P108
CNII IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
(and defeated Moto2 rival) Raul
Fernandez was just one point
ahead at the end of his own
first MotoGP season, boasting
only a pair of 12th places, and
Yamaha-mounted Darren Binder
one point behind.
Binder, an unexpected promo
-
tion direct from Moto3, was also
dropped
from the class, but for
him it was back to Moto2. He
at least remains in the paddock
and on display, for a second
Remy, six times a Moto2 GP
winner, had a best premier-class
finish of 11th at Catalunya, two
seconds outside short of the top
10. And, while this was a long
way short of the best of the five
rookies, Marco Bezzecchi with
a podium at Assen, it compared
perfectly well with the other
four. Fabio Di Giannantonio did
manage a single top 10 to finish
three places higher overall. But
Remy's Tech3 KTM teammate
chance to prove his worth.
Remy, son of the redoubtable
1987 500cc Champion Wayne,
was forced to seek employment
on a non-factory World Super
-
bike team. Which is uncom-
fortably far from the status a
former
Moto2 Champion might
expect, and unpleasantly out
of the grand prix loop into the
bargain.
Unfair? Well, obviously yes.
But who said it had to be fair?
the
rookies'
RAZOR EDGE
A
rookie's lot, to bowdlerize Gilbert and Sullivan, is not a happy one. Not as a
rule, anyway, though there have been notable exceptions. Marc Marquez, for
one, who romped to the title with six wins at his first attempt in 2013.
Last year was a major downer for at least one of a heralded bumper crop of Moto2
graduates—Remy Gardner lasted just one season before falling off the back of the bus,
from championship winner to reject, without ever having done very much wrong.
