FIM Moto2 World Championship Estoril, Portugal May 1 Race Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires): 1. Stefan Bradl, Germany (Kalex), 26 laps, 44:40.765, 90.729 mph 2. Julian Simon, Spain (Suter), -0.147 second 3. Yuki Takahashi, Japan (Moriwaki), -6.188 seconds 4. Dominique Aegerter, Switzerland (Suter), -16.822 5. Simone Corsi, Italy (FTR), -17.076 6. Pol Espargaro, Spain (FTR), -25.956 7. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland (Kalex), -26.102 8. Alex Baldolini, Italy (Suter), -26.333 9. Mike Di Meglio, France (Tech 3), -26.636 10. Esteve Rabat, Spain (FTR), -29.077 11. Claudio Corti, Italy (Suter), -39.637 12. Alex De Angelis, San Marino (Motobi), -39.913 13. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suter), -42.466, crash 14. Ricard Cardus, Spain (Moriwaki), -47.382 15. Axel Pons, Spain (Pons Kalex), -47.406 16. Raffaele De Rosa, Italy (Moriwaki), -48.025 17. Kenny Noyes, USA (FTR), -52.538 18. Yonny Hernandez, Colombia (FTR), -53.478 19. Javier Fores, Spain (Suter), -53.938 20. Mattia Pasini, Italy (FTR), -56.089 21. Marc Marquez, Spain (Suter), -64.697, crash 22. Michele Pirro, Italy (Moriwaki), -64.890, crash 23. Robertino Pietri, Venezuela (Suter), -77.101 24. Santiago Hernandez, Colombia (FTR), -78.110 25. Scott Redding, Great Britain (Suter), -86.190, crash 26. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Tech 3), -87.600, crash 27. Anthony West, Australia (MZ-RE Honda), -96.540, crash 28. Mashel Al Naimi, Qatar (Moriwaki), -1 lap 29. Bradley Smith, Great Britain (Tech 3), -2 laps, pitted 30. Valentin Debise, France (FTR), -3 laps, DNF, crash 31. Ratthapark Wilairot, Thailand (FTR), -5 laps, DNF, retired 32. Mika Kallio, Finland (Suter), -8 laps, DNF, crash 33. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Pons Kalex), -8 laps, DNF, retired 34. Kenan Sofuoglu, Turkey (Suter), -9 laps, DNF, crash 35. Jules Cluzel, France (Suter), -15 laps, DNF, crash 36. Steven Odendaal, South Africa (Suter), -19 laps, DNF, retired 37. Thomas Luthi, Switzerland (Suter), -22 laps, DNF, crash Race Distance, 26 laps, 67.562 miles Race Time, 44 minutes, 40.765 seconds Race Average Speed, 90.729 mph Victory Margin, 0.147 second Fastest Lap, Iannone, 1:42.026, 91.691 mph, Lap 14, New Record. MOTO2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 17 races): 1. Bradl, 61 points 2. Iannone, 48 points 3. Corsi, 37 points 4. TIE, Luthi/Simon, 36 points 6. Takahashi, 27 points 7. De Angelis, 26 points 8. Smith, 20 points 9. Aegerter, 16 points 10. Pirro, 15 points More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Top ten for di Meglio, Smith frustrated in Estoril Tech 3 Racing Team rider Mike di Meglio stormed to his first top ten finish of the 2011 Moto2 World Championship in Estoril today. But it was a frustrating afternoon for team-mate Bradley Smith, who saw his superb bid for another top six finish thwarted by a rear tyre puncture in the early stages of the 26-lap race. The race started on a dry track, but heavy overnight rain meant it was hard to gauge grip levels in the early stages after this morning’s Warm-up session took place on a damp surface. Starting from 26th position on the grid, di Meglio was able to quickly find a fast pace, demonstrating that his confidence with the Mistral 610 machine is growing with every race. The Frenchman forced his way into the top ten on lap 17 and he scored a morale-boosting ninth place ahead of his all-important home race in Le Mans later this month. British rider Smith was denied a chance to follow-up his stunning fourth place in the recent Jerez Moto2 race with another top six result. The 20-year-old needed only four laps to break into the top ten from 15th on the grid. But a rear tyre stability issue began to worsen shortly before the halfway stage. Slipping down the rankings, he opted to pit where his Tech 3 Racing Team discovered he’d suffered the misfortune of a rear tyre puncture. Smith opted to put in a new rear tyre to gain more information and data ahead of the Tech 3 Racing Team’s home race in Le Mans on May 15. He eventually finished in 29th position. Mike di Meglio: 9th 7 poin ts “I am really happy because I started 26th and finished ninth and that is very good for me and the Team to get back into the points after a difficult start to the season. We are definitely moving in the right way now with the Mistral 610 machine and I felt I could ride to my normal potential today. Now we have to make sure we continue in this way, particularly with my home race coming up in Le Mans, which is obviously very important for me. We went back to the bike settings we used in winter testing and I also pushed a lot more, so I’m definitely learning more about the bike. I am sometimes too much of an engineer. Maybe that is good for MotoGP, but in this class you need to forget about that and just ride and push. I did that today and it paid off, so I go Le Mans full of confidence now.” Bradley Smith: 29th 20 points “It was a dif ficult day and obviously we were unlucky to get a puncture in the race. At that point of the race I was already in quite a good position and I was feeling quite comfortable. The bike was getting better with every lap, so another top six wasn’t an unrealistic goal. But I had a lot of movement from the rear tyre and I couldn’t continue because I wasn’t exactly sure what the problem was. It is very disappointing as everybody has been working hard all weekend and put a lot of effort in. So when you don’t get the result you feel you deserve you can’t be happy. I still crossed the finish line even though I was two laps behind and we can still take valuable data to the next races, especially for Le Mans, which is the team’s home race and where I’ll be desperate to do well for them. We will go back to the workshop in France now to fix some problems that we have and work hard and hopefully have a better pace for Le Mans.” Hervé Poncharal, Team Manager “Mike was fantastic today and he produced an incredible recovery. I am very happy for Mike because the beginning of the season was like a nightmare and honestly we did not know what to do. Everybody has been working really hard and I hope today was the spark that we were waiting for and that from now on we will see Mike consistently fighting for the points. With the race he has done today I think we can expect a very strong result in France at the next race, which is hugely important for Mike and all of us inside the Tech 3 Racing Team. It is a real pity for Bradley. We knew he had the pace after this morning’s Warm-up to challenge for a top six. Unfortunately we did not really see what happened, we just saw him losing ground and at the end he was so slow that we understood that there was a technical problem. A flat tyre is very disappointing to cope with and it is something that should never happen. Cred it to Bradley because he wanted to get back in the race do his best for the Team. It is a pity that his hard work didn’t get a top six he deserved.” More, from a press release issued by ItalTrans GP Team: Grand Prix of Portugal Estoril, May 1st, 2011 Race report Claudio Corti (45’20″402 – 11th) Robertino Pietri (45’57″866 – 23rd) People smiling, in the Italtrans’ garage, at the end of the race. In spite of yesterday’s crash, and a large collection of bruises everywhere, Claudio Corti has been able not only to take part in the race, but also to conquer a well deserved eleventh place that is a prize to his tenacity and his crew commitment. Starting 30th from the grid, he was 20th at the end of lap one, and 16th at lap six. Robertino Pietri run a steady race, still in pursue of the best bike condition. He was 35th on the grid, and crossed the line getting a strong 23rd place. Claudio Corti: “Midway through the race, I was on the verge of giving up. Every single part of my body was aching. So, I slowed a little bit down, considering the situation. Then, I began to push again… Watching the board, I every time thought: how can I be here? Any time I ordered to my hand: “brake now!” it executed half an hour later. At least, this was my feeling. I’m happy. And even more happy when I reflect on the fact that the bike is absolutely good. The only regret is that, in this condition, we could get a great result”. Robertino Pietri: “We have had not enough grip on the back. The rhythm is good. Having said that, our schedule for this week’s test is already written”. Claudio Macciotta (Technical Director): “First of all, I want to congratulate everybody. I’m happy with the result. And now, the two-day test for us, of the utmost importance. The bike is quite good, and we concluded the first part of our work, mainly devoted to suspensions. Now, we can commit to cyclistic we have a lot of issues to work about in order of making our performance good and consistent in any condition”. Luigi Pansera (Team manager): “Great race from Corti brave man. He had bruises everywhere. Pietri run a good race, working hard in his apprenticeship phase. We are really looking forward Le Mans, and the French GP, to get that great result that we deserve. We have everything to succeed”. More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Xavier Siméon finishes race in Estoril in 26th place Xavier Siméon had a good start into the Portuguese Grand Prix that took place in Estoril today. Quick after the start he was in 13th position and could keep his pace throughout the first laps, which made him very happy. Difficulties with breaking caused him a crash in the last laps of the race and he could not gain the places back he lost due to the mistake and due to the lack of confidence he had in the end. Rejoining the race helped him to gain some more experience with the Mistral 610 that showed him the improvements he made since last race. But nevertheless the Grand Prix weekend in Estoril, Portugal was a big step for ward for Siméon and the Tech3 B Team as a result within the points would have been possible without the crash. Now the team is looking forward to Le Mans, where Siméon had his first world championship appearance one year ago. Xavier Siméon, 26th – no points: “I had a good start. In the first lap I was already 13th. I found a good rhythm. Then I had some problems with the front tyre in the chicane and in the small corners. I had to push a lot to be fast. Then I crashed 6 or 7 laps before the end of the race, when I was 13th. I was breaking too hard and then I lost the confidence. I was fighting with other riders and was getting a bit too fast, so I was stronger on the break and crashed. But that is racing. We improved a lot regarding to the first race and we could once again get another step forward. I hope we can continue the improvement for Le Mans and can finish better there.” Hervé Poncharal, Team Manager: “This was by far the best weekend for Xavier since we have started the championship. I think he now recovered for all the missing winter tests he had. He was riding with Mike in the points until a couple of laps to go. I would have been really happy to see him in the points. Unfortunately he crashed and rejoined the race which he finished outside the points. I still think this was a great race and I want to congratulate him. I am happy for RTL as they are behind this project a lot. I am confident that it was a big moral booth for Xavier today to see he can be there and I think this was a big turning point for him. So I really hope that he carries on on what he is doing.” More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: BAD LUCK CONTINUES FOR REDDING AND KALLIO The Marc VDS Racing Team’s search for its first Moto2 World Championship points of the 2011 campaign continues after Scott Redding was cruelly denied a chance to fight for a podium finish at the Estoril circuit earlier today. Finnish teammate, Mika Kallio, looked on course to deliver his first top 15 finish of the season after he recovered magnificently from a slow start to storm from 26th to 14th position. But his 150th Grand Prix appearance ended prematurely when he crashed out on lap 19. Redding was left cursing his bad luck and contemplating what might have been as he produced his best performance of the season in the early stages of the 26-lap race. Redding made an aggressive start and executed some thrilling overtaking moves to gain six places on the opening lap to claim seventh and begin his pursuit of the podium. Redding was comfortably holding seventh place and saving his tyres for a sustained attack in the second half of the race. But the British rider was the innocent victim of a mistake in the braking zone at Turn 6 on the eighth lap by reigning 125cc World Champion Marc Marquez. Redding was able to re-join the race down in 35th position but fought his way back to 25th at the chequered flag. Kallio was unable to match Redding’s lightning start and in a typically frantic jostle for position at the tight first corner, he slipped down to 26th position. The 28-year-old then embarked on an impressive charge back through the pack and he’d just passed pre-season Moto2 title favourite Alex de Angelis for 14th when he fell out of contention at Turn 6. He was unhurt in the spill and will be fit to take part in a two-day test for the Marc VDS Racing Team in Estoril on Tuesday and Wednesday. Scott Redding #45 Race Position 25th “To say I’m disappointed is an understatement because for the first time all year I felt really confident on the bike. We gambled on running a new clutch setting for the race and it felt great, even though I was still trying to learn the new set-up in the early laps. I wasn’t struggling to stop the bike like I was in qualifying and practice and I’d just settled into a fast and consistent pace and I was pretty happy just to sit where I was on the back of the top six and wait for the race to develop. And the next thing Marquez just slammed into me and there was no way I could save it. The wall was coming up pretty fast so I had to abandon ship. The fairing was damaged but I got back on track and my lap times were at least good enough for the top five. Maybe there was a podium if it wasn’t for Marquez’s stupid move but that’s racing and it was my turn to suffer today. We’ve definitely made progress with the bike and we’re testing Tuesday and Wednesday, so hopefully that will be productive to help me start getting some decent results, beginning in Le Mans at the next race.” Mika Kallio #36 Race Position DNF “That’s not the way I wanted to celebrate my 150th Grand Prix and unfortunately I crashed in exactly the same point as I did in qualifying yesterday. I lost a few places on the opening lap because when the first corner is that tight, there is so much traffic that people are moving all over the track. After a few laps I felt much more comfortable because I had more grip than yesterday after we made some suspension modifications and I was able to get into a fast rhythm. I made a lot of overtakes and it was looking like I’d score my first points of the season, which would have given us something to build on for the next few races. But I crashed and it was like a carbon copy of yesterday’s crash. It is a bit of a mystery because looking at the data; I wasn’t doing anything differently to previous laps. In qualifying the front fork setting was softer, so we made it harder for the race and I still crashed.” Michael Bartholemy – Team Manager “It looks like we can’t escape the bad luck that seems to be following us at the moment. One thing I’m convinced about though today is that the mistake of Marquez cost Scott a podium. Even after the crash we could see that Scott had the same speed as the riders at the front, so I’m frustrated to have a podium chance taken away in circumstances like that. I don’t know why Marquez had to do that but it’s disappointing, because all of us were desperate to show that the Marc VDS Racing Team was back and fighting for the podium in 2011. Before the crash Scott was looking very strong and I’m really happy because he seems much happier with the bike now and this means we can be optimistic for the next race in Le Mans. I’m happy with Mika today because he showed a lot of fighting spirit. He fought very hard and he was able to catch and pass de Angelis, who is one of the best riders in Moto2. Unfortunately he made a mistake and crashed at the same corner where Marquez took Scott out, so Turn 6 wasn’t that kind to us today. It would have been good to score some points but I think both of them have made good progress and we can look forward to Le Mans, where we hope our luck will return.” More, from a press release issued by Kenny Noyes’ publicist: Tough Weekend With Plenty Of Lessons For Kenny Noyes In Portugal It was a tough weekend for Kenny Noyes and his Avintia-STX team at Estoril, but despite a couple of crashes during practice and coming frustratingly close to the points once again, the American leaves Portugal with clear signs of progress. The data gathered at a track which is so different to Jerez – the first track Kenny used the new Bitubo suspension at – are providing invaluable pointers to improving the American’s pace. After a mixture of wet and dry conditions made practice at the Portuguese circuit difficult, Kenny found himself starting the race on his FOGI-Racing backed FTR from well down on the grid. Undaunted, he once again deployed the rocket boost to make up five spots in the first lap, and was inside the top 20 within four laps. The Avintia-STX rider found himself in the middle of the group fighting for the top 15 and had a strong rhythm in the early laps, but could not step up the pace when the faster riders racked it up a notch. Kenny found himself on the wrong side of break when the group split into two, coming up just shy of the points finishing 17th. Kenny, his Avintia-STX team and the Bitubo suspension techs went over the data after the race and found a couple of very interesting directions to explore for setup in the races to come. With the next Moto2 round at Le Mans, the place where the American scored his first pole position, Kenny and his team are optimistic that his goal of scoring regular points is getting closer every race. Kenny Noyes 17th, Fastest Lap: 1’43.978 Kenny said, “Man, this was a tough weekend! It’s frustrating because we had a couple of big crashes, but at least my shoulder was strong and I was able to do a lot of laps.” “The beginning of the race it seemed pretty easy to stay with the group, but once they started dropping down into the low 1’43s, I had to let them go. I was starting to miss my apexes and nearly crashed a couple of times, and I knew I couldn’t stick with them any more.” “This was the first time I’ve been able to push really hard in all the practice sessions. We got a lot of good information from that that we can take to Le Mans. The team have been awesome again, and with what we learned here, I’m stoked to go to France!”