Team Manager) “We deserved a better result. I can tell it for the improvement that all team have showed in the last races. Well, let’s cash the experience gathered in 17 races, and lets go on. The 2012 line-up has been already decided Corti and Nakagami and our championship must continue during the winter, setting-up the bike and training our riders at their best. A kind of early start of the 2012 season, to be ready for the test next spring”. More, from a press release issued by Kenny Noyes’ publicist: Fifth Place And Best Moto2 Career Finish Just Reward For Kenny Noyes Kenny Noyes and his Avintia-STX team finally reaped the rewards of a long year of hard work at Valencia, the American finishing in a fighting fifth place, the best result of his Moto2 career. Despite the difficult conditions all weekend at Valencia, Kenny was fast in all weathers. A strong charge during the race saw Kenny battling for fourth with Ant West, only getting beaten into fifth in the penultimate corner. Kenny got his usual lightning start, and despite getting boxed in off the line he had gained nearly ten places by the end of the first lap. He quickly fought his way forward on his FOGI-Racing FTR and found himself engaged in a race-long battle with West. The pair fought off challenges from Alex de Angelis and Andrea Iannone, but the battle would be settled in the penultimate corner, West just getting past Kenny with no chance to retaliate. Eleven precious points were Kenny’s haul, a fantastic reward to his BQR team for all their hard work, and to his sponsors FOGI-Racing and GPTech for believing in Kenny throughout the ups and downs of a turbulent season. Now, the hard work starts for 2012. Kenny Noyes 5th, Fastest Lap: 1’40.349 Kenny said, “We’re real happy about how the weekend went. We were fast whatever the whether threw at us and then it all came together in the race. I didn’t get a great start, but I came through the field good. We had battles all race long and we ended up sluggin’ it out with West. I had rubber on both elbows from battling so hard!” “The conditions were real tough. There wasn’t a single lap out there where I was relaxed, the conditions were changing all the time with the rain. One lap you’d have plenty of grip and the next you’d just be sliding all over the place. It was just a real intense race and I’m really happy with the result.” “I am real happy for my sponsors, for the guys at FOGI-Racing and GPTech that helped me get started, and obviously for BQR. They’ve been really good to me, and the times when we struggled the most, they did not get down on me and kept looking for a solution. It’s been getting better and better in the last four races or so, and here we kind of put it all together. I’m real happy to end the season on a high. ” “And I also want to thank all the support I’ve had from American fans. We had a couple of guys from the navy here cheering me on, so it was cool to get a good result for them, and everyone back home.”