Submitted by David Emmett on
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:
N° | RIDER | NATIONALITY | TEAM | MACHINE |
1 | CASEY STONER | AUSTRALIAN | HONDA TEAM | HONDA |
4 | ANDREA DOVIZIOSO | ITALIAN | YAMAHA TECH 3 | YAMAHA |
5 | COLIN EDWARDS | USA | FORWARD RACING | SUTER* |
6 | STEFAN BRADL | GERMAN | LCR HONDA MotoGP | HONDA |
8 | HECTOR BARBERA | SPANISH | PRAMAC RACING TEAM | DUCATI |
9 | DANILO PETRUCCI | ITALIAN | IODA RACING PROJECT | IODA* |
11 | BEN SPIES | USA | YAMAHA FACTORY RACING | YAMAHA |
13 | ANTHONY WEST | AUSTRALIAN | SPEED MASTER | ART* |
14 | RANDY DE PUNIET | FRENCH | ASPAR TEAM MotoGP | ART* |
17 | KAREL ABRAHAM | CZECH | CARDION AB MOTORACING | DUCATI |
19 | ALVARO BAUTISTA | SPANISH | HONDA GRESINI | HONDA |
20 | ALEIX ESPARGARO | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM MotoGP | ART* |
22 | IVAN SILVA | SPANISH | BQR | BQR-FTR* |
26 | DANI PEDROSA | SPANISH | HONDA TEAM | HONDA |
35 | CAL CRUTCHLOW | BRITISH | YAMAHA TECH 3 | YAMAHA |
46 | VALENTINO ROSSI | ITALIAN | DUCATI TEAM | DUCATI |
51 | MICHELE PIRRO | ITALIAN | HONDA GRESINI | FTR* |
68 | YONNY HERNANDEZ | COLOMBIAN | BQR | BQR-FTR* |
69 | NICKY HAYDEN | USA | DUCATI TEAM | DUCATI |
77 | JAMES ELLISON | BRITISH | PAUL BIRD RACING | ART* |
99 | JORGE LORENZO | SPANISH | YAMAHA FACTORY RACING | YAMAHA |
* = CRT Entry |
N° | RIDER | NATIONALITY | TEAM | MACHINE |
3 | SIMONE CORSI | ITALIAN | IODA RACING PROJECT | IODA |
4 | RANDY KRUMMENACHER | SWISS | GP TEAM SWITZERLAND | SUTER |
5 | JOHANN ZARCO | FRENCH | JIR Moto2 | MOTOBI |
7 | ALEXANDER LUNDH | SWEDISH | MZ RACING TEAM | MZ-RE HONDA |
8 | GINO REA | BRITISH | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | MORIWAKI |
9 | KENNY NOYES | USA | ARGUIÑANO RACING TEAM | TBA |
12 | THOMAS LUTHI | SWISS | INTERWETTEN-PADDOCK Moto2 | SUTER |
14 | RATTHAPARK WILAIROT | THAI | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | MORIWAKI |
15 | ALEX DE ANGELIS | ITALIAN | FORWARD RACING | SUTER |
18 | NICOLAS TEROL | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM Moto2 | SUTER |
19 | XAVIER SIMEON | BELGIAN | TECH 3 RACING | TECH 3 |
24 | TONI ELIAS | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM Moto2 | SUTER |
29 | ANDREA IANNONE | ITALIAN | SPEED MASTER | FTR |
30 | TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI | JAPANESE | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
36 | MIKA KALLIO | FINNISH | MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
38 | BRADLEY SMITH | BRITISH | TECH 3 RACING | TECH 3 |
40 | POL ESPARGARO | SPANISH | PONS RACING | PONS KALEX |
44 | ROBERTO ROLFO | ITALIAN | TECHNOMAG-CIP | SUTER |
45 | SCOTT REDDING | BRITISH | MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
47 | ANGEL RODRIGUEZ | SPANISH | SAG TEAM | FTR |
49 | AXEL PONS | SPANISH | PONS RACING | PONS KALEX |
57 | ERIC GRANADO | BRAZILIAN | JIR Moto2 | MOTOBI |
60 | JULIAN SIMON | SPANISH | BQR | FTR |
63 | MIKE DI MEGLIO | FRENCH | SPEED UP | FTR |
71 | CLAUDIO CORTI | ITALIAN | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
72 | YUKI TAKAHASHI | JAPANESE | FORWARD RACING | SUTER |
76 | MAX NEUKIRCHNER | GERMAN | KIEFER RACING | KALEX |
77 | DOMINIQUE AEGERTER | SWISS | TECHNOMAG-CIP | SUTER |
80 | ESTEVE RABAT | SPANISH | PONS RACING | PONS KALEX |
82 | ELENA ROSELL | SPANISH | QMMF RACING TEAM | MORIWAKI |
88 | RICKY CARDUS | SPANISH | QMMF RACING TEAM | MORIWAKI |
93 | MARC MARQUEZ | SPANISH | MONLAU COMPETICION | SUTER |
TO BE ADVISED | SAG TEAM | FTR |
N° | RIDER | NATIONALITY | TEAM | MACHINE |
3 | LUIGI MORCIANO | ITALIAN | IODA RACING PROJECT | IODA |
5 | ROMANO FENATI | ITALIAN | TEAM ITALIA FMI | IODA |
7 | EFREN VAZQUEZ | SPANISH | TEAM LAGLISSE | HONDA |
8 | JACK MILLER | AUSTRALIAN | TECHNO RACING | HONDA |
9 | TONI FINSTERBUSCH | GERMAN | RACING TEAM GERMANY | HONDA |
10 | ALEXIS MASBOU | FRENCH | TECHNO RACING | HONDA |
11 | SANDRO CORTESE | GERMAN | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
14 | BRAD BINDER | SOUTH AFRICAN | RW RACING GP | KALEX KTM |
19 | ALESSANDRO TONUCCI | ITALIAN | TEAM ITALIA FMI | IODA |
23 | ALBERTO MONCAYO | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM MOTO3 | KALEX KTM |
25 | MAVERICK VIÑALES | SPANISH | BQR | FTR HONDA |
26 | ADRIAN MARTIN | SPANISH | TEAM LAGLISSE | HONDA |
27 | NICCOLO ANTONELLI | ITALIAN | GRESINI RACING | HONDA |
30 | GIULIAN PEDONE | SWISS | PHONICA RACING | ORAL |
31 | NIKLAS AJO | FINNISH | TT MOTION EVENTS RACING | KTM |
32 | ISAAC VIÑALES | SPANISH | ONGETTA-CENTRO SETA | HONDA |
39 | LUIS SALOM | SPANISH | RW RACING GP | KALEX KTM |
42 | ALEX RINS | SPANISH | MONLAU COMPETICION | HONDA |
44 | MIGUEL OLIVEIRA | PORTUGUESE | MONLAU COMPETICION | HONDA |
51 | KENTA FUJII | JAPANESE | TECHNOMAG-CIP | HONDA |
52 | DANNY KENT | BRITISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
53 | JASPER IWEMA | DUTCH | MOTO FGR | FGR HONDA |
55 | HECTOR FAUBEL | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM MOTO3 | KALEX KTM |
61 | ARTHUR SISSIS | AUSTRALIAN | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
63 | ZULFAHMI KHAIRUDDIN | MALAYSIAN | AIRASIA - SIC - AJO | KTM |
77 | MARCEL SCHROTTER | GERMAN | MAHINDRA RACING | MAHINDRA |
84 | JAKUB KORNFEIL | CZECH | REDOX-ONGETTA-CENTRO SETA | HONDA |
89 | ALAN TECHER | FRENCH | TECHNOMAG-CIP | HONDA |
94 | JONAS FOLGER | GERMAN | MZ RACING TEAM | MZ |
95 | MIROSLAV POPOV | CZECH | PHONICA RACING | ORAL |
96 | LOUIS ROSSI | FRENCH | RACING TEAM GERMANY | HONDA |
99 | DANNY WEBB | BRITISH | MAHINDRA RACING | MAHINDRA |
Comments
Precision about Alex Marquez
This sentence could be misleading "Maverick Viñales and Sandro Cortese have to be considered the favorites for the championship, though the entry of Marc Marquez' younger brother Alex and the teammate who beat him, Alex Rins, should add yet more spice to Moto3" since Alex Marquez is only taking part as a wildcard on selected tracks and not as a full time world championship rider.
Thanks for the analysis, it should be very interesting to watch Moto3 unfold.
Alex Marquez
I got confused about Marquez' intentions, and had to rewrite that sentence. You're right, of course, he will only be doing a few wildcards.
Domenicali Cries About Aprilia...
Again the war between Ducati and Aprilia is on the rise! Domenicali is already complaining (crying) to Carmelo about the RSV4 World Superbike being on the grid for the last 2011 test... just coated with black paint and tape to mask the pivot points of the frame! Let's face it, CRT groups are going to push the limits of every rule possible to be competitive this season. And honestly, Carmelo wants and needs these things to happen so he can have leverage when he presents his ideas to the factories regarding the rules for 2013 and beyond! I am eagerly waiting to see what happens when the CRT-Aprilia engine groups hit the track for the 1st time and after... especially with Randy De Puniet.
Stefano Domenicali the Ferrari F1 boss?
Why would he care about Ducati and Aprilia?
Really .......
....... cant get a better compiled list then this.
So clear & easy to view.
Many thanks David.
No. 1 plate for Stoner
Very glad to see the number 1 plate on Stoner's bike this year.
As for the CRTs, if they make any kind of an impression then that would be great news because it means the cost barrier to enter MotoGP has been effectively reduced. Honda and Yamaha will do everything they can to prevent that, so we'll see.
From on high
Whether Stoner wanted to run the No.1 plate or not, I don't think HRC would have settled for anything less.
Harry Stafford
Harry Stafford yesterday commented on Twitter that he is meeting with a team in Germany next week to discuss a possible ride in moto3. So we could see more riders yet :)
CRT is working
Looking at the number of bikes on the grid it looks like the CRT idea is already helping things. It's going to be an interesting season.
Rumour mongering !
Silly season and Yamaha. Is Jarvis chatting to Stoner about 2013 ? Super team.
George and Casey/Yamaha. Judging by a recent interview with Jarvis,Ben is on slippery turf within Yamaha and Casey is high on the agenda. Valentino is no doubt history within this transverse 4 camp.
Dare I think it?
Casey champion on 3 manufactures?
No Aussies in Moto2
I see there are no Aussies in Moto2 any more. What happened to Ant West?
West is gone............
To Motogp, racing for the Speedmaster team. #13.
Never Never Land
While it won't happen, I would love to see AD run all over the Travelocity Gnome and his evil mentor. I also hope for the sake of the sport that Ducati figures their bike out, no one, save for VR46 haters, should want to see him at the back of the pack.
Give it a couple races,
I expect some interesting challenge between Dovi and Spies in view of the 2013 Yamaha factory seat!
hate to say it given my pseudonym
but Spies should ready his house for sale on Lake Como if he doesn't begin to find the podium with frequency. If AD puts the satellite bike past him, it's curtains (as we say in the states).
They both have a point to prove in 2012
Spies had his first win but a disappointing season overall
Dovi has always been underrated by the public (and possibly his peers) and felt unappreciated at Honda
I'm looking forward to this.
Dovi under rated?
If anything he's been over rated - of which I am as guilty as the next man. After his initial strong showing on the satellite machine he's been proven to be nothing more than a good second string factory rider in MotoGP. His 250 record sings the same song.
Spies. An up and down first year on a factory machine. Hit by injury, sickness and mechanical woes. Together with both stellar and less than so rides. He needs a strong 2012 and I think we'll see it from him.
Ben Spies VS Dovi?
Dovi has a lot of experience as well as talent but he's had his chance on a Factory Honda machine no less and wasn't a major threat to the top step of the podium on a frequent basis for years! His best 2011 performances were after he knew he was going to another team for 2012. Beating Dani was his sole mission. Look at how he rode in the last 2011 race... where would he have been if he rode that way soon in his MotoGP career?! And BEN SPIES? Look at who Ben was battling with in the last race of 2011! In every series the man has proven himself... check his record! Ben is more of an alien than Dovi. Ben took Haga's heart when he won the WSB title in his rookie year and Haga has never been the same since! People should revisit the races Ben had with Tech3 then the races on the Factory-team and really gauge the progress Ben has made thus far. Ben knows where he stands in the minds of the Yamaha Management circles. Spies puts more pressure on himself to become Champion than others possibly can or will! After all his injuries last season, Ben stepped up well while Jorge was sidelined. Casey going to Yamaha? I don't think Ben needs to worry about that happening anytime soon.
Jarvis digs in a Spur
I can't see Dovi getting close to Ben in 2012. Having said that,Jarvis clearly expects bigger things from Ben this year. Casey to Yamaha? Nah,not a chance,unless he sees CRT 2013 for what it is and rides off into the sunset with the 2013 CRT,Ezpeleta version of MGP Prototype dream under his belt to boot.
Wily old Jarvis is just spurring Ben on to higher things I guess.