Moto2: German GP Preview

Moto2 News

A four-week break follows Sachsenring for the Moto2 class and those with intentions of challenging for the inaugural World Championship will therefore be targeting a strong sign off before heading into the summer break.

Leading the Championship on 111 points and 17 ahead of the rest of the competition is Toni Elías, and the Gresini Racing rider will want to at least repeat his result of sixth in the premier class from last year as he attempts to maintain a good lead going into the hiatus. His only podium at the German track was in 2001, when he finished second in the 125cc class.

It will be far from a simple task for the Spanish rider however with an increasingly strong Thomas Lüthi fast amassing points. The Interwetten Moriwaki rider has been on the podium in the last three races – four times in the seven races of 2010 which is the most top-three finishes of all riders in the class.

His recent run has been in spite of an injured collarbone, and his best result at Sachsenring came in his 125cc World Championship title winning year of 2005 when he finished second. A similar result would keep up the pressure.



In third and fourth places Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) and Shoya Tomizawa (Technomag-CIP) are separated by just a single point on 77 and 76 respectively. The Spaniard won from pole at Sachsenring last season on his way to the 125cc World title, whilst Tomizawa scored points in the 250cc class in his first ride there last year with 13th.



The current top five is completed by Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) who on 70 points will be desperate to make up for the error which cost him what looked like a certain podium finish at Catalunya. He was fastest at the private test at Aragón last week however, proving that he is constantly ready for action and he will be going for a third win of the season.

Fellow Italian Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) is sixth in the overall classification, just five points further back.

There will be two wildcard riders in the form of Xavier Simeon (Holiday Gym Racing) and Sascha Hommel (MGM Racing Performance MC). Damian Cudlin will be a substitute for the injured Axel Pons on the Tenerife 40 Pons team.

One rider won’t be participating at Germany or any other for the season; Stop And Go Racing Team decided to terminate the agreement held with Bernat Martínez due to the repeated non-compliance of his contractual liabilities.

Moto2 Rider Quotes

Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2) says: "After Barcelona I was very disappointed but after the tests we did at the circuit of Aragon, I found confidence. We go to Germany having found a good feeling with the bike and hoping to find the competitiveness that will enable us to continue to believe in the goals we have promised to get to the end of this season."

"We are a team that never gives up and I’m sure that we will overcome in the best way this difficult time and quickly score some results that we know are within our reach."

Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2, Moriwaki) says: "As always I hope I can attack the Sachsenring circuit from the front group again. I don’t have the reason yet to hope for the world title. There are still many races to come, but I really hope I can continue with the form of the last races."

"Also the Sachsenring circuit, where I rode so many times in so many different classes and championships, is a new track with the Moto2 bike and we all have to learn it first, but if we can use some of the settings we found in Aragón at the two days of testing, I hope we can get in front. The fans at the circuit there are awesome and I am looking forward to hear them cheer for us. I just hope that I will survive the first corner as it could get very tight there."

Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, Suter) says: "Like many of the other Moto2 guys, we were able to go testing at Aragon before travelling to Germany. That gave us the time not only to learn a new circuit, but also to work on our general bike set-up. This is still a very new series, so we learn more every time we go out on track, so two days of testing was very valuable, even if I did have a crash on the first day!"

"I hope we can have another good weekend like we had at Catalunya and at Silverstone, but I know it will be difficult, because this class is so close and the Sachsenring is so tight. The first corner is going to be very busy on Sunday! I won the 125 race there last year, but the track will be very different on a Moto2 bike."

Moto2 Standings: