MotoGP 2012 - provisional entry lists

[patnicholls]

As published by the MotoGP official site the other day and everywhere else.

MotoGP provisional entry lists 2012

MotoGP

1 Casey Stoner AUS Honda Team (HONDA)
4 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Yamaha Tech 3 (YAMAHA)
5 Colin Edwards USA Forward Racing (SUTER) *
6 Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda Motogp (HONDA)
8 Hector Barbera SPA Pramac Racing Team (DUCATI)
9 Danilo Petrucci ITA Ioda Racing Project (IODA) *
11 Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing (YAMAHA)
13 Anthony West AUS Speed Master (ART) *
14 Randy De Puniet FRA Aspar Team Motogp (ART) *
17 Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (DUCATI)
19 Alvaro Bautista SPA Honda Gresini (HONDA)
20 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aspar Team Motogp (ART) *
22 Ivan Silva SPA BQR (BQR-FTR) *
26 Dani Pedrosa SPA Honda Team (HONDA)
35 Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (YAMAHA)
46 Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Team (DUCATI)
51 Michele Pirro ITA Honda Gresini (FTR) *
68 Yonny Hernandez CO BQR (BQR-FTR) *
69 Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (DUCATI)
77 James Ellison GBR Paul Bird Racing (ART) *
99 Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha Factory Racing (YAMAHA)

* - CRT entry

Moto2

3 Simone Corsi ITA Ioda Racing Project (IODA)
4 Randy Krummenacher SWI GP Team Switzerland (SUTER)
5 Johann Zarco FRA JiR Moto2 (MOTOBI)
7 Alexander Lundh SWE MZ Racing Team (MZ-RE HONDA)
8 Gino Rea GBR Gresini Racing Moto2 (MORIWAKI)
9 Kenny Noyes USA Arguiñano Racing Team (TBA)
12 Thomas Luthi SWI Interwetten-Paddock (SUTER)
14 Ratthapark Wilairot THA Gresini Racing Moto2 (MORIWAKI)
15 Alex De Angelis ITA Forward Racing (SUTER)
18 Nicolas Terol SPA Aspar Team Moto2 (SUTER)
19 Xavier Simeon BEL Tech 3 Racing (TECH 3)
24 Toni Elias SPA Aspar Team Moto2 (SUTER)
29 Andrea Iannone ITA Speed Master (FTR)
30 Takaaki Nakagami JPN Italtrans Racing Team (KALEX)
36 Mika Kallio FIN Marc VDS Racing Team (KALEX)
38 Bradley Smith GBR Tech 3 Racing (TECH 3)
40 Pol Espargaro SPA Pons Racing (PONS KALEX)
44 Roberto Rolfo ITA Technomag-Cip (SUTER)
45 Scott Redding GBR Marc VDS Racing Team (KALEX)
47 Angel Rodriguez SPA SAG Team (FTR)
49 Axel Pons SPA Pons Racing (PONS KALEX)
57 Eric Granado BRA JiR Moto2 (MOTOBI)
60 Julian Simon SPA BQR (FTR)
63 Mike Di Meglio FRA Speed Up (FTR)
71 Claudio Corti ITA Italtrans Racing Team (KALEX)
72 Yuki Takahashi JPN Forward Racing (SUTER)
76 Max Neukirchner GER Kiefer Racing (KALEX)
77 Dominique Aegerter SWI Technomag-Cip (SUTER)
80 Esteve Rabat SPA Pons Racing (PONS KALEX)
82 Elena Rosell SPA QMMF Racing Team (MORIWAKI)
88 Ricky Cardus SPA QMMF Racing Team (MORIWAKI)
93 Marc Marquez SPA Monlau Competicion (SUTER)
To Be Advised SAG Team (FTR)

Moto3

3 Luigi Morciano ITA Ioda Racing Project (IODA)
5 Romano Fenati ITA Team Italia FMI (IODA)
7 Efren Vazquez SPA Team Laglisse (HONDA)
8 Jack Miller AUS Techno Racing (HONDA)
9 Toni Finsterbusch GER Racing Team Germany (HONDA)
10 Alexis Masbou FRA Techno Racing (HONDA)
11 Sandro Cortese GER Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM)
14 Brad Binder RSA RW Racing GP (KALEX KTM)
19 Alessandro Tonucci ITA Team Italia FMI (IODA)
23 Alberto Moncayo SPA Aspar Team Moto3 (KALEX KTM)
25 Maverick Viñales SPA BQR (FTR HONDA)
26 Adrian Martin SPA Team Laglisse (HONDA)
27 Niccolo Antonelli ITA Gresini Racing (HONDA)
30 Giulian Pedone SWI Phonica Racing (ORAL)
31 Niklas Ajo FIN Tt Motion Events Racing (KTM)
32 Isaac Viñales SPA Ongetta-Centro Seta (HONDA)
39 Luis Salom SPA RW Racing GP (KALEX KTM)
42 Alex Rins SPA Monlau Competicion (HONDA)
44 Miguel Oliveira POR Monlau Competicion (HONDA)
51 Kenta Fujii JPN Technomag-Cip (HONDA)
52 Danny Kent GBR Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM)
53 Jasper Iwema NED Moto FGR (FGR HONDA)
55 Hector Faubel SPA Aspar Team Moto3 (KALEX KTM)
61 Arthur Sissis AUS Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM)
63 Zulfahmi Khairuddin MAL Airasia - Sic - Ajo (KTM)
77 Marcel Schrotter GER Mahindra Racing (MAHINDRA)
84 Jakub Kornfeil CZE Redox-Ongetta-Centro (HONDA)
89 Alan Techer FRA Technomag-Cip (HONDA)
94 Jonas Folger GER MZ Racing Team (MZ)
95 Miroslav Popov CZE Phonica Racing (ORAL)
96 Louis Rossi FRA Racing Team Germany (HONDA)
99 Danny Webb GBR Mahindra Racing (MAHINDRA)

[chac47]

No ride for Nori?

[NinjaMaster]

I'm really excited about the new season of MotoGP. I really believe it will be the most competitive season quite some time. Casey Stoner has seemingly continued on his merry way in pre-season testing, leading every session he took part in. But that doesn't tell the whole story with Jorge Lorenzo once again proving to be his bigget opposition posting some ridiculously fast and consistent times. Anyways, following is my rider preview for the season ahead.

1. Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) -

"Casey on a Honda could be a very scary situation. The Honda's working quite well now. When Casey's on, there's been nobody on a Ducati that can touch him. Those are just facts. So it's going to be scary to see what he does on a Honda. Again, it's one of those things that could go really bad for everybody. We'll have to see." - Ben Spies, Oct 8, 2010

As it turned out, these were prophetic words by Speez. Casey joined the greats in 2011, dominating the championship and winning his second title with ease in his first season with Honda. Along the way he also moved to 10th on the all-time winners list for all classes and top 5 for the top class. For 2012 he still appears the man to beat, constantly topping test sessions despite not being completely with his new 1000cc Honda. It would be brave to bet against him.

26. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) - Pedrosa enters 2012 with possibly his best shot at the MotoGP crown since moving up to the top class in 2006. He has been consistently fast, though just behind Lorenzo and Stoner, but most importantly he has come through healthy and happy with the bike. I think Dani has the most raw speed of any rider in the paddock when he's happy with the bike but there are still a number of questions marks over the Spaniard, namely how will his diminutive frame can handle the larger 1000cc bike, can he learn to ride to strong results when the bike isn't quite right and can he get through a season uninjured? If he can answer these questions in the positive then he'll go close to his first title win in the blue riband class.

19. Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda) - It's a bit hard to get a genuine gauge on how good Alvaro really is. Struggling for the past two seasons with some relatively impressive performances on a below par Suzuki, this year represents his best opportunity to prove himself on a satellite Honda with the very professional Gresini outfit. He's taken some time to get used to his new mount but I'd expect him to keep improving though he does have a bit of a topsy turvy history and I think this trait will continue this year.

6. Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) - The son of former 250cc rider Helmut Bradl, at just 22 years old Stefan enters his first season of MotoGP as the reigning Moto2 champ. He has been methodical, professional and impressive in stepping up to the 1000cc class and I'd expect him to be consistent in and around 6th-10th placings which would be quite an achievement for the rookie.

99. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory) - Lorenzo put up quite a fight to retain his crown last year but was ultimately outgunned by a rampant Casey Stoner and his fire breathing Honda. For 2012, Lorenzo and Yamaha have been quite the busy duo with the 1000cc M1 looking to be at least on par with the Honda. Lorenzo's strength lies in his ability to reel off lap times with robotic-like consistency. An example of this was his race simulation at the Sepang test where he reeled off 20 consecutive laps with less than a 4 tenths of a second variance. It's this consistency and his smooth riding style on the new softer Bridgestone tires that may well be the trump to winning this year.

11. Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory) - The Ben has been relishing riding the new bigger MotoGP bikes with the extra power and physical nature of the bike suiting his larger stature. However, 2012 looms as a significant year for Ben with a few riders keen to stake a claim for his factory ride. He won a race in 2011 and I'd expect him to win two or three this season but I don't think he quite has the outright speed to win enough races to be a title contender. Yet.

4. Andrea Dovizioso (Monster Yamaha Tech3) - Dovi, the invisible man of MotoGP, has a point to prove in 2012. Aggrieved from being dumped from the factory Honda squad at the end of 2011, he's out to show that he deserves to be a factory rider and will have a target drawn on Ben Spies back. His bike will be competitive and I'd expect a handful of podiums from him.

35. Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech3) - crossing over from World Superbike, Cal showed glimpses of promise in 2011 but they were too easy to miss in amongst a lot of mistakes and crashes. This pre-season, the change to the larger 1000cc bikes appears to have agreed with Cal who has been consistently fast. The challenge for him is to turn that speed into results, especially as Bradley Smith will be joining the Tech3 MotoGP team in 2013, Cal is fighting to prove he deserves to remain in the class.

46. Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) - 2011 saw the Italian dreamteam paring of Rossi on the Ducati. However it quickly became a nightmare when he was instantly 2 seconds a lap off the pace from the first test that he rode the bike. Whilst it improved somewhat during the season, only one podium for the year is the first significant chink in the Italians armour. After a less than stellar pre-season again, many are starting to question the great Rossi's current skills as a rider and in development. At 33 his best is behind him but it would be folly to dismiss him altogether. He should podium more than he did last year but any wins are unlikely.

69. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) - the 800cc class was a difficult period for Nicky whose physical size and superbike backgound wasn't suited to the smaller bikes. Back on a 1000cc machine though he seems happier and more confident with the all-new Ducati Desmosedici. Whilst they won't be the wheelspinning, powersliding monsters of old, the extra power should definitely suit the Kentucky native. Some podium finishes are not out of the question and he'll be ambitions to beat Valentino who he was more competitive against last year than most expected.

8. Hector Barbera (Pramac Racing) - This Hector Barbera is not the Hector Barbera of old, the reckless, uber-aggressive Hector Barbera who earned a fearsome reputation through the 125cc and 250cc classes. No, this is a more measured and consistent Hector Barbera, becoming famous for strong qualifying performances and getting up the nose of his competitors for gaining a 'tow' to achieve these results. However, with his more mature racing, he has also lost some of the racing flare, that brilliant speed that he could sometimes possess. He'll likely score a number of top 10 finishes this year but to keep his seat in MotoGP, the old Hector may just need to re-emerge from time-to-time to prove some of that brilliance is still in there.

17. Karel Abraham (Cardion AB) - Karel had an impressive rookie season last year, proving worthy of a MotoGP ride and not just an embarassment riding around at the back because of Daddy's money. The challenge for him this year is to improve on last years performance but with such a talented field, this is easier said than done. I think he'll find 2012 a difficult sophomore season fighting off the quicker CRTs and scraping in a few top 10s.

CRTs
Now you'll have to forgive me as I'm too tired to do a full roundup of the rest of the riders so I'll give an overview of how I think the CRT bikies and their riders will fare.

Of all the CRT machines available, the Aprilia (superbike...) Racing machines are the bike to have with Randy DePuniet the one to watch. He was right up with the tail end of the satellite bikes and with some further development, he could well score a number of top 10 finishes or even a little higher in exceptional circumstances. Behind him the majority of the CRT bikes are very close and should provide some very good racing. His teammate Aleix Espargaro and fellow Aprilia riders, Brit, James Ellison, journeyman Mattia Pasini and talented young Itaian Danilo Petrucci against the likes of the experienced Colin Edwards on his BMW powered Suter and Team Gresini's Michele Pirro and their Ten Kate tuned FTR should provide exciting action at the lower half of the field. The Avintia Blusens boys of Ivan Silva and the spectacular Yonny Hernandez will likely bring up the tail until they get their FTR Kawasaki's sorted out.

So overall, I really believe that this year should provide some very entertaining racing throughout the field with the factory Hondas and Yamahas battling it out at the front, the faactory Ducatis and satellite Hondas and Yamahas just in behind and then the privateer Ducatis and CRT further down the order.
It's hard to see Stoner getting beaten over the course of a year but who knows what effect the new softer Bridgestones with their lesser longevitiy will have. The competition from Lorenzo and Pedrosa will be fierce and then there's Rossi and Ducati who won't rest until they are back compeitive again. Roll on 2012!

[Rod Richardson]

Great objective assessment from Ninja of those who should be at the pointy end during the forthcoming season