2013 Motegi Moto2 | Results

2013 Japanese Grand Prix Moto2 Results

Spoiler Alert: 2013 MotoGP results from Twin Ring Motegi listed below

The final race in three back-to-back Moto2 rounds got underway this weekend at at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.

Due to rains from Typhoon Francisco, all Friday and Saturday practices were canceled, and the riders only had a qualifying session. Taking the pole was  Marc VDS Racing’s Mike Kallio.

But when Sunday came, all eyes were on the two rivals – the Moto2 points leader Pol Espargaro and Marc VDS Racing’s Scott Redding, who was deemed fit to ride on Friday with the wrist he fractured in Malaysia. But unfortunately Redding, along with another title hunter, Tuenti HP 40’s Tito Rabat, both DNFd due to a first-lap crash with Blusens Avintia’s Alex Marinelarena, who suffered a broken left wrist.

With these two out, Espargaro didn’t need much to garner the 2013 Moto2 title. And this is just what he did following his win at Motegi Moto2. Espargaro would clinch the title one round early, and become the fourth different Moto2 Champion in the series’ four-year history.

Joining Espargaro on the podium were Mark VDS Racing’s Mika Kallio and Interwetten Paddock’s Tom Luthi.

Under clear skies and with ambient temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius, it was a clean start to proceedings until a crash occurred on the exit of the second corner; Redding, Rabat and Alex Mariñelarena were involved, and none of the trio would restart.

At Turn 3, Dominique Aegerter suffered a separate incident but the Technomag carXpert rider was able to re-join the grid following a red flag stoppage.

On the first of 15 laps for the restarted race, Espargaro took the lead from Kallio and would not be headed for the rest of the afternoon. This left the Finn second from a pole position start, with Tom Luthi on the podium for the third race in a row and the sixth time this season.

Xavier Simeon (Maptaq SAG Zelos Team) and Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team) completed the top five from Aspar Team Moto2’s Nico Terol, NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis and Italtrans Racing Team’s Takaaki Nakagami – the leading Japanese rider in his home event. It was a race of high attrition, with no less than nine riders failing to make the finish, although the aforementioned Aegerter impressively fought back to eighth position after running last at the restart.

With the title wrapped up in favor of Espargaro, a single race remains on the 2013 Moto2 calendar. The Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana will take place at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit on November 10.

2013 Motegi Moto2 Results:

2013 Moto2 Championship Point Standings: