FIM Moto2 World Championship Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, Indiana August 28 Race Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires): 1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (SUTER), 26 laps, 45:50.601 2. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (FTR), -1.889 seconds 3. Esteve RABAT, Spain (FTR), -2.510 4. Bradley SMITH, Great Britain (TECH 3), -3.389 5. Scott REDDING, Great Britain (SUTER), -5.674 6. Stefan BRADL, Germany (KALEX), -9.134 7. Julian Simon, Spain (SUTER), -9.347 8. Mattia PASINI, Italy (FTR), -15.010 9. Mika KALLIO, Finland (SUTER), -15.031 10. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (PONS KALEX), -15.339 11. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUTER), -17.447 12. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), -21.727 13. Xavier SIMEON, Belgium (TECH 3), -24.279 14. Simone CORSI, Italy (FTR), -25.714 15. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (MOTOBI), -26.894 16. Jules CLUZEL, France (SUTER), -27.375 17. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (SUTER), -27.546 18. Jordi TORRES, Spain (SUTER), -27.764 19. Ricard CARDUS, Spain (MORIWAKI), -27.946 20. Michele PIRRO, Italy (MORIWAKI), -29.362 21. Randy KRUMMENACHER, Switzerland (KALEX), -31.701 22. Claudio CORTI, Italy (SUTER), -32.030 23. Raffaele DE ROSA, Italy (SUTER), -32.100 24. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Germany (MZ-RE HONDA), -35.387 25. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan (MORIWAKI), -37.801 26. Anthony WEST, Australia (MZ-RE HONDA), -42.146 27. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (TECH 3), -53.491 28. Martin CARDENAS, Colombia (FTR), -58.947 29. J.D. BEACH, USA (FTR), -64.334 30. Valentin DEBISE, France (FTR), -72.230 31. Jake GAGNE, USA (FTR), -72.503 32. Robertino PIETRI, Venezuela (SUTER), -75.177 33. Santiago HERNANDEZ, Colombia (FTR), -75.899 34. Alex BALDOLINI, Italy (PONS KALEX), -97.102, crash 35. Mashel AL NAIMI, Qatar (MORIWAKI), -1 lap 36. Ratthapark WILAIROT, Thailand (FTR), -5 laps, DNF, crash 37. Carmelo MORALES, Spain (MORIWAKI), -11 laps, DNF, retired 38. Kenny NOYES, USA (FTR), -19 laps, DNF, crash 39. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (SUTER), DNS World Championship Point Standings (after 11 of 17 races): 1. Bradl, 193 points 2. Marquez, 165 3. TIE, Iannone/De Angelis, 96 5. Corsi, 93 6. Smith, 92 7. Luthi, 88 8. TIE, Takahashi/Rabat, 62 10. Simon, 58 More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Smith fourth after brilliant Indianapolis podium battle Bradley Smith started and finished today’s Moto2 race at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in fourth position, the British rider fighting for a podium finish throughout the 26-lap race. The Tech 3 Racing Team rider made an electrifying start from the second row to lead into the first turn and as the race developed in hot and humid conditions, the 20-year-old was constantly in contention for his fourth rostrum finish in the last six races. Once again showcasing the high level of performance of the Mistral 610 machine, designed and developed in France by the Tech 3 Racing Team, Smith brilliantly held off late pres sure from compatriot Scott Redding to try and hunt down Esteve Rabat and Pol Espargaro in the chase for second spot. The British rider gave his maximum effort until the chequered flag but he was never able to get close enough to attack the Spanish pair and he finished just over a second behind third placed Rabat. Today’s result was Smith’s fifth top four of the season and his 13-point haul maintained his brilliant challenge for third place in the overall World Championship standings. With six races remaining, rookie Smith is sixth in the rankings but only four-points behind Andrea Iannone in third. It was a difficult and disappointing afternoon for Smith’s team-mate Mike di Meglio, who was never able to find a comfortable suspension and chassis setting on his Mistral 610 machine during the weekend. The French rider still rode with 100 per cent commi tment but he was unable to finish higher than 27th position having struggled with a rear grip issue from the early stages. Bradley Smith: 4th 92 points: “Fourth position is a little bit frustrating as we were all working for a podium all weekend. It was a great race but to get so close to the podium and see it all through the entire race is a little bit disappointing. But we got some really important points back in the Championship and I’m firmly in the hunt for third overall, which in my rookie season is a fantastic achievement. After not finishing the last two races in Sachsenring and Brno, completing the race distance meant that we learnt a lot. We are able to take the data with us and analyse it for the final part of the season to improve the bike even more because we already have a really competitive package. There are a few thin gs that we need to work on, especially with rear grip. That’s where Rabat and Espargaro seemed to have a slight advantage today. I need to say a big thanks to my Team though who have done an incredible job once again this weekend. Now I am ready to get home for a brief rest before getting ready to return strong for Misano.” Mike di Meglio: 27th 8 points: “It was a very hard race and we had a lot of problems. This morning it was not going bad and we worked with used tyres, so I was quite confident. But right from the start I had trouble with my rear tyre and that was really strange. I really hope we can solve these problems and we can have a better race in Misano.” Hervé Poncharal: Team Manager: “The last two races in Germany and Czech Republic were bad results for the Tech 3 Racing Team but we are so glad to see Bradley back at the front where we know he can be. He finished fourth in qualifying and fourth in the race, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He made an incredible start to get the holeshot and was leading the race and never gave up. Marc Marquez was in a race of own today but Bradley was also very strong and I am happy that we are back in the battle for third place in the Championship. We are sixth now, but only four-points away from third, so we are right back in the hunt. I hope we are going to carry on like that for the next races because Bradley is having a fantastic rookie season. It is a shame for Mike because he started the weekend really well, but for some reason he could not make qualifying and the race at his best level. We need to analyse what went wrong and hope to return stronger in Misano.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Racing: Xavier Siméon adds more points to his championship tally in Indianapolis Xavier Siméon had a tough race today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the boiling heat and having to fight back from 24th position on the grid. But the 21 year old had a quite good start and was able to finish the race in 13th position, which adds three points to his championship tally. The young Belgian is still not 100% satisfied with his result as he was not able to pass Jules Cluzel, who was riding on a slower pace in front of him. And he misse d to finish the race in the Top 10. Nevertheless Siméon is confident to better his result in one week time in Misano when he will ride his Mistral 610 bike for the next time. Xavier Siméon, 13th – 46’14.880: “žI think I had a good start, but I am still not 100% satisfied. It is very difficult to overtake on this track and I lost some time behind other slower riders at the start. That is a pity as I think I could have caught the Top 10. After I was behind (Jules) Cluzel I lost time as he was slower than I was, but I could not p ass him. Then I found my rhythm and I was able to pass and catch (Thomas) Lüthi and (Alex) De Angelis, but when Cluzel passed me back I was losing time again. But still I am happy with my 13th place. My target was to get some points and I was able to do that. Now my goal is to do another step forward and get a better result in Misano.” Hervé Poncharal, Team Manager: “I am very happy for Xavier. I think although the qualifying was not really easy for him he never gave up and made the best out of his starting position. The bike is working well here and the package of Xavier and the Mistral 610 is a fast combination. Top 10 was a possibility, bu t 13th means he got some points and I hope it will give him another boost and he can top that in Misano once again. All the top management from RTL, who are helping the Tech3 B Team a lot, are coming and it would be nice to show them what Xavier can do with the Mistral 610 bike.” More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: REDDING FIGHTS FOR PODIUM AT INDIANAPOLIS Scott Redding equalled his best result of the 2011 Moto2 World Championship this afternoon, the Marc VDS Racing rider sustaining a brilliant challenge for the podium until the final stages of an exciting Indianapolis race. And the Marc VDS Racing Team was able to savour its first double top 10 finish of 2011, with Mika Kallio producing a rousing effort in gloriously sunny conditions to finish in a richly deserved ninth place. Redding’s performance in the 26-lap was worthy of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway after he launched a stunning attack from 11th on the grid. The British rider demonstrated the blistering speed that saw him dominate Free Practice as he quickly forced his way into the top six by lap four. Redding’s confidence grew with every lap and a brilliant overtake on Andrea Iannone moved him into fifth on lap 20. The 18-year-old then became engaged in an enthralling fight with compatriot Bradley Smith, the British pair superbly closing on Spanish duo Esteve Rabat and Pol Espargaro in the hunt for second place. But with track temperature hitting 45 degrees, Redding was unable to maintain his pace in the crucial final stages and after suffering a small drop in grip he opted to take the safe option and collect 11 valuable points to strengthen his challenge for a top 10 position in the World Championship rankings. Kallio used all of his experience and skill in a physically demanding race, the Finnish rider fighting his way majestically through the field from 18th on the grid to ninth. He too was able to execute some brilliant overtakes and he seized ninth of the final lap from Aleix Espargaro to finish only 0.021s away from equalling his best result of the campaign. Scott Redding #45: 5th Position “That was a very difficult race but I’m really happy. Firstly, challenging for the podium is where we should have been all season, and it feels great to have been in a battle at the right end of the field. Secondly, conditions were very hot again and in the past I’ve struggled in extremely hot weather. But I got through the race with no problems and I still felt strong at the end, so that’s a big bonus for me. We’ve been at the front all weekend, so we knew we had the pace to fight for a podium. But today once again proved how important qualifying is because starting from 11th meant I had to abuse my tyres a lot more than I wanted to gain some places in the early laps. I made some hard moves and at the end I was closing on the battle for second, but I was right on the edge and having two-wheel slides without the brakes on. This result has given me a lot of confidence for the final part of the season and I’ve got to say a big thanks to the Marc VDS Racing Team because today is a good reward for all their hard work.” Mika Kallio #36: 9th Position “I am very happy because a top 10 was the pre-race target and we achieved that. My pace in the race was good throughout, so it makes me even more disappointed with what happened in qualifying yesterday because without that, it is not unrealistic to think I could have been fighting in the top six. It was still one of my best races of the season and it was a real test of concentration because every single lap I was in battle. The problem was it was so difficult to overtake with any confidence. The racing line is so small in places that if you ran into the dirty and slippery part it was easy to crash. It took me a lot of time to find the places where you could overtake, but this was a good result for the Marc VDS Racing Team. Scott was fast all weekend and my race was strong, so hopefully we can build on the momentum gained here for the final part of the season.” Michael Bartholemy – Team Manager “This was the performance from Scott and Mika that we hoped we would see right from the beginning of the season, but I suppose it is better late than never. When I signed with Scott and Mika for 2011, the goal was always to have one in the top five and the other in the top 10 and we’ve achieved that today. Both of them rode a fantastic race and I think they showed the true potential of the Marc VDS Racing Team and the Suter MMXI package. It is a shame that both of them got stuck in heavy traffic at the end of qualifying because had they been a bit further up the grid, we could be enjoying an even better flight to Misano. This is an important race for Arma Energy and I hope we have given them something to smile about today. I am also delighted for Marc van der Straten. Many people had stopped believing in our project but his support has been incredible. He never stops pushing and pushing and I hope we can deliver him more results like this in the last six races.” More, from a press release issued by ItalTrans/AGP Racing Team: A difficult week-end, in which only in the first part the Team was able to be on target. Claudio Corti (46’22″631 – 22°): “The bike was OK, and me too: I did a specific physical preparation, in the summer. Watching now to it, I see that while after qualifying I suspected that a pace just over 1’46 was not in my power, in reality it was. Therefore, we should get more from today’s race. About it, the main issues have been two: the temperature of the water was higher than normal 110 centigrades on the grid and the bike didn’t perform at his best in the first laps. On the contrary, it was quite good in the final, when I was able to lap faster than in the beginning. Watching from outside you can have the idea that we are well off-pace but, on the contrary, we do not want that much to improve a lot”. Robertino Pietri (47’05″778 -32°): “My problem, and not only during the race, was the tire consumption. Having seen how rapid it was in practice, my fear was not to be able to reach the end of the race. On the contrary we got it; this is a strange track, where we have not been able to express our full potential, which is more similar to what we showed in Brno. Claudio Macciotta (Technical Director): “In Moto2, with such a crowded grid, qualifying has a big say into race result. We were too back, today, to get a better classification. The bike was OK, except for the temperature of the water”. More, from a press release issued by JiR Moto2 Team: GP of Indianapolis, race: De Angelis finishes in 15th Some troubles throughout the whole weekend influenced the race of Alex De Angelis at the American circuit of Indianapolis, which has seen the rider from San Marino finish in 15th position at the line. During the four practice sessions the rider struggled to find a satisfying set-up that would allow him to be fast enough in full race trim. This was a race that saw many of the riders who are usually at the forefront suffer from the difficulties of managing the 26 laps at a rapid pace, something that allowed the Spaniard Marc Marquez to go and win the race and change the fate of the Moto2 championship. Team JiR Moto2’s rider, Alex De Angelis, maintains 3rd position in the World Championship with the same points as Italian Andrea Iannone. Gianluca Montiron This weekend did not start well because we suffered in the practice sessions and consequently the race result has been influenced negatively. As other competitors we suffered from the new Tarmac, clearly others have been better in managing these difficulties, our rider managed to make one single fast lap during the available practice sessions and this did not help to find a good balance for the set-up of our MotoBI. It’s a wasted chance, we’ll have to understand the reason why we had this debacle in order to go to Misano and look for a quick payback on the track we chose as a test circuit. Alex DeAngelis It has been a very hard day, the tyres were worn from the very beginning and we couldn’t improve the position we had on the grid. I managed to hold third place in the World Championship, but the machine is not performing and on the straights I got overtaken by everyone. We will need to do something very special to hold onto the third place in the Championship. More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team: Tough race for QMMF riders: Cardús down on topspeed, Al-Naimi struggles with chassis problems QMMF Racing Team riders Ricky Cardús and Mishal Al-Naimi had a tough race day in Indianapolis. Cardús, who started from 14th place on the grid and who was determined to score points, didn’t have enough topspeed to defend himself against faster bikes and dropped back to 19th position, which still meant the best result of all participating Moriwaki riders. Team-mate Al-Naimi, who had his best qualifying of the season the day before, encountered strange chassis problems in the race and dropped back to 35th. Mashel Al-Naimi 35th “For sure the result is not what I wanted. In all practice sessions and in qualifying I had a lot of confidence in the bike and I managed to push. But this morning in the warm-up session, something changed and I didn’t feel as good with the bike any more. Things didn’t get better in the race either, where I felt too much movement in the bike, so much that after five laps I even thought the rear tyre was finished. When I checked after the race though, everything was okay, so I don’t understand where all this movement in the bike was coming from. I hope I can get a better result at the next race in Misano. I want to thank my team because we worked very well together in all practice sessions. I just don’t understand what changed today!” Ricky Cardús 19th “All weekend long, I started to have tyre problems after about ten laps, but my team did a great job of fixing the set-up and in the race I could have been much higher up. But for some reason, I was clearly down on speed on the main straight and also in the topspeed list. I give the team not only a ten out of ten but a 15 because they have done a great job. But for whatever reason, my bike didn’t run well here. Even my team-mate was seven kilometres per hour faster than me. I tried to make up in the corners what I was losing on the straights, but this was very difficult. Congratulations to my three Spanish friends on the podium who were just exceptional!”