After becoming the youngest...
After becoming the youngest rider to win five consecutive races on his way to the 2010 125cc World Championship, Marquez has learned to live in the spotlight in a bike-mad nation hungry for its next MotoGP star.
Marquez believes on a 125 it was easier to make passes. “You can pass maybe in every corner,” he said. But in Moto2 you need to be “very clever when you want to pass some rider. And also the biggest difference is in the beginning of the race. Because in Moto2 from the beginning to the end of the race, the bike changes quite a lot, the tires, the fuel tank, change everything, and you need to adapt your riding style to your bike and in 125 from the beginning to the end it’s completely the same. Every lap you can make what you want and you don’t need to change nothing of your riding style.”
A change in riding style that he can’t pinpoint is what transformed Bradl into a consistent pole threat and race winner. “I really don’t know, I just tried some different positions with my body and then I felt more comfortable on the bike and for me was easier to go fast,” he said. “I had too much the riding style from 125 and then some guys said to change your riding style, especially from the waist up, which is important. And I tried, I tried, and it was successful, but when I was under pressure, especially during the race, I all the time fell back in my old riding style. Then I needed some time to get into this riding style, but at the moment, I think the riding style is just fantastic.”
The results bear that out. Bradl was on pole for the first five races and six of the first eight. By winning the rain-sodden British GP at Silverstone he built up a massive 62-point lead, the biggest lead after six races by any rider in the history of the world championships.
The success has translated into greater exposure for Grand Prix racing in Germany, a country which hasn’t had a legitimate title contender for nearly 20 years. Series promoter Dorna relishes the renewed exposure for the German market, where Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel is the reigning Formula One champion and the influence of Michael Schumacher is strong. The last German world champion was 125cc rider Dirk Raudies in 1993. Before that Anton Mang won the last of his five 250cc titles in 1987. No German has ever won a premier-class crown.
Son of former 250cc Grand...
Son of former 250cc Grand Prix standout Helmut Bradl, Stefan Bradl lived a more normal childhood and didn’t get into racing until he was 12 years old.
Bradl has been courted by Yamaha and Honda. Because of the rookie rule, he’d have to go to either the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team or one of the Honda satellite teams. LCR Honda MotoGP has already had talks.
“We will see,” he said. “At the minute nothing is said or sure. Keep concentrated on my job right now and we will see. OK, we have some contact to some MotoGP teams and is normal, because I think the Germany market is also very important for them. OK, if we continue in such way, which we have now, then I want to go.” When asked about his talks with Yamaha race boss Lin Jarvis, he said, “Yeah, we spoke and, OK, yeah, for sure there are some interests, but I have to decide what is the best opportunity for me and what is the best way on my side and the important thing for me and then we will see. We will see, but first of all we have to make the job in Moto2.”
Marquez is in his first season in Moto2 and will certainly spend 2012 in the class as well. He’s been asked about MotoGP, but his answer is that “I never think about this. Just I want to concentrate in Moto2 and then if someday I have the level to go to MotoGP, for sure it’s one of my dreams,” he said. “But first I want to do my job in Moto2.” SR