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Actually, Iannone is stayaing in Moto2.
MotoGP 2011 (125, Moto2, and MotoGP)
- Thread starter JohnBM01
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- tombrookscomms
Bugger. I really need to read things through before I post them.
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ONEhd presenters will have more reasons to wet their pants next year - a new Aussie entrant for Moto3, in team Ajo, partnering Danny Kent.
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/175053/1/moto3_sissis_joins_kent_at_ajo_ktm.html
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/175053/1/moto3_sissis_joins_kent_at_ajo_ktm.html
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- tombrookscomms
Randy de Puniet has been testing an Aprilia CRT RSV-4.
EDIT: Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaro have been signed for Aspar's CRT Team for 2012.
Source
EDIT: Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaro have been signed for Aspar's CRT Team for 2012.
Source
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A few new additions to the grid:
- Yonny Hernandez will race for BQR-Blusens.
- Michele Pirro will ride the second Gresini bike.
- Aleix Esparago will join Randy de Puniet at Aspar.
- Kiefer Racing, Marc VDS and Interwetten/Paddock GP still need to confirm their line-ups.
Some interesting choices in there - I would not have picked any of those three to ride in MotoGP on the backs of their Moto2 performances (though I could see Esparago riding in the future). I suppose the teams were starved for choice with the likes of Marquez nominating to stay in Moto2. I get the sense that a lot of people think the CRT teams will be halfway between MotoGP and Moto2, kind of a MotoGP-and-a-half.
- Yonny Hernandez will race for BQR-Blusens.
- Michele Pirro will ride the second Gresini bike.
- Aleix Esparago will join Randy de Puniet at Aspar.
- Kiefer Racing, Marc VDS and Interwetten/Paddock GP still need to confirm their line-ups.
Some interesting choices in there - I would not have picked any of those three to ride in MotoGP on the backs of their Moto2 performances (though I could see Esparago riding in the future). I suppose the teams were starved for choice with the likes of Marquez nominating to stay in Moto2. I get the sense that a lot of people think the CRT teams will be halfway between MotoGP and Moto2, kind of a MotoGP-and-a-half.
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Interesting and agreed. I suppose it's not too much of a shame seeing average riders make the step up, as their machines won't be competitive versus the factory ones in any case.
Any word on their fill-ins in Moto2?
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Blusens apparently don't have a Moto2 team; "By Quersono Racing" (the BQR in "BQR-Blusens" ... it's a weird name, but I'm guessing something got lost in translation) seem to have taken it over. They don't have anybody to replace Hernandez yet, but I imagine that they would keep going with Kenny Noyes. However, they're losing their other regular rider, Esteve Rabat, to Pons Racing. He and Pol Espargaro appear to be replacing Aleix Espargaro.
As for Gresini, they do not have anybody under contract for Moto2, either. Pirro was promoted to MotoGP, and there has been no word on where Yuki Takahashi might go. After Marco Simoncelli's death, I would not be surprised if Fausto Gresini shut down his Moto2 team and just ran in MotoGP. I don't think his heart is in it anymore.
Although they don't have any MotoGP riders yet, Marc VDS will run Mika Kallio and Scott Redding in Moto2, while Kiefer Racing will field Max Neukirchner. Interwetten appear to have withdrawn from Moto2 altogether; I suspect they might jump up to MotoGP with Thomas Luthi, who currently does not have a contract for 2012.
As for Gresini, they do not have anybody under contract for Moto2, either. Pirro was promoted to MotoGP, and there has been no word on where Yuki Takahashi might go. After Marco Simoncelli's death, I would not be surprised if Fausto Gresini shut down his Moto2 team and just ran in MotoGP. I don't think his heart is in it anymore.
Although they don't have any MotoGP riders yet, Marc VDS will run Mika Kallio and Scott Redding in Moto2, while Kiefer Racing will field Max Neukirchner. Interwetten appear to have withdrawn from Moto2 altogether; I suspect they might jump up to MotoGP with Thomas Luthi, who currently does not have a contract for 2012.
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- FactoryDriver
Middle of the pack riders in a series a step below MotoGP on fairly uncompetitive bikes is not a formula for fixing MotoGP...
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- JoeTruckV8
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I think the orgnaisers are playing the long game on this one. It's difficult to break into the category, so they've drawn up rules that make it easier and cheaper to get established. once the teams have had a year or two to get settled, they can then start making headway.
And there have been plenty of instances where competitors in lower-tier machinery have thrived at the higher reaches of the sport. For example, someone - let's say Yonny Hernandez - may simply feel more at-home on a 1000cc bike than he did on a 500cc machine, and thus show a latent natural talent.
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Ioda Racing has joined the MotoGP grid, with Danilo Petrucci (I haven't heard of him, either) riding for them. That takes the full number of riders up to twenty-three.
