2011 Silverstone Moto2 Race Results: Calm Heads Prevail In Soaking Conditions

Results and summary of the Moto2 race at Silverstone:

Stefan Bradl has taken a measured and collected victory in the first race of the day at Silverstone, staying calm in the cold and wet conditions which saw his rivals make mistake after mistake around him. Bradl's win takes his championship lead to 62 points, meaning the Viessmann Kiefer rider can afford two DNFs and still lead the title race.

Bradl got a strong start and led the first lap, only to have Marc VDS Racing's Scott Redding come by him in the final pair of corners. But once past, Redding could not build a lead, Bradl tagging along with the Brit until he could pass him on lap 4. From that moment on, Redding started on a slow, backward slide that would see him finish the race in 5th.

Bradl may have taken the lead from Redding, but his supremacy would not go unchallenged. The German inched away from Redding, but Mattia Pasini was on his way forward. The Ioda Racing rider was blisteringly fast in the wet, but his pace proved to be a little too much for the conditions. Pasini pass Bradl in the first infield section on lap 6, but a lap later, he had crashed out, losing the front going into Vale and not remounting.

Bradl would not be challenged again, but the battle for the podium was far from settled. The prime early candidates were Kenan Sofuoglu, Bradley Smith, Scott Redding and Michele Pirro, with Sofuoglu and Smith holding the best cards. But as Sofuoglu pushed on to try to catch Bradl, he made a mistake, crashing out and rejoining in 11th. Smith now had a firm grip on 2nd, coming home to take his first ever Moto2 podium after a qualifying nightmare saw him fined and starting from 28th, while Pirro held on to secure 3rd.

Bradl's consistency is now paying rich rewards, as the German keeps scoring points while his opponents fail. The second place man in the championship is Simone Corsi, but the Italian finished the race in 10th. Third-place man Yuki Takahashi did a little better to finish in 7th, while Andrea Iannone finished just outside the points in 16th. A 62 point lead is a very comfortable margin indeed for Bradl.

Results: