Moto2 Jerez: Results, Quotes, Standings

Moto2 Results

The second race of the new Moto2 World Championship was an edge-of-the-seat thriller, with a group of eight riders battling for the win, the lead changing several times on most laps. The race was restarted after a second lap pile-up which claimed seven riders after Qatar winner Shoya Tomizawa (Technomag-CIP, Suter) fell at the Dry Sack hairpin, dropping oil on the circuit.

All the fallers were able to take the restart.

Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) won the shortened, 17 lap restart after a breathtaking race-long battle with the leading group. At the flag there were just 2.5 seconds covering the first eight men home, with less than half a second covering the podium finishers.

During the final laps the pace heated up considerably, Elias fighting back and forth with runner-up Tomizawa and third-place finisher Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2, Moriwaki). Luthi had led the previous two laps but Elias grabbed the lead as the pack charged into Turn One for the final time, only to run wide at the Dry Sack hairpin, almost gifting the lead to Tomizawa. Elias held on for the win, despite still suffering from the nasty left-hand injury he sustained at Jerez during preseason tests.

Yuki Takahashi (Tech 3 Racing, Tech 3) finished three tenths behind Luthi, with Simone Corsi (Jar Moto2, Motobi), Sergio Gadea (Pons Racing, Kalex), Kenny Noyes (Jack & Jones by A.Banderas, PromoHarris) and Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, RSV) following right behind. Of this group, GP rookie Noyes had played the biggest role in the early race contest, muscling his way into the lead on several occasions, only to slip back a few places as the race moved towards its climax.

MotoGP now travels north west from Jerez to reconvene in the Sarthe area of France at Le Mans, for the French GP on May 21/22/23.

MOTO2 RIDER QUOTES

Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki)says: "I am not disappointed not to be in MotoGP. I took the decision to move down to Moto2. Maybe it was a risk, but so far everything is good. We have come through a difficult few weeks, since I got hurt here in preseason testing. I am still not 100 per cent, my left hand is still a problem. I got fourth in Qatar and I won today but I suffered a lot during the race because my physical condition isn’t 100 per cent. The setup of my machine is also not perfect, so we must work on that. I fought a lot in the race, it was very tough, but in the end I could win. I am very, very happy and I cannot wait for Le Mans because my physical condition will be much better there, so I can be more relaxed."

Shoya Tomizawa (Technomag-CIP, Suter) says: "I am so, so sorry for the crash because many other riders crashed on the oil that came from my machine when I crashed. I made a mistake when Corsi tried to pass me. We both tried to release our brakes to make more room, but my bike shook, he closed my line and I couldn’t avoid him. It was my mistake. Before the restart my mechanics had to work very, very hard in the pit box. They repair my machine 100 per cent, so I could go again. I trust their work, so I could give full gas. I tried but Toni is so fast. We had a good three days here – good Friday, good Saturday, good Sunday – so now we hope we can find a good solution when we get to Le Mans.

Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2, Moriwaki)says: "After the first start there were some very strong overtakes and I was thinking this race was going to be crazy, because riders were hitting each other very hard in the first laps. The restart seemed to be better. I got a better start and I had a better first lap, so I could ride with the lead group. My bike felt really good, so then I was able to take the lead. I thought maybe I could go faster, but the others held my slipstream and I couldn’t get away. Anyway, a podium finish is great, especially for our team which is completely new. My thanks to them all – they are a great team."

Pole position : 1m44.372s (152.558Km/h) Shoya Tomizawa, Technomag-CIP
Fastest lap : Lap 14 – 1m44.710s (152.065Km/h) Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini
Circuit record lap : 1m44.710s (152.065Km/h) Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini, 2010
Circuit Best Lap : 1m44.372s (152.558Km/h) Shoya Tomizawa, Technomag-CIP, 2010