Dunlop’s 2018 FIM Moto2™ and Moto3™ Championship battles resume at Misano

After the cancellation of Silverstone, attentions now turn to the next two rounds of the 2018 FIM Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championships. First up is Misano for round 13, followed by round 14 at MotorLand Aragon two weeks later (23 September). 

Dunlop engineers have carefully selected the best rear tyres for each event, designed to cater for the demands of the different surfaces. Misano is a high energy track, so riders will have the option of the Medium or Hard tyres for both classes, offering increased durability and heat-resistance. For Aragon, a circuit well known to the Dunlop engineers, they’ve selected a softer front Moto2 tyre for riders to try alongside the medium tyre to see which riders prefer for the mid-energy track.

August Recap – championship battles abound, but no British GP

Round ten took place at Brno in ideal conditions where Fabio Di Giannantonio took the Moto3 victory by just 0.1sec at the flag. Marco Bezzecchi moved to the head of the tables, as his chief championship rival Jorge Martin crashed in practice, breaking his wrist. In Moto2 Miguel Oliveira won his second race of the season to take the series lead. Lap times throughout the race were consistent, in a race where the top four were separated by just 0.7 seconds.

Round 11 at the Red Bull Ring saw Bezzechi score his first pole of the season and a second Moto3 win, as Jorge Martin fought through the pain to claim an eighth podium finish. Lorenzo Dalla Porta set a new Moto3 lap record in a race that was ten seconds faster than last year. Francesco Bagnaia took his second Moto2 win of the year to retake the championship lead. Tyre performance was excellent with seven riders setting their fastest time in the final three laps.

Round 12 was due at Silverstone on 26 August, on the newly surfaced track. However, torrential rain on Sunday led Race Direction and the Safety Commission to cancel the event on the grounds of safety.

#ForeverForward 2018

Miguel Oliveira continues to lead Dunlop’s ForeverForward tables, the overtaking league rewards riders for their determination across each race. The Spaniard is also three points adrift of the overall Moto2 championship lead following some incredible fightbacks through the field. Ten places separate the next nine riders in the table. In Brno, Tatsuki Suzuki gained 14 places to be the top mover. Fellow Moto3 rider John McPhee was the biggest mover at the Red Bull Ring, with an incredible 18 places gained in the race as he fought through the pack after a qualifying crash.

#ForeverForward after round 12:

1. Miguel Oliveira (Moto2) 79
2. Jakub Kornfeil (Moto3) 62
3. Dennis Foggia (Moto3) 59
4. Alonso Lopez (Moto3) 56
5. Steven Odendaal (Moto2) 56
6. Brad Binder (Moto2) 55
7. Iker Lecuona(Moto2) 54
8. Joan Mir (Moto2) 53
9. John McPhee (Moto3) 53
10. Andrea Migno (Moto3) 52

The full #ForeverForward table can be seen here.

Round 13: Misano, Italy –  9 September 2018

Misano Track Facts:

• Length: 4.226km
• Left Turns: 6
• Right Turns: 10
• Energy level: High
• Left:right bias: 40%/60%

Misano Tyre Allocation: 

Moto2
Front: Medium ’2’ (yellow)
Rear: Medium ’3’ (yellow) / ’S1’ Special Hard                                      

Moto3
Front: Soft ‘S’ (black on yellow) / Medium ‘M’ (black on silver)
Rear: Medium ’M1’ (black on silver) / Hard ‘H3’ (yellow on black)

Misano 2017 Highlights

• Enea Bastianini set a new qualifying lap record in Moto3
• Both races were wet, so no further improvement in times on Sunday
• Romano Fenati won his second Moto3 race of the season by 28 seconds 
• Franco Morbidelli crashed out on lap three while leading Moto2
• Dominique Aegerter crossed the line first but was subsequently excluded, handing victory to Thomas Luthi
• Four of the top six in Moto2 qualified lower than tenth including Hafizh Syahrin who made up 11 positions to finish second

Round 14: MotorLand Aragon –  23 September 2018

MotorLand Track Facts:

• Length: 5.078km
• Left Turns: 10
• Right Turns: 7
• Energy level: Low/Mid
• Left:right bias: 55%/45%

MotorLand Tyre Allocation: 

Moto2
Front: Medium ’2’ (yellow)
Rear: ‘2R1’ (yellow) / Medium ’3’                                

Moto3
Front: Soft ‘S’ (black on yellow) / Medium ‘M’ (black on silver)
Rear: Medium ’M1’ (black on silver) / Hard ‘H3’ (yellow on black)

MotorLand 2017 Highlights

• Joan Mir held off a charging Fabio Di Giannantonio to take his eighth Moto3 win, by just 0.043
• Giannantonio fought his way through the field from 14th to second, gaining 12 places and setting a new Moto3 lap record 
• Franco Morbidelli took his eighth win in a close-fought Moto2 race