2012 Moto2

Frost · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 May 2004 Karma :

Last year few would have predicted Stefan Bradl as a title winner, if not for injury for Marquez he might not have been. But with Bradl moving up to MotoGP, the return of former champion Elias, Marquez missing almost all of pre season testing through injury, and with a couple of fast and now experienced brits in the mix the 2012 is anybodies guess, so what's yours?

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

I'm rooting for Scott Redding, also wonder if Marquez's vision will be ok.

Iannone is always fun to watch.
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Frost · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 May 2004 Karma :

They're all a bunch of nutters with no respect for each other at all Very Happy

Though it's tempting to back a race winner like Elias, Iannone, De Angelis, Kallio, Takahashi I think the ones to watch are the boys from 125's: Zarco, Simon, Luthi, Marquez.

Marquez has had surgery on his eye and his vision is improving all the time. He did a 7 lap test in spain on his Moto2 bike out with the British Supersport riders and apparently things went well. But he'll have a tough start to the season, something that cost him the title last season where he got 2 retirements followed by a 21st from the opening 3 rounds.

Mikey3 · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Karma :

Definately a tough one, Marques and Bradl pretty much dominated last year. But with Marquez with a large question mark over his head and Bradl in GP i'm not sure who to vote for. Scott was doing well in testing and seems confident but he's never proved consistent enough IMO to be a serious title contender. 1 quick lap to put him on the sheets in testing is one thing, a race is something entirely different, he got a couple of good grid positions last year but spent it going backwards.
Iannone was a good'un too, the 'simoncelli (RIP)' of moto2 really. I'd like to go for him but he mainly came through in the absence of Marquez or Bradl, always the 3rd out the 3.
Smith never really got the opportunity to show his hand either. There always seems to be something up with his stuff. He's like the Jenson Button of the bike world, somethings always not quite right, but look optimistic for the cameras.
Think I'll go for iannone. Marquez has too many question marks and Bradl moved up in the world.

Mike
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Frost · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 May 2004 Karma :

Iannone was crap at qualifying last season. Sure he did well in a race and made up a laughable number of places to finish well at the end, he made life too hard for himself too often.
Reading was always a bit like the fat guy sprinting the first half mile of the marathon shocking everyone with how well he was doing, then running out of wind and dropping down the order like stone. Sure he's eager, and he's fast but where's the strategy?

I think Zarco is the dark horse. He never had the right bike in 125's yet still did well. Elias is worth a punt too, i don't think you can judge him based on last years GP performance...

Mikey3 · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Karma :

I agree Elias is a potential contender, BUT the only real worry is whether last season has damaged his confidence too much, he got punted out of GP once already, for doing well Laughing

and bounced back, but can he do it again?
I agree he's got it in him, it's just if he can find it

Mike
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'04 Yamaha WR450F
'99 SV650 Streetfighter Project - mid build
'Motorcycling is about what you do; not about what you own, or how much you spend on it'

Frost · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 May 2004 Karma :

Bounce back to MotoGP I don't think so. Bounce back to win Moto2, certainly. This season... maybe.

Mikey3 · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Karma :

no no, I meant bounce back from being kicked out GP to win moto2, but can he do the same thing, AGAIN.

Mike
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'04 Yamaha WR450F
'99 SV650 Streetfighter Project - mid build
'Motorcycling is about what you do; not about what you own, or how much you spend on it'

Frost · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 May 2004 Karma :

I think experience helped him do it the first time. Second time around he's not up against newbies in fact he's up against people with more Moto2 race wins than him!

The problem with Moto2 was that the prize they were all fighting for was either a Pramac or LCR ride neither of which seemed to have much future. Now it's for a CRT ride, so I think you'll have riders going for the one race win thinking it'll get them on one CRT bike, rather than trying to put a championship together which i think is what Elias and Marquez will be going for.