Valencia Moto2: Pirro wins first GP race for Gresini

Michele Pirro took his first Moto2 race win for the Gresini Racing team at the final race of the season in Valencia, providing a fitting and emotional tribute to Marco Simoncelli.

Pirro and team mate Yuki Takahashi started the race at the front of the grid with Takahashi soon taking the lead. The early laps on the damp, rain spattered track were peppered with crashes. Bradley Smith (Tech 3 Racing) crashed out of fifth at turn two on the second lap, with Scott Redding (Marc VDS) also falling on the following lap, losing sixth place at turn one.

Moto2 championship winner Stefan Bradl (Viessman Kiefer) then crashed out of the race on the fourth lap, ending a dominant season in undoubtedly disappointing fashion. Race leader Takahashi followed suit, crashing out of first at turn one after a vicious highside. The Japanese Gresini rider was taken to the medical centre and declared to be OK, but will undergo further examinations.

Michele Pirro then took the lead and rode consistently throughout to secure the race win at the Spanish circuit.

At the mid-way point in the race a four-way battle for second between Aegerter (Technomag-CIP), Kallio (Marc VDS), Hernandez (Blusens-STX) and Simeon (Tech 3 B) was underway, whilst Pirro stretched a 2.8s gap.

Hernandez, in third, was closing the gap on Kallio with four laps remaining before out-braking himself and running off the track, gifting Dominique Aegerter third, whilst Kallio clung to second, securing his first podium of the season.

1 25 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki 139.9 46’22.205
2 20 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Marc VDS Racing Team Suter 139.6 +6.150
3 16 77 Dominique AEGERTER SWI Technomag-CIP Suter 139.6 +6.363
4 13 13 Anthony WEST AUS MZ Racing Team MZ-RE Honda 139.5 +8.843
5 11 9 Kenny NOYES USA Avintia-STX FTR 139.5 +9.229
6 10 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Blusens-STX FTR 139.4 +9.926
7 9 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Tech 3 Racing Tech 3 139.4 +10.115
8 8 19 Xavier SIMEON BEL Tech 3 B Tech 3 139.4 +10.385
9 7 76 Max NEUKIRCHNER GER MZ Racing Team MZ-RE Honda 139.3 +13.018
10 6 60 Julian SIMON SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter 139.2 +13.685
11 5 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Speed Master Suter 139.2 +14.686
12 4 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM JIR Moto2 Motobi 139.2 +15.200
13 3 16 Jules CLUZEL FRA NGM Forward Racing Suter 139.0 +18.428
14 2 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA HP Tuenti Speed Up FTR 139.0 +19.177
15 1 71 Claudio CORTI ITA Italtrans Racing Team Suter 138.9 +20.356
16  4 Randy KRUMMENACHER SWI GP Team Switzerland Kiefer Racing Kalex 138.6 +26.031
17  12 Thomas LUTHI SWI Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Suter 138.6 +27.160
18  18 Jordi TORRES SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter 138.2 +33.813
19  25 Alex BALDOLINI ITA Desguaces La Torre G22 Moriwaki 137.6 +46.003
20  54 Kenan SOFUOGLU TUR Technomag-CIP Suter 137.5 +49.635
21  40 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pons HP 40 Pons Kalex 136.4 +1’12.187
22  64 Santiago HERNANDEZ COL SAG Team FTR 136.3 +1’14.567
23  38 Bradley SMITH GBR Tech 3 Racing Tech 3 136.2 +1’15.394
24  39 Robertino PIETRI VEN Italtrans Racing Team Suter 136.2 +1’16.767
25  82 Elena ROSELL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter 136.0 +1’19.893
26  6 Joan OLIVE SPA Aeroport de Castello FTR 135.9 +1’22.339
27  95 Mashel AL NAIMI QAT QMMF Racing Team Moriwaki 133.5 1 Lap
28  61 Oscar CLIMENT SPA Team Climent MIR Racing 133.4 1 Lap
29  96 Nasser Hasan AL MALKI QAT QMMF Racing Team Moriwaki 132.6 1 Lap
30  45 Scott REDDING GBR Marc VDS Racing Team Suter 129.9 1 Lap

Not Classified

35 Raffaele DE ROSA ITA NGM Forward Racing Suter 139.2 2 Laps
3 Simone CORSI ITA Ioda Racing Project FTR 135.3 2 Laps
53 Valentin DEBISE FRA Speed Up FTR 134.6 7 Laps
14 Ratthapark WILAIROT THA Thai Honda Singha SAG FTR 132.5 14 Laps
75 Mattia PASINI ITA Ioda Racing Project FTR 137.9 17 Laps
34 Esteve RABAT SPA Blusens-STX FTR 106.3 21 Laps
72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki 139.6 22 Laps
65 Stefan BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing Kalex 137.4 23 Laps