FIM Moto2 World Championship Losail Circuit, Qatar April 7, 2013 Race Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires): 1. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KALEX), 20 laps, 40:31.782 2. Scott REDDING, UK (KALEX), -0.844 second 3. Takaaki NAKAGAMI, Japan (KALEX), -12.098 seconds 4. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), -18.910 5. Mika KALLIO, Finland (KALEX), -18.933 6. Julian SIMON, Spain (KALEX), -19.018 7. Simone CORSI, Italy (SPEED UP), -19.230 8. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (SPEED UP), -19.452 9. Esteve RABAT, Spain (KALEX), -20.219 10. Xavier SIMEON, Belgium (KALEX), -20.972 11. Jordi TORRES, Spain (SUTER), -21.674 12. Johann ZARCO, France (SUTER), -22.084 13. Marcel SCHROTTER, Germany (KALEX), -22.093 14. Nicolas TEROL, Spain (SUTER), -22.496 15. Toni ELIAS, Spain (KALEX), -36.677 16. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (MOTOBI), -36.697, started from pit lane 17. Sandro CORTESE, Germany (KALEX), -41.857 18. Danny KENT, UK (TECH 3), -45.295 19. Randy KRUMMENACHER, Switzerland (SUTER), -47.673 20. Sergio GADEA, Spain (SUTER), -54.197 21. Kyle SMITH, UK (KALEX), -59.245 22. Steven ODENDAAL, South Africa (SPEED UP), -62.713 23. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan (MORIWAKI), -64.294 24. Doni Tata PRADITA, Imdonesia (SUTER), -74.017 25. Alberto MONCAYO, Spain (SPEED UP), -97.009 26. Rafid Topan SUCIPTO, Indonesia (SPEED UP), -1 lap 27. Ratthapark WILAIROT, Thailand (SUTER), -5 laps, DNF, jump start/ride-through penalty, crash 28. Ricard CARDUS, Spain (SPEED UP), -12 laps, DNF, crash 29. Mattia PASINI, Italy (SPEED UP), -12 laps, DNF, crash 30. Anthony WEST, Australia (SPEED UP), -13 laps, DNF, crash 31. Axel PONS, Spain (KALEX), -17 laps, DNF, crash 32. Louis ROSSI, France (TECH 3), -17 laps, DNF, crash More, from a press release issued by Team JiR: Mike Di Meglio close to the points in Losail Team JiR and French former World Champion Mike Di Meglio suffered bad luck in today’s opening race of the Moto2 World Championship at Losail tonight. The 25-year-old Frenchman had his Team JiR Moto2 machine cut out on him after the warm-up lap just before the start of the 20-lap race. With his Team JiR mechanics unable to start his machine in the required time, the 2008 125cc World Champion had to start from pit-lane. When the race began he made excellent progress, showing the sort of pace shown by the riders in the second group in the race. Despite this pace – and after a collision with Mattia Pasini – Di Meglio finished the race in a creditable 16th position, just outside of the points. Gianluca Montiron, Team Principal: After the warm-up lap we had an issue with the Engine Control Unit (ECU) which led to Mike’s machine cutting out on the grid, just before the start of the race. With us unable to start the bike in the time allowed he had to start from the pit-lane. This was a great shame, but he showed great spirit and the sort of pace shown from the second group in the race. This is a big shame for us following such a weekend where we have all made progress together. But, this is racing and it is just unlucky. We now look forward to the next race where we hope to have better luck. Mike Di Meglio: Position: 16th Gap from first: + 36.697 I’m very angry after the race and disappointed really as we could have had a really good race and we were hoping to stay in the top 10 where we ended qualifying. This is just one of those things really and we have to look forward to the next race now. The positives are that we improved every session and were looking good for the race as well as showing good pace in the race, despite ending just outside the points. I now look forward to the next one. More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: Doha, Qatar – 7 April 2013: The Marc VDS Racing team got their 2013 World Championship campaign off to a flying start, with Scott Redding riding a superlative race to second place and Mika Kallio bringing his Kalex Moto2 machine home in fifth position. Once early race leader Takaaki Nakagami had been despatched, Redding and Pol Espargaro put on a racing master class, going wheel to wheel on the Losail International Circuit until the final lap, when Espargaro held on to take the win. Kallio was forced wide by another rider in the opening laps and was pushed back to tenth as a result. The 30-year-old Finn fought his way back through the field, only to lose the slipstreaming battle for fourth place to Dominique Aegerter at the finish line. Redding is the heaviest rider on the Moto2 grid, while Kallio is the lightest. Proof, if any was needed, that the combined minimum weight limit introduced for this season has levelled the playing field for everyone. Scott Redding #45: 2nd Position “I’m happy to get the season started with a podium here in Qatar. I lost the clutch on the sighting lap, which is a problem we had in practice and qualifying. The guys managed to fix it on the grid, but it wasn’t right for the first few laps and the bike was really aggressive on corner entry. In the end I just feathered the clutch going into the turns until it sorted itself out. I wasn’t expecting to lead here, so I didn’t really have a plan once I got to the front, other than to keep a good rhythm and maintain my pace. It was a good battle with Pol; I thought I had him on the last lap, but he’s a tough rider and I couldn’t quite make it through. Next time I know to try that little bit harder to push him into a mistake. Thanks to the team for their hard work, and thanks also to Marc van der Straten for his support.” Mika Kallio #36: 5th Position “The chance of a podium for me was gone in the first few laps, unfortunately. I got pushed wide in one turn and, in Moto2, it’s not just one rider than goes up your inside when that happens. After that it took a while for me to find my rhythm and start moving back up through the field. It was hard to overtake, because our engine doesn’t seem to have the push we need out of the turns, but I eventually fought my way through to fourth, only to be pushed wide in the final turn by Aegerter. I tried to slipstream him to the line, but I just didn’t have the power from the engine to do it. It could have been better today, but fifth will do for the first race.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal “What a race, and what a start to the season for the team. Scott rode a superb race, from lap one until the end. He closed down the early leader and then fought out a fantastic battle with Pol Espargaro, only to lose out on the final lap. It was a real spectacle, and one I hope we’ll see time and again this season. Mika isn’t too happy with fifth, because he was also looking for a podium here, but he should be pleased with such a good result. He lost out in the early stages, but rode a good second half of the race to finally finish inside the top five. So, a great job by everyone in the team, a fantastic start for both riders and now we just need to carry this momentum into the remaining rounds, starting in Texas in two weeks time.” More, from a press release issued by MAPFRE Aspar Team: FIRST POINTS OF THE SEASON FOR MAPFRE ASPAR RIDERS Jordi Torres comes close to top ten with strong comeback and Nico Terol places fourteenth After months of inactivity, the Moto2 World Championship returned as fierce as ever for 2013 at the Losail International Circuit. At 20:20 local time, the riders faced off again in an entertaining race. Takaaki Nakagami took charge early on, but his escape attempt was closed down by Scott Redding and Pol Espargaró. That duo left the Japanese rider behind later on and would be the candidates for victory. Espargaró took it in the end, with Redding second and Nakagami third. The best action would occur behind the trio, including the MAPFRE Aspar team’s duo for 2013. MAPFRE Aspar riders Jordi Torres and Nico Terol took their first points of the season on Sunday night. After making a breakthrough in yesterday’s warmup, the duo were optimistic about their chances in tonight’s race. Torres started from sixteenth on the grid, and was able to keep his cool amidst a crowd of riders. He eventually placed a creditable eleventh place, at a track where he was making his debut. He was only just outside the top ten in the opening round of the year. Nico Terol twice ran wide at the Losail track -once at the start and again at the midway point. The Spaniard was able to recompose himself from the setbacks and finish fourteenth, learning a lot from the first battle of 2013 and gaining an appetite for the second race of the season in a fortnight. 11th Jordi Torres: “If I had of had less difficulty learning the track and more time to work seriously on the setup as a result, then I could perhaps have fought for better positions. Today in the race I maybe lacked a little grip on the rear. At the beginning of the weekend we had problems gaining confidence with the front end, but yesterday in the warmup we took a big step forward. We started from zero at this track, so the workload built up. We were able to keep composure in the race, despite some problems that I was fortunately able to deal with. I am happy, because we finished the weekend well, mainly because the team did such a good job. I still need to adapt my style completely to this bike, but we are on the right path. On the opening lap there was a melee and I made a mistake, but in general I am happy with my performance. I have learned a lot and hope to continue like this in Austin, where the track being unknown will level the playing field.” 14th Nico Terol: “I arrived very prepared mentally for this first race of the year, and was ready to fight for the top spots. I set off from seventh, and at the end of the straight I tried to pass Kallio in order to not lose any places. However, the bike wobbled and I almost flew off it. That was the moment in which various riders got past me, and I lost a little concentration. After that, the typical Moto2 battle began for me. At the start, with a full fuel tank, I had trouble overtaking. I got up to eighth and again had an issue, when I tried to get past Zarco on the straight and ran wide. I am a little annoyed, because I could have finished higher up the order, but I am satisfied with the work done by the team and myself this weekend. I took a risk at the start of the race that didn’t turn out well for me, but I have learnt a lot tonight. One of those things is that on the opening laps you have to push, but also do so with calm. I am convinced that in the next race we will get a better result.” More, from a press release issued by NGM Mobile Forward Racing: First points for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team in Qatar The tenth edition of the Qatar GP has come to an end under the floodlight in Qatar where the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team has taken the first points of the season. Simone Corsi and Alex De Angelis have both finished within the points with their SpeedUp finishing seventh and eight respectively. Unfortunately Mattia Pasini and Ricky Cardús were not able to cross the finish line today; Pasini touched with Mike Di Meglio, causing him to crash and a high side stopped Cardús. After a medical checkup at the Circuit Clinic with the assistance of the Clinica Mobile, the possibility of having Cardús sustain fractures after his crash was discarded. Simone Corsi – 7th “We disserved the fourth place after being with the front group. I started the race really well and gained many positions during the start of the race but the front guys were catchable, they had a different pace. The fourth place was within our reach and it was also important for us in terms of the points for the championship. Throughout the weekend I’ve had a problem on my forearm that got accentuated during the last few laps making me unable to push, as I would have wanted. The feeling with the bike for Austin is very good, a new circuit for all of us.” Alex De Angelis – 8th “The eighth place is a good placement for being the first race. I struggled a bit with the full tank during the first few laps, making me lose a few positions. I tried my best to remain close to the front group and when the others started having problems with the tires that’s when I decided to attack. I came back and take positions to get close to the fast guys and could have possibly finished the race in a better position. My last lap time was my fastest. We have data to work with, we have to keep working.” Mattia Pasini – Not Classified “We had an unfortunate weekend, didn’t achieve what we expected but we have to look think and think towards the upcoming next race. We have to place better in qualifying. We are a very united team and I thank my crew for the work they have done these last few days. We have to hold on tight and think about Austin.” Ricky Cardùs – Not Classified “Before my crash I had a good pace and was going really fast. I could have gotten a good result today but I made a mistake and crashed. In this moment I am a bit banged up because of the crash but thankfully the doctors have excluded any possible fractures.” Dr. Michele Zasa – Clinica Mobile “Cardús has suffered a high side. In the crash he hurt his left ankle and his lower back. The x-rays have shown no fractured and he should be fully recovered within a few days.” More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team: Anthony West runs into engine trouble and falls Safe race finish for Rafid Topan Sucipto QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West could have taken a top ten finish in Sunday’s season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar, but saw his chances dwindle when he ran into unexpected engine trouble right from the start of the Moto2 race. Tenth after the opening lap, the Australian battled fiercely to defend a strong position, but couldn’t match the speed of his opponents on the straights. When he tried to stay with his rivals anyway, he finally crashed on the seventh lap, out of twelfth position. Team-mate Rafid Topan Sucipto reached his goal of making it to the chequered flag and finishing the race safely. The Indonesian Grand Prix rookie took the 20-lap-event as another valuable learning experience and is now looking forward to the next race at Austin, Texas, in two weeks. Anthony West – did not finish “The bike was working perfectly in the race, the chassis set-up was at a 100 per cent. But there was a problem with the engine. It was so slow that I couldn’t stay with anybody on the straights. Even when I was right at the rear wheel of others and having their slipstream coming on to the straight, I couldn’t hang on, they would just pull away. After the race, the mechanics found out that the engine overheated on the grid, which indicates that maybe a gasket blew, because there is no way in this temperature that the engine could overheat without a mechanical problem, since I am not one of the riders that revs the engine much sitting on the grid. The temperature was at 100 degree all the time and when that happens the electronic mapping puts additional fuel into the engine and you lose power. I was trying to override it because I felt ten times better than everyone else in the corners, but eventually I went a bit too hard and tossed it away!” Rafid Topan Sucipto – 30th in 2.04,731 “I’m happy because my target for this race was to finish the race and this is exactly what I achieved. I keep learning lap by lap, corner by corner and I am getting faster step by step. I hope I can step up a little higher at the next race in Texas!” More, from a press release issued by AGP Racing/ItalTrans Team: Gp of Qatar Losail. April 7th 2013 Race Steady ready, go – Nakagami first. With a great start, the Japanese rider, second on the grid, have been able to tackle the first corner in leading position, and immediately after tried to open a gap. In one single lap – the number five – he was able to put almost one second between himself and the chasing guys. And, for almost half a race, he has been able to stay at the front. Julian Simon, who started sixth, managed to keep his position, and set himself ready for the battle. Midway through the race, tires began to drop, and Takaaki had to slow down. Charging from behind, two riders passed him. Nakagami settled third, kept a good pace and got his well deserved first podium in the class. Julian, consistent all the race, was able to defend his position and, having had the upper hand in a couple of battles, got the finish line in sixth position. Takaaki Nakagami (40’43”880 – 3rd) “My plan was simple: pushing at maximum since the beginning, thus opening a gap. We knew from experience that, when tires would drop, we could have a chattering in the front, but being fast since off the mark has been our way to pursue the victory. I believe we had to fight for it. I’m satisfied, anyway – this is my first podium in this class, the bike is great and I fee really in great shape. The feeling I got from the bike in the first laps, guys, has been amazing…”. Claudio Macciotta (Takaaki Nakagami race engineer) “We knew that Takaaki wanted a victory, on this track – he’s on top form, and very focused. He got a third place, which is great, and we are not at the maximum of our potential – we still have room from improvement. We are very happy – first race of the year, a podium, both riders in the points. A good day”. Julian Simon (40’50”800 – 6th) “I’m quite happy. Obviously, not because of the gap, but for the fact that we did a big step ahead from practice. Our bike is by far better and I feel comfortable with it – I am not tired at all, at the end of the race. I my opinion, we miss something on the engine side but, if we are able to put everything together, we can manage a good race, in Austin”. Pierluigi Aldrovandi (Julian Simon race engineer) “We know we can do by far better, and are working for that. But I have also the feeling that our engine was not the fastest – Julian never had a chance to take advantage of a slipstream. But, all in all, I think it has been a productive weekend”. Luigi Pansera (Team Manager) “I’m very happy. A podium in the first race is the best way to start the championship. Add to this that Julian – at his first race with a Kalex, let’s not forget this – run an excellent race, confirming that his place is with with the top guys”. More, from a press release issued by Avintia Blusens Racing: Toni Elías scores the first points of the year in a difficult race Good debut of Kyle Smith who ends twentieth first and gets experience Qatar, 7 April 2013. It has not been a good weekend for Toni Elías if we keep in mind that he and the Blusens Avintia team arrived at this first Grand Prix of the season with good expectations. Although during the practice days it seemed that he had chances to get a better result, in the qualifying session he could not be as quick as he would have liked, so he was forced to start too far from the first rows of the grid to have real options to be among the first riders in the race. Despite that, Toni was optimistic and talked about the possibility of moving up quickly. His race start was not bad but he was not able to advance enough positions to be in the right group of riders and get “to the top”. Anyway, the World Championship has just begun, Elías has scored his first point and the enthusiasm and confidence remain intact. Kyle Smith was happier than Toni at the end of the race due to his good result but, above all, thanks to the good pace that he demonstrated and the experience he got in his first GP. Kyle will arrive at Austin with the rucksack full of “notes” and, surely, he will put them into practice. 24 – Toni Elías (15th, +36.677): “I thought that despite starting far from the first rows of the grid it would go better because yesterday in the warm up we improved and I was convinced of being in higher positions. But seeing that we had advanced, we wanted to modify more things and maybe we were wrong. I am obviously not happy with this result but it does not discourage me and I will not allow the team to feel the discouragement. It is the first race, we have scored and I am still saying that we have bike and team to do it well. We will continue working and, without a doubt, the results we all want will arrive, you will see it.” 9 – Kyle Smith (21st, +59.245): “I am happy, I can not deny it. I have finished my first GP and whenever I have gone out on the track I have improved. Before coming here, I said that if I ended between the first twenty riders it would be like a victory for me… So I have been second because I have finished twentieth first! Joking apart, I think that we have had a good weekend and I will be able to improve in the next race. The Austin circuit is new for everyone and I hope that it can help me. I have to thank the team for the job that they have made and I want to encourage them to continue in this line of work.”