2017 FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
P96
FEATURE
MOTO2: SHOULD
BE A SCREAM
In the last year of screaming
Honda power before Triumph
takes over, the omens are good
also for Moto2. Sometimes
rather too samey, the middle
class made a late-season revival
of tension and interest last year.
For 2017, on paper certainly,
there are more high points to
add further variety.
Importantly, four of the cham-
pionship top seven, including
the class' first double champion
Zarco, have departed for Mo-
bikes, the new arrival uses a
unique tubular steel chassis.
The Suter quartet includes
two former World Champs: San-
dro Cortese and Danny Kent.
Their teams were lured back
from Kalex by glowing 2016 test
reports by the departed Jonas
Folger and Swiss veteran Domi-
nique Aegerter, who has joined
Kiefer Racing as Kent's team-
mate. Marcel Schrotter remains
alongside Cortese in the Dyna-
volt Intact squad.
The new champion will
probably come from among
last year's top rankers, and the
strongest was class veteran
Thomas Luthi, with a 125 title
and 233 GP starts behind him.
More importantly he emerged as
Zarco's strongest challenger last
year, with no less than four race
wins.
EG-VDS rider Franco Mor-
bidelli still awaits his first victory,
but he came so close so often
last year. Fellow Italian Lorenzo
Baldassarri did manage one win,
and is another favorite, back with
toGP, while a crop of lively rook-
ies and second-year sophomores
promises to freshen the mix.
And while the 32-strong entry
list is still dominated by Kalex
chassis, with 22, there is a slight
but significant return with four
all-new Suters, plus two new
KTMs joining two pairs of Speed
Up and Tech 3 renegades. Like
the KTM MotoGP (and Moto3)
(Above) Class veteran Thomas Luthi
is the Moto2 favorite. The Swiss is
already a 125 champion way back
in 2005, and dearly wants a Moto2
crown after coming so close so many
times. (Left) Miguel Oliveria and the
new KTM Moto2 machine will be
ones to watch this year. He's been
ultra-fast in testing.
