In 125GP/Moto3 Alex Rins and Alex Márquez are separated by 12 points, the former holding the advantage over the latter, as the pair look to put the seal on a season that has combined moments of brilliance in the shape of superb victories with the kind of errors that have at times compromised their title hopes. The pair are being heralded as two of the hottest prospects in Spanish motorcycling in recent years, and either of the two could easily succeed Maverick Viñales.

At Jerez the evolution of the Moto3 machines will also continue, following the exciting scenes witnessed at Valencia where Miguel Oliveira started from pole position, set the fastest lap in the race and took victory. There can be little doubt that the Portuguese, riding a Honda, will be challenging for the top positions at Jerez. Whatever the Moto3 bikes achieve this weekend will not get in the way of the title fight between Rins and Márquez however, as the four-stroke machines cannot score points in the race.

Carmelo Morales’ crash on the last lap of the Moto2 race at Valencia, which resulted in an eighth-placed finish in the previous round, saw the closeness between he and team-mate Jordi Torres in the standings become less so. The difference between the pair is now 13 points in favour of Torres, whose chances of taking the title are much more favourable. The Moto2 class will field 42 riders this weekend, young German Jonas Folger one of the ones to watch.

Enjoying the same points advantage as Torres is Iván Silva, who leads the Stock Extreme category going into the weekend. After enjoying three consecutive victories, Silva arrives at Jerez 13 points ahead of Santiago Barragán. The man chasing Silva in the standings was the winner of the race held at Jerez back in April, when Silva finished fourth; a repeat of that result would hand Silva the title by just a single point.

Source: CEV Buckler

Miguel Angel Oliveira has the honor of being the first rider to get a win in the CEV Buckler riding a Moto3 bike. The race began with a big moment as the championship leader, Alex Rins, botched the start and was relegated to last, beginning a frantic comeback. Marquez also didn’t start well and was seventh in the first lap. At the front Oliveira and Josep Rodriguez began to fight for first place, while Marquez was fighting for third with Bagnaia and Rins was already up to sixth place halfway through the race. In the final part, Oliveira began to string together fastest laps to claim a spectacular victory, followed by Rodriguez and Marquez with Rins in fourth, minimizing the damage of his mistake at the start. Looking at the championship, Oliveira has not gotten any points, so Marquez takes the 20 points for second place and Rins 16 points for third and he goes to the final race at Jerez with a 13-point lead in the championship.

In Moto2 Isaac Viñales – Maverick’s cousin – has taken his first win in this category of the CEV Buckler, winning a race which may have decided the championship. The PromoHarris rider dominated the race from beginning to end, oblivious to the position changes in the large group behind him, consisting of Linfoot, Coghlan, Morales, Torres and Ramos. Torres was dedicated to stick with Morales, hanging on his rear wheel and following his actions. The track was drying up and they rode faster and faster, but at the expense of degrading the wet tyres quickly. With two laps to go and Viñales leading, Ramos topped a great comeback with going into second followed by Torres, shortly before Morales went off track and was relegated to eighth position in the end. This leaves Torres with an increased championship lead of 13 points ahead of Morales and one hand on the title.

In Stock Extreme Ivan Silva has once again demonstrated that he is the rider in best form and while Barragan dominated the start of the Championship, taking three consecutive wins, today Silva won his third consecutive race. The race didn’t have the thrill of the ones before, with well-established leading positions. Only the last lap offered some excitement with an intense battle between Fores and Barragan which was decided in favor of Fores and therefore leaves Silva with a 13-points lead before the last race. Alejandro Mariñelarena was sixth and is already the mathematical champion in the privateer category.

In the Kawasaki Ninja Cup it’s been victory and triumph for Adrià Araujo who throughout the race was in a close fight with Julio Palao and his main rival, Antonio Alarte, who he beat by only two tenths of a second.

The seventh and final round of the CEV Buckler 2011 season will be held next Sunday, November 20th, at the Circuito de Jerez.

Source: CEV Buckler

The 125GP/Moto3 class will see 46 riders on track, seven of which will be on Moto3 machinery signifying the largest number of the 250cc four-strokes on track to date. Notable entrants amongst those will be Japanese youngster Kenta Fujii, perhaps the rider with the most experience on board a Moto3 and who has won Japanese Championship races riding the machinery. Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira will also compete, riding for the Monlau Competición team.

Close attention will also undoubtedly be paid to Alex Rins and Alex Márquez, the two Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol riders currently separated by 16 points in the standings. Rins has a mathematical chance to seal the title in Valencia, but this is a battle likely to go down to the final round a week later at Jerez.

Another rider with the opportunity to wrap up the title this weekend at Valencia is Jordi Torres, leader in the Moto2 class and who approaches this round with a five-point advantage over Carmelo Morales. The category will field 42 riders this weekend with the likes of Kev Coghlan, Pau Tortosa and Pere Tutusaus on track. Also riding will be Elena Rosell, who took part in the GP just a week earlier.

The situation is even tighter in the Stock Extreme standings, with Iván Silva leading by just four points over Santiago Barragán. In the privateer classification Alejandro Mariñelarena has almost sealed the title.

The only category in which the Champion will definitely be crowned at this round is the Kawasaki Ninja Cup, which will run its final race of the season this weekend. The race will be a case of all or nothing for Adrià Araujo and Antonio Alarte. The pair arrives at Valencia level on points and whoever finishes in front of the other this weekend will be Champion.

Source: CEV Buckler

Rider Marcel Schrötter rode a well-judged race to finish in the points, achieving his and the team’s pre-season aim of finishing in the top 15 of the championship.
His points added to the team’s tally to underline third place in the constructors’ championship (49 points).
And the Indian manufacturer has written its name firmly in the record books after a first year of learning, ready to take a step forward next year in the all-new Moto3 category that replaces the traditional 125s.

Schrötter (18, from Germany) finished 12th in cool, damp and windy conditions today, adding four points to bring his year’s total to 36. He had come to Valencia equal on points with Italian rider Simone Grotzkyj, but behind overall because his rival had a better race result, tipping the balance in his favour.

But the last 125 race brought disappointment to 20-year-old Briton Danny Webb, who started from his and Mahindra’s first-ever pole position. Pushing hard to overcome small but costly problems, Webb was well in the points when he crashed out after 11 of 24 laps of the 4.005km Ricardo Tormo circuit at Valencia.

This was the 17th and final round of the World Championship, the last for 125 machines. The day before the race Mahindra Group managing director Mr Anand Mahindra had unveiled the Mahindra MGP30, the 250cc four-stroke Mahindra Moto3 machine, to an appreciative paddock crowd.

DANNY WEBB – DNF (19th place in the championship with 24 points)
Disappointing after my first pole, but I tried my hardest to give Mahindra a good finish to the first year, and unfortunately I pushed too hard. Conditions were difficult and I was having problems with front grip. I lost a few positions, and I didn’t want to lose any more. So I pushed, and it was a bit too much.

ANAND MAHINDRA: I know it is a cliché, but ‘that’s racing’. Yesterday we were celebrating Danny’s pole position but today, sadly, he fell. However, Marcel summed up the strength of this team to come home with a strong points finish bringing to an end a very satisfying year for Mahindra Racing.

My experience this weekend, and the experience of the team throughout the whole season, has only renewed our commitment to the sport. I said it yesterday when we unveiled our wonderful new Moto3 bike – we are here to stay.”

Source: Mahindra Racing

Not Classified
17 Taylor MACKENZIE GBR Phonica Racing APRILIA 32’28.398 133.198 6 laps
14 Brad BINDER RSA Andalucia Banca Civica APRILIA 30’45.042 132.845 7 laps
28 Josep RODRIGUEZ SPA Blusens by Paris Hilton APRILIA 31’02.335 116.128 9 laps
11 Sandro CORTESE GER Intact-Racing Team Germany APRILIA 19’17.221 137.050 13 laps
99 Danny WEBB GBR Mahindra Racing MAHINDRA 19’37.765 134.660 13 laps
21 Harry STAFFORD GBR Ongetta-Centro Seta APRILIA 13’03.701 128.781 17 laps
8 Jack MILLER AUS Caretta Technology KTM 5’31.279 130.566 21 laps
5 Johann ZARCO FRA Avant-AirAsia-Ajo DERBI 3’40.277 130.907 22 laps

Finished through pits
26 Adrian MARTIN SPA Bankia Aspar Team 125cc APRILIA 44’01.090 131.018 2’16.952

Rain had hit Valencia just before the qualifying started and made for a very difficult session with the track drying up towards the end and riders taking a risk on slick tyres, shaking up the usual order at the front.
Kent’s countryman Danny Webb changed to slick tyres at the end of the session and took the first pole position of his career.

Aki Ajo: “This day was all in all pretty unusual. In the morning free practice sun was shining, but it was pretty chilly and there were still wet spots on the track. It looks like it will also rain on Sunday at least occasionally, so we will for sure have a interesting race.”

Source: Ajo Motorsport

Q. This is your first visit to MotoGP, what are your impressions?
Well, firstly I should say that I arrive here at an obviously difficult time for everyone involved in the sport. I have become a big MotoGP fan this year and have watched as many races as possible, and not just the 125 class. I, like so many fans around the world, was extremely upset by the death of Marco Simoncelli in Malaysia. He seemed to be a larger-than-life character and, undoubtedly, a huge talent. The past two weeks have been very sad for the sport and my sincere condolences go to his family, friends and team.

One is always aware of the dangers of motor sport, but it is testament to the work of everybody involved in MotoGP that such tragedies are, thankfully, a rarity these days. I think that fact makes them all the more painful when they do occur.

Coming into the MotoGP paddock after such a devastating weekend, I am sure, means that the atmosphere is slightly different to usual. However, I am struck by the scale of everything. It is very impressive and exciting to be here. I can see that race day will be spectacular with the amphitheatre effect of the Valencia circuit. With so much Spanish interest I can imagine the crowd get pretty excited.

Q. Why did Mahindra choose to get involved in MotoGP?
There are four principal reasons for involvement in racing. Firstly, it gives us a fantastic marketing and communications platform for our two-wheeler brand. As a relatively recent entrant into the Indian market – currently the second largest two-wheeler market in the world and growing fast – we need to quickly establish ourselves. Our involvement in MotoGP gives us a great platform to communicate with customers while also shaping our brand identity and giving us a point of difference from our domestic competitors.

MotoGP is also helping to fast-track and enhance our engineering capabilities. There is no tougher proving ground and two wheels and we are learning things from our race programme that we can adapt and incorporate in our production.

As the Mahindra Group is rapidly expanding internationally the global footprint of MotoGP gives us the opportunity to tell the Mahindra story to an international audience.

Finally, Mahindra Racing has been very motivating and uniting for all of our staff around the world. Many of our staff have been following the team’s progress and enjoying the spirit of challenge.

Q. How popular is MotoGP in India?
Cricket is, of course, the number one sport in India by far, but MotoGP has been gradually growing in popularity. To an extent, there is a link with the growth of the motorcycle market in India. However, Dorna is also doing a great job and the excellent TV coverage of MotoGP is now widely available at home. At the same time, our own entry into the sport has sparked some interest. The team now has approaching 125,000 people following our Facebook page and there has been a great deal of media interest in our 2011 campaign. We are aiming to gradually work our way up the rankings in 2012 and this will, inevitably, lead to more interest in India.

Q. Is Mahindra keen to see an Indian MotoGP race and/or another Indian rider in MotoGP?
For sure it would be great to have an Indian race. We now have the new track near Delhi that enjoyed an impressive Formula 1 debut last weekend. We know that Dorna is busy with discussions about an Indian race. They are the experts and we’ll leave it to them, but we are on hand to give them any advice and assistance should they need it.

As the popularity of bike racing grows and the impact of new, state-of-the-art facilities such as the Buddh International Circuit are felt, I think we shall naturally see a rise in the standards of two-wheeled racing in India. Eventually, we’ll see stars emerge who can compete in MotoGP and we shall be very happy to support them. But, we do not believe that we should push Indian riders into the World Championship unless they are demonstrating that they have the potential, talent, determination and speed to be there on merit.

Q. Have you been pleased with the progress of Mahindra Racing this season?
I think the team has done a great job. We have made progress throughout the season and to finish with third in the Constructors’ Championship and for Marcel to attain his target of 15th in the riders’ title hunt is very satisfying. To end the season with a pole position in the final race of the 125cc class was beyond our expectation and hugely satisfying.

We have been challenging for top ten finishes in these last few races and that is where we wanted to be. The team has improved the bike enormously over the course of the season and it has proved to be very reliable.

The other major target for this year was to learn. We now enter a new era in MotoGP with the introduction of the Moto3 class. In some ways we are starting now on more of a level playing field, albeit our own history in world championship racing is much shorter than many of our competitors. However, next year everyone’s bike is new. It was very important to have this year to understand the demands of racing and what is required to develop a bike during a busy race season. Also for the team and riders to gel as a unit. In that respect this year has been very valuable for us.

I am very excited now about next year. I think the move to Moto3 is great for the sport and we are very happy to be part of it.

Q. Over the years, we have seen a number of manufacturers from different nations come and go. What is Mahindra’s long-term plan in MotoGP?
I think we need to stick to one step at a time and not get carried away. Step one – we have established ourselves in the junior class and done a great job. Step two is to build a great new bike and become a force to be reckoned with in Moto3.

Our commitment to MotoGP within the company is long-term. The smaller class suits us, as that is where all of our current production sits. We are committed to making our MotoGP programme work and there is no reason why we shall not become part of the MotoGP establishment over the course of many years. Yamaha celebrated 50 years in Grand Prix racing this year. Why not Mahindra in 2061! But, as I say, one step at a time!

Q. Bringing things back to the shorter term, what are your hopes for the Mahindra Racing MGP30 in 2012?
I think that the MGP30 looks great, but we still have a way to go in its development. We have lots of testing scheduled for the winter and there is a lot of hard work ahead. However, we’ll be ready to line up on the grid with a competitive package in Qatar on 15 April next year.

We have to be realistic, but I am hoping to see us regularly in the top 10 and causing a few surprises next year. We have good, fast riders and I am looking forward to watching the new class and seeing our bike and team develop throughout the year.

Source: Mahindra Racing

Mr Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.:
“I have been watching our progress in the 125cc class all year and am now delighted to finally have the opportunity to witness the fantastic spectacle of MotoGP first hand. I am doubly pleased to be able to unveil the Mahindra Racing MGP30 in person. When the Mahindra Group sets itself a challenge, we employ ingenuity, determination and serious commitment to RISE and succeed. We have used the final year of the 125cc class to study and learn while concurrently developing our Moto3 bike in Italy. I am very proud of the achievement of our team, riders and engineers this year and very excited by the prospect of watching our wonderful new bike compete in this new class in 2012.
Mahindra has made a strong commitment to MotoGP. We are here for the long term and we intend to succeed. Ladies and gentlemen, watch out! The Indians are coming.”

The Mahindra MGP30 has been developed in conjunction with specialist two-wheeler design firm Engines Engineering . The neat package, liveried in red and white, features a tubular steel frame and aluminium swing arm. The Mahindra-homologated 250cc, single-cylinder engine has been developed in conjunction with Oral Engineering.

Also on hand at the unveiling of the MGP30 were Mr Anoop Mathur (President, Two-Wheeler Sector, Mahindra and Mahindra), Mr Ruzbeh Irani (Executive Vice President – Corporate Strategy & Chief Brand Officer, Mahindra Group), Prashant Kamat (CEO, Mahindra Engineering Systems), Mr Alberto Strazzari (CEO, Engines Engineering) and Mr Mufaddal Choonia (Team Principal, Mahindra Racing). MotoGP promoter Dorna was represented by managing director Mr Manel Arroyo.

Mahindra Racing’s 20-year-old British rider Danny Webb capped an exciting first day in the paddock for Mr Mahindra by recording a stunning pole position. It was the Indian team’s first-ever and historic for being the last ever World Championship 125cc pole.

“It’s very exciting for all of us to have that winning feeling – although we can’t get ahead of ourselves, the race is tomorrow,” said Mr Mahindra after qualifying. “The team has made a lot of progress in our first year, and this pole position is a good reward. Let’s hope for a good race.”

Source: Mahindra Racing

Not qualified (Out 107%) 1’53.310
* 56 Peter SEBESTYEN HUN Matteoni Racing APRILIA 1’53.313 17 17 7.415 0.250 210.3
* 21 Harry STAFFORD GBR Ongetta-Centro Seta APRILIA 1’53.370 13 15 7.472 0.057 214.5
* 30 Giulian PEDONE SWI Phonica Racing APRILIA 1’53.556 16 18 7.658 0.186 215.8
* 34 Daniel RUIZ SPA Larresport HONDA 1’54.437 17 17 8.539 0.881 206.6
* 13 Juan Francisco GUEVAR SPA Team Murcia Pramac APRILIA 1’54.767 16 17 8.869 0.330 211.8
* 86 Kevin HANUS GER Team Hanusch HONDA 1’55.262 15 17 9.364 0.495 210.1
22 Emil PETERSEN DEN Nordgren Racing HONDA 1’55.406 19 19 9.508 0.144 210.1
* 40 Marco COLANDREA SWI WTR-Ten10 Racing APRILIA 1’56.230 17 18 10.332 0.824 210.5
* 14 Brad BINDER RSA Andalucia Banca Civica APRILIA 1’56.887 18 18 10.989 0.657 212.1

Not qualified (Out 107%) 1’49.457
53 Jasper IWEMA NED Ongetta-Abbink Metaal APRILIA 1’50.629 4 5 8.332 1.187 222.1
22 Emil PETERSEN DEN Nordgren Racing HONDA 1’53.172 19 19 10.875 2.543 205.2