2012 Red Bull Grand Prix Moto2
After nearly five weeks off, the Moto2 grid will once again be rearing to go as the intermediate-class descends on the famous Brickyard for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Team Catalunya Caixa Repsol’s Marc Marquez heads to the U.S. with a sizable 34-point lead at the top of the championship standings, and will once again be one of the favorites at the circuit where he won last year.
The Spaniard, along with Interwetten-Paddock’s fellow Suter rider Tom Luthi, did not relax completely during the summer break, as they both carried out vital tests at Portugal’s Portimao circuit to prepare for the second half of the season.
The main rivals heading into the race will be Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone, fresh off his win in Mugello, and Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaro, who are both tied on points behind Marquez.
Espargaro will have fond memories of the Indianapolis track, as it was there that he took his first ever Moto2 podium last year in second. Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding, who tested a MotoGP Ducati bike during his time off, will be aiming for his third podium spot this season, whilst holding off the challenge from his teammate Mika Kallio.
Tech 3 Racing’s Bradley Smith, who just missed out on a podium at the Brickyard last year will hope his surge in form continues at the track, and that he can snatch his first rostrum of the season. Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti and Technomag CIP’s Dominique Aegerter will however look to mix it up at the front once more, with Espargaró’s teammate Esteve Rabat likely to challenge as well. Rabat has a good record at the circuit, having taken third place last year.
The Moto2 line up also sees some changes, with Spaniard Jordi Torres filling the vacant Mapfre Aspar Team seat, which became available after the departure of Toni Elias. Marcel Schrotter is a permanent replacement for Massimo Roccoli in the Desguaces La Torre SAG team, while the entry list sees wildcard Tommy Aquino scheduled to make an appearance on the Fogi Racing team FTR.
2012 Moto2 Point Standings (heading into Indy):
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | Nation | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Marc MARQUEZ | Suter | SPA | 163 |
| 2. | Pol ESPARGARO | Kalex | SPA | 129 |
| 3. | Andrea IANNONE | Speed Up | ITA | 129 |
| 4. | Thomas LUTHI | Suter | SWI | 123 |
| 5. | Scott REDDING | Kalex | GBR | 96 |
| 6. | Mika KALLIO | Kalex | FIN | 77 |
| 7. | Bradley SMITH | Tech 3 | GBR | 69 |
| 8. | Claudio CORTI | Kalex | ITA | 59 |
| 9. | Dominique AEGERTER | Suter | SWI | 52 |
| 10. | Esteve RABAT | Kalex | SPA | 51 |
| 11. | Alex DE ANGELIS | FTR | RSM | 48 |
| 12. | Johann ZARCO | Motobi | FRA | 47 |
| 13. | Simone CORSI | FTR | ITA | 40 |
| 14. | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Kalex | JPN | 36 |
| 15. | Toni ELIAS | Suter | SPA | 34 |
| 16. | Randy KRUMMENACHER | Kalex | SWI | 24 |
| 17. | Xavier SIMEON | Tech 3 | BEL | 17 |
| 18. | Julian SIMON | Suter | SPA | 17 |
| 19. | Mike DI MEGLIO | Speed Up | FRA | 10 |
| 20. | Anthony WEST | Moriwaki | AUS | 9 |
| 21. | Max NEUKIRCHNER | Kalex | GER | 8 |
| 22. | Ratthapark WILAIROT | Suter | THA | 8 |
| 23. | Nicolas TEROL | Suter | SPA | 8 |
| 24. | Ricard CARDUS | AJR | SPA | 5 |
| 25. | Gino REA | Moriwaki | GBR | 1 |
