The future of MotoGP is in full bloom in this year's Moto2 World Championship. Stefan Bradl and Marc Marquez have dominated the season, though in very different ways.
Bradl owned the first half of the season, whilst Marquez has been nearly unstoppable in the second half. Between them, they've won every pole position, Bradl six times, including in the previous San Marino GP, and Marquez five. Bradl has four wins to six for Marquez, though the young German hasn't won since the British Grand Prix more than three months ago. Bradl won his four races in the first six races to take a commanding championship lead. Marquez, who fell behind after failing to finish three of the first six races, caught fire in round seven in Assen where he won the first of five races and finished second once.
Marquez prevailed in a thrilling victory over Bradl in Misano, with third-placed Speed Master rider Andrea Iannone also finishing on the same second as Marquez. Bradl's championship lead was cut to 23 points from the high of 62 following the British GP.
Marquez will arrive for the third of four races in Spain after a successful three-day test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, site of the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix.
"I'm looking forward to Aragon - I like the track and I know I'll have a lot of fans coming to see me there," Marquez said. "But I will be focusing on the race and keeping the same mentality that I have used for a while - to do it race by race, not thinking about the championship, even though things are getting closer now. We were very happy at Misano because we beat Bradl even though he was so strong in qualifying. It will be hard work again, but me and the team are ready," the Caixa Catalunya Repsol rider concluded.
Stefan Bradl had a hard time at the Spanish track last year but and goes into this round in better shape having shaken of a bout of the flu and now switching his focus on taking the remainder of the season race by race.
"Last year I found Aragon very difficult, but this year we are strong at every race," Bradl said. "The important thing is that we have had a chance to have some rest after Misano, where I was carrying a small cold from the trio back from Indy. It will be another hard race. We must work some more on the bike because we need to find something. There are five races left; we will do our best, racing race by race."
Of the three championship leaders, Andrea Iannone has the most success at Aragon. Third in the championship, the Italian won last year's Moto2 race from the pole, with Bradl finishing ninth. Marquez qualified on the pole for the 125cc race, but was taken out by another rider on the first lap of the race.
"We had a great race at Aragon last year, but this year everything can be different, we know that anything can happen. The main thing is that we are on good form again, so I go into this next race feeling quite confident. We will try and have another great race like last time there," Iannone said.
Aragon is round 13 of 17 and the final European race before the most extended road trip of the season. It begins on the first weekend in October at the postponed Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi, Honda's home grand prix. The originally scheduled April race was moved because of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the island nation. Following a weekend off after Motegi, the season resumes with back-to-back races at the magnificent Phillip Island circuit in Australia and the tropical heat of the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang Circuit, also a rider favorite, before returning for the curtain-closer at Valencia in November.
Main Photo: Marc Marquez is on the charge and hunting down Stefan Bradl
Credit: HRC
