Moto2 Motegi: Iannone wins, Marquez leads the championship

The Moto2 race in Motegi was beautiful. After a beautiful battle, it was our Andrea Iannone who came out ahead of the new world championship leader Marc Marquez and the Swiss Thomas Luthi at the finish line. Stefan Bradl finished fourth and is now 1 point behind the Spaniard in the world championship standings. Simone Corsi and Alex De Angelis had a good race, finishing in fifth and sixth position.

Race report

Everything is ready for the Japanese Grand Prix, the fourteenth stage of the 2011 Moto2 class world championship (in fact, just like the 125, Moto2 does not race at Laguna Seca where only the MotoGP takes to the track). The riders are all lined up, 23 laps to go, on pole is Marc Marquez, the 2010 world champion in the eighth-litre category. Next to him on the front row are the Swiss Thomas Luthi on Suter of Team Interwetten and the Abruzzo rider of Team Speed ​​Master Andrea Iannone while the world leader Stefan Bradl starts from eighth place; the traffic lights go out, our Andrea Iannone gets off to a good start and is ahead of Marquez, Luthi, Takahashi, Smith, Bradl, Aegerter who passes the German from the Kalex, Corsi, while Takahashi loses ground after a forehand. Pasini is eleventh.

Meanwhile, Torres, De Rosa and Cardus are out while the Roman Simone Corsi recovers positions, now fourth. Lap 1 ends with Iannone in the lead, followed by Marquez, Luthi, Corsi, Aegerter, Bradl, Smith, Takahashi, De angelis, Kallio, Sofuoglu and Pasini. Bradl meanwhile passes Aegerter and is fifth while Iannone and Marquez try to escape with Corsi who is third, while Luthi is fourth at 1"413 and Bradl at 1"710.
The German recovers one more position, he is now fourth ahead of Luthi and reduces his gap on the leading trio. Meanwhile, De Angelis from San Marino moved up to sixth position behind him. Another forehand for Yuki Takahashi, a compromised race for the Japanese while Bradl crowned his comeback in front.

After a third of the race, Marquez takes command of the race with Iannone, Corsi and Bradl still in the game. Behind him, Luthi is fighting with De Angelis and Aegerter for fifth position. Iannone takes the lead again and at the same time Bradl overtakes Corsi. A few corners later, however, the German from Kalex goes wide and is passed by Marquez and Corsi. Great thrill for the son of Helmut Bradl, rider of the 90s world championship who gave our Luca Cadalora a hard time, who however won the world championship.

Iannone accelerates, Marquez and Corsi seem to keep the pace while Bradl is more in difficulty. Meanwhile, behind the Swiss Suter Thomas Luthi and the San Marino Alex De Angelis trying to mend the gap. Their gap to Iannone is just under two seconds.

We have now reached the halfway point of the race, Iannone still leads the race and pulls away while Corsi follows Marquez. Bradl is always in difficulty, he is now struggling with Luthi and De Angelis. His world leadership is currently lost to Marquez. However, Bradl does not lose heart as he passes Corsi and sees Marquez in front of him, who however tries to catch up with Iannone.

With five laps to go there is a battle between Bradl, Luthi and De Angelis who are fighting for the third step of the podium. Meanwhile, Iannone suddenly loses the lead, Marquez is now in command but the Abruzzo rider immediately recovers ground and gets back on the Spaniard's heels. Iannone attacks, the Team Speed ​​Master rider is back in the lead, while behind Luthi has passed Bradl and Corsi also passes the German who loses further points in terms of the championship.

The last lap begins, Iannone goes on to win his third race of the year after those in Jerez and Brno; Marquez and Luthi on the podium, Bradl finishes ahead of Corsi and De Angelis. Now leading the world championship, albeit by just one point, is Marquez, the 2010 world champion in the eighth-litre category.