FIM Moto2 World Championship Misano, San Marino September 4 Race Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires): 1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (SUTER), 26 laps, 43:08.197 2. Stefan BRADL, Germany (KALEX), -0.619 second 3. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUTER), -0.713 4. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (MOTOBI), -1.634 seconds 5. Scott REDDING, Great Britain (SUTER), -3.275 6. Bradley SMITH, Great Britain (TECH 3), -3.436 7. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan (MORIWAKI), -5.255 8. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (SUTER), -8.739 9. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (FTR), -13.224 10. Simone CORSI, Italy (FTR), -13.551 11. Esteve RABAT, Spain (FTR), -17.533 12. Julian SIMON, Spain (SUTER), -18.163 13. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), -18.254 14. Michele PIRRO, Italy (MORIWAKI), -19.180 15. Mika KALLIO, Finland (SUTER), -24.454 16. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (TECH 3), -24.858 17. Mattia PASINI, Italy (FTR), -24.992 18. Claudio CORTI, Italy (SUTER), -35.358 19. Randy KRUMMENACHER, Switzerland (KALEX), -35.800 20. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA, Japan (SUTER), -37.371 21. Ricard CARDUS, Spain (MORIWAKI), -37.484 22. Raffaele DE ROSA, Italy (SUTER), -47.904 23. Kenny NOYES, USA (FTR), -48.833 24. Santiago HERNANDEZ, Colombia (FTR), -56.858 25. Valentin DEBISE, France (FTR), -66.771 26. Joan OLIVE, Spain (FTR), -67.053 27. Anthony WEST, Australia (MZ-RE HONDA), -73.378 28. Jake GAGNE, USA (FTR), -81.741 29. Alessandro ANDREOZZI, Italy (FTR), -90.644 30. Mashel AL NAIMI, Qatar (MORIWAKI), -1 lap 31. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (PONS KALEX), -13 laps, DNF, retired 32. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Germany (MZ-RE HONDA), -13 laps, DNF, retired 33. Carmelo MORALES, Spain (MORIWAKI), -14 laps, DNF, retired 34. Jules CLUZEL, France (SUTER), -20 laps, DNF, crash 35. Alex BALDOLINI, Italy (PONS KALEX), -26 laps, DNF, crash 36. Xavier SIMEON, Belgium (TECH 3), -26 laps, DNF, crash 37. Robertino PIETRI, Venezuela (SUTER), -26 laps, DNF, crash 38. Ratthapark WILAIROT, Thailand (FTR), -26 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (after 12 of 17 races): 1. Bradl, 213 points 2. Marquez, 190 3. Iannone, 112 4. De Angelis, 109 5. Smith, 102 6. Corsi, 99 7. Luthi, 96 8. Takahashi, 71 9. Rabat, 67 10. Simon, 62 More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Smith takes sixth after brilliant podium fight in Misano Bradley Smith fought for the podium throughout a pulsating Moto2 race at the Misano circuit this afternoon, the British rider eventually finishing in a superb sixth position in hot and humid conditions. Smith expertly anticipated the lights going out for the start of the 26-lap race and gained two places on the opening lap to settle into fourth place. The fast starting Andrea Iannone bumped him down to fifth on lap two but he remained firmly in the hunt for the podium and was less than a second away from the lead just after the halfway stage. The Tech 3 Racing Team rider showed no shortage of fighting spirit but despite being within touching distance of the rostrum like he w as a week ago in Indianapolis, he was unable to get close enough to make a decisive attack. Smith was still satisfied with his performance after finishing just 3.436s behind race winner Marc Marquez. And his sixth top six finish of the 2011 World Championship campaign moved him into fifth in the overall rankings, just 10-points away from Iannone in third. Mike di Meglio was enjoying a tremendous battle throughout the race for the top 15 and he looked certain to claim only his third points-scoring finish of the season when a small mistake on the final lap dropped to him a frustrating 16th. The French rider was in full attack mode from the start of the race and he was able to quickly claw his way into 12th on lap nine having started 18th. He was 15th starting the final lap but he hit a false neutral on his Mistral 610 machine and lost out to Mika Kallio for the final point on offer. Bradley Smith 6th 102 points: “I suppose we have been consistent in the last couple of races as I qualified fourth in Indy and finished fourth and here I qualified sixth and finished sixth. It was great to be so close to the podium again and that was definitely the best bike we have had this year, so a big thanks to the Tech 3 Racing Team. We are lacking in some areas compared to the guys around me though a little bit. I needed a couple more tenths but at least I had a bike that I could run close to the leading group with. I learnt a lot racing behind those front guys and as a team we learnt a lot this weekend. Hopefully the improvements we found with the rear of the bike here will also work in Aragón and we can move forward and finish the season strong. I am fifth in the Championship and I have more than 100 points, so there are so many thing s that I can be positive about and I am looking forward to the next race.” Mike di Meglio 16th 8 points: “Today was a disappointing result once again, but I improved a lot this weekend. After the first day I did not have much hope, but we improved each day thanks to the efforts of the Tech 3 Racing Team. Unfortunately I made a mistake on the last lap. I went to neutral and after that I lost one place and with that went the one point I could have scored today. We need to work more on the qualifying position as our Mistral 610 chassis works better and better every time and I am sure with a better start we can finish higher. The first lap is very difficult for passing the other riders. so I need to work more on that in the next races.” Hervé Poncharal Team Manager: “The beginning of th e race was not easy, so I have to give big congratulations to Bradley and his Tech 3 Racing crew. They were working incredibly hard to improve the Mistral 610 package all weekend and in the warm up we could see the improvements. We were always in the front group putting pressure constantly on the best riders in Moto2, so he did another great job. I got nervous as he closed the gap to Scott (Redding) but I think it was very wise in the end to settle for sixth position. I’m sure if he could have though he would have attacked for some home pride. After a few difficult races it was good to back up the good result in Indy with another strong race. We are still very close to the top three in the Championship and that is our goal, but there are a lot of fast riders in Moto2. Thankfully we have one of them and Bradley has once again demonstrated how competitive the Mistral 610 machine is. Mike had a strong race and I was really disappointed for him because the whole weekend went pos itive. He got stronger as the weekend developed and to llose the last point on the last lap is a shame, as it would have been a good morale boost for him. We saw another fantastic Moto2 show today, so hopefully the new rules for MotoGP in the future will see the same spectacular action.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Bad luck for Xavier Siméon in Italy Xavier Siméon is leaving the Misano World Circuit with a bitter taste today as he was denied to get to see much of the race that he started from 23rd position. After a good start he got caught by Mika Kallio’s bike during a passing manoeuvre and could not avoid crashing in the first turn of the first lap. Siméon leaves the Italian venue very disappointed as once again he could feel the improvements with his Mistral 610 bike feeling, but could not show what he is capable of doing with it. Especially today the 22 year old wanted to perform as best as he possibly could to impress the Top management of RTL Belgium, who give a big support to Siméon and his Tech3 B Team all through the season and came to visit him for this weekend’s race, but was denied to do so due to the early crash. The target for the next race, that will take place in Aragón / Spain in two weeks, will be to improve once again and to gain further points in the championship. Xavier Siméon, DNF: “žI had such a good start. When I entered the first corner (Mika) Kallio touched my bike and I crashed. I ran to my bike after the crash to pick it up and continue, but I could see that water was running out of it, so I had to give up. It is really a pity as again this morning in Warm up I was once again faster and I had such a good feeling for the race. I am sure I could have finished in the Top 15 again and gain some important points. That is racing. Apart from that the weekend did go very well and I will have to concentrate for Aragón now to get a good result there.” Hervé Poncharal, Team Manager: “žI am very disappointed for Xavier as there was nothing he could do and to be taken down by someone in turn one is always a big shame. The whole RTL Top Management was here for the first time and for sure there was some pressure on Xavier as there was some expectations from their side. And I would have liked to show them Xavier’s true potential, as he was ready for a strong race. Unfortunately this can happen. The only thing he could have done would have been to qualify a bit better as in Moto2 if you have to start in the middle of the field these things can happen. I hope Xavier keeps his spirit high and goes to Aragón to show his potential as we believe in him and we are sure he can do much better.” More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: REDDING FIGHTS FOR VICTORY IN MISANO THRILLER Scott Redding produced a brilliant attacking display to lead today’s Misano Moto2 race until the halfway stage, the Marc VDS Racing rider going onto equal his best result of the season with a fantastic fifth position. Redding judged his start to perfection and rocketed into the top three by the first corner and the Briton then wasted no time in seizing the lead with a superb overtake on the brakes against Marc Marquez on lap two. With clear track in front of him, Redding reeled off a series of blisteringly fast laps under lap record pace and his lead increased to over a second at the end of lap five. Despite coming under immense pressure from Stefan Bradl, Andrea Iannone and Marquez, the trio were unable to match Redding’s red-hot pace. Showing his best form of the season, Redding kept Marquez at bay until lap 13 and the 18-year-old dropped back to fourth when he made a small mistake in the braking zone for Turn 8 on lap 14. He briefly moved back into the top three on lap 18 with a daring pass on Marquez at Turn 2, but having stressed his tyres to lead until the halfway stage, he slipped out of podium contention but kept his speed and aggression at a high level to hold off compatriot Bradley Smith for fifth. The action was no less intense for teammate Mika Kallio, who produced a marvellous recovery after he was forced off track in the frantic jostle for positions at the tight first corner. Momentarily dropped to 30th, Kallio didn’t let his head drop and he commenced a thrilling comeback, moving into the top 15 by the end of lap 18. He started the final lap in 16th place but a skilled overtake on Mattia Pasini secured him a third consecutive top 15 finish. Scott Redding #45 – 5th Position “Wow, what a race that was. I got a good start and felt confident really quickly, so I just decided to go for it and hit the front. I pulled a second quite quickly and I was able to keep a really consistent pace for first half of the race. But the bike jumped out of gear exiting Turn 12 and I face planted the screen and I easily lost four or five tenths. I did my best to stay in the battle for the victory but at the end my rear tyre had lost a lot of grip. I passed Marquez on lap 18 but immediately I was out of the seat, so I knew I was pushing my hardest to get that first podium. We need to work on the bike more for the end of the race now. For a fast lap it is awesome but we need to get more life out of the rear tyre. It was one of the hardest and fastest races I’ve had in Moto2 but it was awesome. It was hot and humid and an intense scrap, but to come from where we’ve been all year to be running at the front is a fantastic reward for all the hard work the Marc VDS Racing Team has been putting in.” Mika Kallio #36 – 15th Position “You always expect problems at the first corner here because it is so tight and unfortunately I was caught up in an incident. I dropped right back but immediately started to recover the positions and in the first half of the race my pace was matching some of the guys in the top six. It was a good race because I was in a good battle throughout, but I just wish it was for a higher position than 15th. Our problem is qualifying and we need to improve in this area. It takes too long to find solutions when we have problems but we are always fast on Sunday and I was fifth in the warm-up. But starting from so far back makes it difficult, but the positive was at least I scored one point.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager “We can’t really ask for anything more from Scott and he rode an unbelievable race. We have seen all year how quick Bradl and Marquez are, but he was able to lead them until the halfway point and fight with them right until the end. Scott did his best to stay in the battle for the podium but he just lost a little bit of rear grip. We can’t be too sorry because in the last two races we have made a huge improvement and Scott is now showing the true speed and potential of the Marc VDS and Suter MMXI package. There is no doubt after a difficult first half of the year that we are back at the front where we need to be, so I’m confident we can be battling for the podium in the final races. Mika recovered extremely well from the chaos at the first corner. He lost many places but he never gave up and he got into the top 15 on the last lap, so I am pleased with his effort. Now the whole team can look forward to the Motorland Aragon with a lot of optimism.” More, from a press release issued by ItalTrans/AGP Racing: Grand Prix of San Marino Misano (Italy) September 2nd 4th, 2011 Race Claudio Corti (43’43″555 – 18°) Robertino Pietri (dnf) Claudio Corti: “The engine is not what we would. And it is a sensitive issue especially in the very first part of the race. In comparison with yesterday we bettered our braking, but still it is not what it should be, also because, to compensate for it, I’ve been forced to try harder on brakes. Our pace, from a moment onward, was quite good, but I’ve not been able to pick it up since the beginning”. Robertino Pietri: “Very little to say. On Saturday we changed our engine map, and it worked I did an excellent start. I could not check it through a regular race at turn number one there was a collision just in front of me. I’ve been able to avoid it, but only to be hit by a competitor charging from behind. I went out without even touching the asphalt…” Claudio Macciotta (Technical Director): “The engine brake was OK, today, and we had grip. The point is this problem with the engine described by Claudio, not only now, but also in the past. At first it seems kind of blocked, then it improves. And the rider, possibly, to compensate, adds something excessive when braking”. More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team: Cardús and Al-Naimi miss out on points but keep learning for the future QMMF Racing Team rider Ricky Cardús had a good start into the San Marino Grand Prix. He made up five positions in only the first lap and seemed to able to reach the group that was battling for world championship points for a while. But the young Spaniard soon found himself struggling with the same lack of confidence in his machine that had slowed him in practice and found it difficult to fight with the other strong riders around him. Cardús settled for 21st place in the end und took the race as another valuable learning experience on his way up in the hard-fought Moto2 category. Mishal Al-Naimi, who is currently trying everything to find back to the right feeling for his bike, took an especially bold step when he decided to use the set-up of his team-mate for the race. Unfortunately, the hard suspension settings of Cardús didn’t help him and he finished down in 30th position. “It was a difficult weekend for us”, said team coordinator Luis Solano. “Ricky had problems with the cornering lines in some of the turns and he was not able to keep up with other riders that finished in the top 15. Mishal changed the bike completely after the warm-up but wasn’t able to do fast lap times on his own. He still needs to learn and get more experience. All we ask for is a small improvement from now to the end of the season. I want to thank the team for their hard work during the weekend to fix the bikes of both riders!” Mashel Al-Naimi 30th “I changed the bike completely before the race. We used Ricky’s settings to give it a try, but it soon turned out that the suspension was much too hard for me. It didn’t suit my riding style at all. But it was still worth a try and we understood something for the future. Next time I will try soft settings, because always when I go out with a hard suspension set-up, I don’t find the right feeling. For this reason, it was a difficult race for me. For the next round, I really want to make another big change on the set-up because I want to find back to the confidence I’ve lost!” Ricky Cardús 21st “It was an extra-hard race for me, maybe the toughest one of the season so far. I have to apologize to the team, to QMMF and to our sponsor Maquinza because we were not at the same level as at some of the previous races. My team gave a hundred per cent to turn things around and to find the right settings, which I am very grateful for. But this time, I just didn’t find the confidence I needed. The best thing about this race is that it’s finished. We still got some valuable information out of this weekend that will help us in the future. Now we have one and a half weeks to train, to eat and to sleep I’ll do nothing more!” More, from a press release issued by JiR Moto2 Team: GP of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini, race: De Angelis 4th Today saw a result close to the podium again for Alex De Angelis at the GP of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini. The race saw the Sammarinese rider fighting in the leading pack, although not being really able to directly engage the three that eventually got on the podium. In order they were Marc Marquez, Stefan Bradl and Andrea Iannone. After a cautious start waiting for the right feeling with his MotoBI, De Angelis stayed tight on the pack of six that took a margin on the rest of the competitors, exploiting over the long distance his consistency and tyre wear management. At middle distance, with less fuel in the tank and tyres getting worn, Alex managed to stay fast and consistent (on lap 12 he scored his best lap in 1’38.816, the third best lap in race) and was able to fight for fourth place, the place in which he finished after the 26 laps. For him and the whole team this is a race that partially pays back the hard times of Indianapolis with the podium again close at hand thanks to progressive and consistent improvements. The situation in the Championship as well leaves the door opened for third place, a realistic objective for the team considering that De Angelis is just 3 points from Iannone. Gianluca Montiron If we look at the laps analysis of the practice sessions we can understand how the two leaders build their race weekend, as well as see where and how they make the difference compared to others. The former 125cc World Champion won the race but he has also been very consistent also in practice, both free and qualifying: when all are concentrating on the single lap, he rode 14 laps with a pace lower than 1’38.500 and also Bradl ran 9 fast laps. We still miss this performance consistency also in practices, the Moto2 class’ competitiveness has grown and technical-wise it has been made a huge step forward in frames and tyres. The engine is the same for everyone and performances are comparable. Our objective at the moments remains the third place in the Championship, which is achievable, there are still many points available till the end of the season but of course possibilities are getting fewer, so it is important to stay focused. On Monday 14th we’ll test in Valencia where we will work to find some further fine tunings to prepare for the end of the season at our best. Alex DeAngelis It has been a hard race, but at the end I managed to hold fourth place. We still suffer a relevant gap in acceleration that prevents me being fully competitive. I can brake hard and plunge fast in turns but then in coming out I lose a lot. I need a solution to be faster, in order to fight at the same level and play all my cards for the third place in the Championship. Now we go to Aragon which is a track where we can still be competitive, but then we’ll go to circuits that are very fast, therefore probably difficult for us, to which we must also consider the variable of the hot temperatures mainly in Malaysia. However we’ll try to do all we can. I’m giving my 100% and I’m expecting that all the people that work around me do the same, the third place is still achievable so we’ll work for this result.