The World Championship circuit is the venue at which the majority of the teams and riders in the two categories will start a three-day Test today (Thursday).
The Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia will be a hive of activity for the next three days as the first major Moto2 and 125cc Test of the 2011 pre-season kicks off today (Thursday) and concludes on Saturday.
Running with unofficial engines – Moto2 supplier Honda will deliver them to the teams for the final Test of the pre-season at Jerez, which takes place from March 4th-6th – the three days will provide those present with the first real opportunity to get back into the flow and on a busy track, with plenty of new teams and bikes to be initiated.
The pre-season favourites in each category will all be present, with 2010 Moto2 runner-up Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar), last season’s third-placed Championship rider Andrea Iannone (Speed Master Team) – who was on track at the private Test at Montmeló earlier this season – along with Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2) and Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing) all on track. Young British talent Scott Redding, who enjoyed a rousing second half to his 2010 campaign, and new Marc VDS team-mate Mika Kallio who steps down from MotoGP will both be out on their Suter machines, with another man making the switch from the premier class Aleix Espargaró (Pons Racing) joining his brother Pol (HP Tuenti Speed Up) who graduates from the 125cc class.
2010 125cc World Champion Marc Márquez was another attendee at the private Test in Barcelona and the Catalunya Caixa Repsol rider will continue his adaptation to the 600cc four-stroke bikes in Valencia, joining other 2011 title hopefuls such as Ioda Racing pair Simone Corsi and Mattia Pasini and Frenchman Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing).
Absent from the meeting will be Technomag CIP rider Kenan Sofuoglu, the Turkish rider making his full debut this season but who has returned home for family reasons, whilst QMMF Racing duo Ricky Cardús and Mashel Al Naimi will also not ride in this first Test.
In the 125cc class the early preparations will begin for an attempt at the final title before the introduction of the Moto3 class in 2012. Last season’s World Championship runner-up Nico Terol, his Bancaja Aspar team-mate Héctor Faubel, PEV-Blusens-SMX Paris Hilton rider Sergio Gadea, Ajo Motorsport’s Efrén Vázquez and Racing Team Germany rider Sandro Cortese are amongst the more experienced of the field who will be present.
www.motogp.com/en/news/2011
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