Provisional Entry Lists Announced: 21 MotoGP Riders, 33 In Moto2 And 32 In Moto3

The FIM today released the provisional entry lists for all three Grand Prix classes, and the grids are looking remarkably healthy. Some 21 riders will line up in the MotoGP class, the Moto2 grid has been shrunk to a more manageable 33 entries, and 32 riders will be at the start for the inaugural season of racing in the Moto3 class, the grid the same size as it was for last year's 125cc class, which Moto3 replaces.

There are no surprises in the MotoGP class. As expected, there are 21 entries: 12 factory prototype entries and 9 CRT entries. Of the factory prototypes (which includes satellite machines), the three factory teams remain unchanged with the exception of the reduction of the Repsol Honda squad from three riders to two, Andrea Dovizioso having been dropped, despite finishing 3rd in the championship in 2011 ahead of Dani Pedrosa, who retains his seat. Dovizioso joins Cal Crutchlow at Monster Tech 3, Yamaha maintaining its commitment at 4 YZR-M1 machines. Both Honda and Ducati have cut back to just two satellite bikes apiece, with the bikes spread over four different teams. Stefan Bradl, whose usual number, 65, was retired in honor of Loris Capirossi, has elected to use the number 6.

Much of the interest in the MotoGP class is of course due to the new CRT entries. The 9 entries see 4 different engines being used, with BQR fielding two Kawasaki-powered machines in an FTR-built chassis, Gresini housing a Honda CBR1000RR engine in another FTR frame, and Colin Edwards racing the BMW S1000RR-powered Suter that the Marc VDS team was helping to develop in 2011. But much of the interest is going out to the Aprilia-powered entries. Aprilia WSBK test rider Alex Hofmann tested a WSBK-spec RSV4 shod with Bridgestone tires at Valencia late last year, while Randy de Puniet took a slightly evolved version of that bike out at Jerez, posting highly respectable times. At first, it was expected that the Aprilia-powered bikes would use a chassis built by British-based chassis builders FTR, but it has emerged over the past month or so that at least 4 of the 5 CRT entries will use an Aprilia-built chassis. That chassis will inevitably be very similar to their WSBK frame, but as it will not be eligible for WSBK, it can be considered a prototype. There have already been some rumblings from Ducati about whether the Aprilia CRT entries are not just disguised factory prototypes, but given the fact that the bikes will be sold and not leased (as was first reported), the Grand Prix Commission are not likely to withdraw the CRT status given to these teams.

The Moto2 grid has been cut back from 40 riders last year to a much more manageable 33 for 2012 (32 entered riders and 1 still to be announced). There had been calls for the reduction to be made on safety grounds for the past two seasons, and with the CRT entries opening up possibilities in the MotoGP class for some of the more well-funded Moto2 teams, as well as the disappearance of some of the less well-funded teams, it was possible to make the cuts without treading on two many toes. The field has been strengthened by the addition of the two top 125cc riders, 2011 champion Nico Terol and the runner up Johann Zarco. World Supersport front-runner Gino Rea should also prove to be a strong addition to the grid, though his contract is yet to be signed, and former 250cc star Roby Rolfo also returns to the Grand Prix paddock with the Technomag CIP team. The first full-time female entry since Katja Poensgen, QMMF's Elena Rosell, is also a welcome broadening of the Moto2 grid, though the Spaniard struggled in her initial wildcard appearances on the Mapfre Aspar Suter.

The more obvious change in Moto2 has been the shift in the relative popularity of chassis. Just as happened last year, the winning chassis has grown massively in popularity, with Kalex fielding 5 extra bikes and bringing their total to 9. The two brands that dominated the grid last year, Suter and FTR, have both lost 5 bikes, Suter now fielding just 8 bikes and FTR 7. Tech 3's 3-bike effort has been reduced to just 2, with Motobi (built by Japanese specialists TSR) adding an extra bike to double their total to 2. The shift in chassis being run by the teams does make the field a little more evenly balanced between the big three chassis makers. Hot Moto2 title favorite (if his vision recovers, that is) Marc Marquez sticks with Suter, and his Repsol-backed team is expected to lead development once again. The arrival of Alex de Angelis and 2010 champion Toni Elias should cushion the loss of Scott Redding and Andrea Iannone. Redding leads a strong contingent on the Kalex chassis, though the German framebuilder no longer has Stefan Bradl to count on. As for FTR, their challenge should be strengthened in 2012, with Andrea Iannone switching back to the brand (though rumors persist of a defection to Kalex) after a season on the Suter, and the addition of Julian Simon, the Spanish rider who was runner in 2010 and was looking to be a contender in 2011 until an unfortunate crash with Kenan Sofuoglu.

Sofuoglu is one of two prominent absentees from the 2012 Moto2 grid. The World Supersport champion had a dismal year in Moto2 in 2011, and has returned to WSS to race a Kawasaki coming season, with plans to move up to World Superbikes the year after. But perhaps the biggest surprise is the absence of Mattia Pasini's name from the entry list: the former 250cc GP winner was fast in Moto2, but often inconsistent, often appearing at the front of races, but not failing to finish there regularly. Pasini is in talks for the final seat with Team SAG (Stop & Go), and according to Italian Moto2 specialist site Infomoto2.com, has the support of Suter, but a deal is still to be finalized.

Moto3 offers the most intriguing prospect, which also makes it the most difficult to predict. With Nico Terol gone from the class, Maverick Viñales and Sandro Cortese have to be considered the favorites for the championship, though the entry of Alex Rins, the young man who beat Marc Marquez' younger and reportedly more talented brother Alex should add yet more spice to Moto3. But the biggest unknown is the new bikes themselves, with everyone forced to build completely new engines to the specifications set by the rules last year: 250cc single cylinder four strokes, with a maximum bore of 81mm, a rev limit of 14,000rpm and a spec ECU. Getting the engine and chassis right will be key to the new class.

The safe bet for any new class, of course, is always to go with the Honda, which is what nearly half of the entries have done. There will be 15 Honda-powered entries on the grid, the vast majority of which will be the standard NSF250R, including some promising names such as Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira, while Maverick Viñales will be riding a Honda in an FTR-build chassis. KTM is the next most popular choice, with 5 bikes using the chassis built by the Austrian factory, and 4 more using the Kalex chassis for the special engine built by KTM. A more interesting approach comes from Italian engine specialist Oral. Oral have built an engine to fit the Aprilia RS125 chassis with minimal modifications, capitalizing on proving race frame, allowing them to focus on power and engine driveability.

But the Moto3 class remains impossible to call. Once large numbers of the bikes have all been on track together during the IRTA tests in March, the relative strengths of the packages and the riders - most of whom have spent all their lives racing two strokes, and who face a much larger adaptation process than many realize - should become clear.

Below are the official entry lists for the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes as issued by the FIM:

Provisional MotoGP entry list:

Provisional Moto2 entry list:

Provisional Moto3 entry list: