The inaugural season of the intermediate category is charted as the achievement of World Champion Toni Elías, the battle for runner-up spot between Julián Simón and Andrea Iannone, and the numerous fantastic races which took place are all reviewed, as is the impact that Shoya Tomizawa had on the World Championship.
Looking back on the 2010 season of the Moto2 category evokes a range of memories and emotions, none more so than the lasting image of Shoya Tomizawa’s smile in the MotoGP paddock. The Japanese rider, an excellent talent and much admired personality, was one of the protagonists of the debut campaign of the 600cc 4-stroke category up until his untimely and tragic death as a result of injuries sustained in a crash at the Misano round in September.
The Technomag-CIP rider wrote his name into the history books of the World Championship when he won the first ever Moto2 race in Qatar back in April, as the season got off to an exciting start under the Losail floodlights.
It was to be a dominant season’s display from Toni Elíashowever, who with seven victories throughout the year – and a further podium finish – took his first World Championship title on the Moriwaki machine of the Gresini Racing team.
After Tomizawa’s win in Qatar, Elías secured back-to-back victories at Jerez and Le Mans as he made clear his title intentions early on.
Julián Simón – who went without a win all season but was consistently on the podium, eight times in total – and Andrea Iannone battled behind Elías for much of the season for the runner-up spot, finishing the year separated by just two points. The Italian rider won three races, taking victory from pole at Mugello and Assen in the first half of the season, missing out on victory at Catalunya due to a Ride Through penalty and later returning to the top step at Aragón.
Pivotal in the Championship however was Elías’ superb run of four consecutive wins at Sachsenring, Brno, Indianapolis and Misano, after which he held an 83-point lead at the top of the standings. The win in Germany was particularly impressive, Elías having dropped as low as 11th after the opening lap and as far back as five seconds from race leader Iannone at the halfway point of the race.
Another win at Motegi set Elías up for a title-sealing ride inMalaysia, where fourth was enough for him to take the Moto2 Championship in a race which Roberto Rolfo won.
Joining Elías, Tomizawa, Iannone and Rolfo on the list of race winners in 2010 were Frenchman Jules Cluzel who tasted success at Silverstone, Yuki Takahashi who won atCatalunya, Alex de Angelis at Phillip Island, Stefan Bradl inPortugal and Karel Abraham at Valencia.
Thomas Lüthi ended the season fourth in the standings having enjoyed five visits to the podium, whilst British youngster Scott Redding put in a highly impressive second half of the season, twice stepping onto the rostrum.
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