Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix
FIM Moto2 World Championship
Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
October 29, 2017
Race Results (all using Honda engines and Michelin tires):
1. Miguel OLIVEIRA, Portugal (KTM), 19 laps, Total Race Time 40:28.955
2. Brad BINDER, South Africa (KTM), -2.387 seconds
3. Franco MORBIDELLI, Italy (KALEX), -6.878
4. Mattia PASINI, Italy (KALEX), -21.774
5. Francesco BAGNAIA, Italy (KALEX), -22.086
6. Hafizh SYAHRIN, Malaysia (KALEX), -23.410
7. Fabio QUARTARARO, France (KALEX), -23.488
8. Xavi VIERGE, Spain (TECH 3), -24.976
9. Isaac VINALES, Spain (KALEX), -25.044
10. Tetsuta NAGASHIMA, Japan (KALEX), -27.199
11. Simone CORSI, Italy (SPEED UP), -28.614
12. Augusto FERNANDEZ, Spain (SPEED UP), -29.125
13. Andrea LOCATELLI, Italy (KALEX), -31.978
14. Iker LECUONA, Spain (KALEX), -44.346
15. Jesko RAFFIN, Switzerland (KALEX), -45.088
16. Edgar PONS, Spain (KALEX), -51.358
17. Marcel SCHROTTER, Germany (SUTER), -59.328, crash
18. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (KALEX), -84.767
19. Lorenzo BALDASSARRI, Italy (KALEX), -8 laps, DNF, crash
20. Stefano MANZI, Italy (KALEX), -9 laps, DNF, crash
21. Axel PONS, Spain (KALEX), -12 laps, DNF, crash
22. Dimas EKKY PRATAMA, Indonesia (KALEX), -18 laps, DNF, crash
23. Remy GARDNER, Australia (TECH 3), -18 laps, DNF, crash
24. Alex MARQUEZ, Spain (KALEX), -18 laps, DNF, crashed twice
25. Takaaki NAKAGAMI, Japan (KALEX), -19 laps, DNF, crash
26. Sandro CORTESE, Germany (SUTER), -19 laps, DNF, crash
27. Luca MARINI, Italy (KALEX), -19 laps, DNF, crash
28. Khairul Idham PAWI, Malaysia (KALEX), -19 laps, DNF, crash
29. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (KALEX), DNS
World Championship Point Standings (after 17 of 18 races):
1. Morbidelli, 288 points (clinched World Championship)
2. Luthi, 243
3. Oliveira, 216
4. Marquez, 190
5. Bagnaia, 161
6. Pasini, 148
7. Nakagami, 128
8. Corsi, 110
9. Binder, 109
10. Vierge, 98
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Franco Morbidelli is the 2017 Moto2 World Champion
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli was crowned the 2017 Moto2 World Champion at the Sepang International Circuit today.
Morbidelli secured the title even before the start of the 20-lap Malaysian Grand Prix.
With Morbidelli’s main rival Tom Lüthi declared unfit on Sunday morning it meant that the 22-year-old Italian could not be beaten for the title.
With the title pressure lifted Morbidelli rode to a safe third place in the race to claim his 11th podium in a superb season of racing.
Those 11 podiums have included eight victories in the 17 races so far with just the final GP of the season at Valencia remaining.
On the slow down lap Morbidelli – wearing a “Franky Says Relax” championship shirt – celebrated his win trackside with the team, who were joined by nine times World Champion Valentino Rossi.
Morbidelli, 22, is the first Italian rider to win the intermediate class championship since 2008 when Marco Simoncelli won the 250cc title and the second Moto2 Champion for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS after Tito Rabat’s 2014 title.
The jubilation of Morbidelli’s championship victory was contrasted by the disappointing outcome for Álex Márquez who was an early retirement.
Márquez inexplicably crashed twice, at turns two and six, early in the race after moving into second place just after the start.
With just the Valencia GP remaining Morbidelli has 288 points ahead of second-placed Tom Lüthi (243) followed by Miguel Oliveira (216) with Márquez fourth on 190 points.
Franco Morbidelli: 3rd – 2017 Moto2 World Champion
“This is an incredible feeling and now the reality is sinking in after the race. I am so happy for myself but also sorry for Tom Lüthi who could not race today. However I have done a great season with fantastic support from my team even though we suffered some down days. I wanted to make a good race today and get on the podium on the day we secured the championship.”
Álex Márquez: DNF
“It is something strange when you crash twice without pushing and I feel there was perhaps some problem with the front-end of the bike so we need to check everything to see what happened. We don’t know what happened. Now I need to forget about this and move to Valencia for the final race although this DNF means I have lost third place in the championship.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“This is a fantastic day for Franky and our team which I am so proud to be part of. I must say a big thank you to Marc van der Straten who backs this team and allows us to achieve results like this championship win. Everyone in the team has done a great job this season to win our second Moto2 World Championship after the first one with Tito Rabat in 2014. It is a pity Álex did not have a good day but I’m sure he will be back strong in Valencia.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
#FrankySaysRelax: Morbidelli crowned FIM Moto2™ World Champion
Now, Franky can relax: crowned Moto2 World Champion in Malaysia
From STK600 to World Champion, it’s been quite a journey for Franco Morbidelli
Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) is the 2017 FIM Moto2™ World Champion after wrapping up the crown at Sepang International Circuit. Following a stunning season in which the Italian has taken eight wins, six poles and 11 podiums, the EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider becomes the first Italian Champion in the intermediate class for nearly ten years – the previous being Marco Simoncelli in 2008. From STK600 to Moto2™, Morbidelli has quickly risen to the top.
First making a foray onto the stage in 2009 in a one-off ride at Valencia in the FIM CEV Repsol, Morbidelli would soon make a much bigger splash in 2011 as he competed in the Superstock 600 class of the Italian national championship – alongside four races in the European STK600 championship. The following year, Morbidelli was runner up in the national championship and took three wins – and took his first podium and first pole position at European level the same year.
That laid solid foundations for an assault on the title in 2013, and Morbidelli made good on his promise by taking five podiums – of which two were wins – on his way to wrapping up his first international crown. 2013 was also the season Morbidelli debuted on the world stage, with three Moto2™ appearances.
That was the path the Italian would follow going forward. A full-time ride in 2014 saw Morbidelli gaining traction throughout the season, with the latter half of the year full of top ten results on his way to eleventh overall. 2015 got off the ground running with five top six results in the opening five rounds, and by Indianapolis the future World Champion was on the rostrum for the first time in third. Missing some rounds due to injury, the end of the year saw him rake in more points – but 2016 was just around the corner.
The first real taste of the 2017 World Champion was more than evident in 2016. After a slower start, Morbidelli took some top four results and then his first podium of the year at the TT Circuit Assen. He followed that up with another at the Red Bull Ring, and was on the rostrum eight times in the last eleven races. Just missing out on the top three in the Championship by a single point, it was evident that the Italian would be a serious challenger in 2017.
Off to a flying start with a faultless win from pole, Morbidelli was three for three by the time the paddock arrived at Jerez. Then crashing out of contention, he was back on top next time out for a fourth win in five. Then followed victory at Assen and the Sachsenring as well as another podium at Silverstone, before the Italian crashed out the lead at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Out to win next time out, Morbidelli took on compatriot Mattia Pasini at MotorLand Aragon in a stunning duel, and put everything on the line for his eighth win of the year.
An eighth at Motegi and a third on Phillip Island saw the EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider arrive at Sepang with a 29 point advantage. Following a dramatic qualifying session that saw key rival Tom Lüthi suffer a fracture in his foot and get declared unfit, Morbidelli’s advantage at the top was enough to declare him 2017 Moto2™ World Champion in Malaysia to round out his stunning season.
Biography:
Date of birth: 4th December 1994
Place of birth: Rome, Italy
First GP: Misano 2013, Moto2™
First pole position: Qatar 2017, Moto2™
First podium: Indianapolis 2015, Moto2™
First victory: Qatar 2017, Moto2™
Starts: 70
Victories: 8
Podiums: 20
Pole positions: 6
Fastest laps: 11
Titles: Moto2™ (2017)
World Championship career
2013: Moto2™ World Championship — 3 races
2014: Moto2™ World Championship — Kalex, 11th, 18 starts, 75 points
2015: Moto2™ World Championship — Kalex, 10th, 14 starts, 90 points
2016: Moto2™ World Championship — Kalex, 4th, 18 starts, 213 points
2017: Moto2™ World Championship — World Champion — Kalex, 17 starts, 288 points
SOME FACTS ABOUT FRANCO MORBIDELLI
Franco Morbidelli is the first Italian rider to win a Moto2™ title and the first in the intermediate category since Marco Simoncelli back in 2008.
Morbidelli’s title is the 23rd in the intermediate category for Italian riders.
Morbidelli has won eight races so far this year, equaling Johann Zarco’s total back in 2015 – which is also the second-highest number of Moto2™ wins in a season after Marc Márquez in 2012 (9).
He is the first Italian rider to do so since Marco Melandri won nine times in 2002.
Morbidelli is ahead of Andrea Iannone on the podium and win tally for Italian riders in Moto2™, with 20 and 8. With his pole position at Sepang, he is now leading Andrea Iannone and Mattia Pasini, who have five each.
Morbidelli is the only Italian rider who has won back-to-back races in the intermediate category since Marco Simoncelli (2009).
Morbidelli belongs to the list of the five riders who have led more than 200 laps since the introduction of the Moto2™ class in 2010.
He is the first intermediate class Champion who has not graduated through the 125cc/Moto3™ class since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009.
He is the first intermediate class Champion who has not graduated through the 125cc/Moto3™ class since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009.
Morbidelli took the lead of the Championship when he won the first race of his career at Losail and has remained at the head of the table throughout the rest of the season.