First Moto2 podium for Nico Terol at home track and best result yet for Torres with 6th place
27 laps on wet asphalt awaited the Moto2 riders at 12:20pm local time in Valencia. The race was an entertaining contest that featured passes galore. MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol took the early lead, moving ahead at turn two of the opening lap and extending an advantage over the course of the next few laps. Light rain fell on lap ten and eventually Julián Simón got past, before Marc Márquez stormed through from last on the grid to take the win. The last three 125cc World Champions stepped onto the podium: Márquez (2010), Simón (2009) and Terol (2011).
The MAPFRE Aspar riders were saving the best for last. Both Nico Terol and Jordi Torres ended 2012 on a high with their best results of 2012, with the former even leading a Moto2 race for the first time. He did so for the opening seven laps, having reined in Pol Espargaró and pulled two seconds clear. The MAPFRE Aspar man focused on staying upright, taking the chequered flag in third place.
Jordi Torres also had a fantastic race, starting from fifth place on the grid. He took things easy in the early going to assess the conditions, but recovered from dropping down the order by riding steadily. He took back places before concluding the race –and the season- by crossing the line in sixth.
3rd Nico Terol: “It is incredible to take a podium at home after such a hard season. We had ridden fast with this bike, but we had never been able to convert that into a strong race. This has been a dream weekend, as they named a corner after me here at Cheste and I was able to finish the season on the podium, which is a big boost for next year. It was a tough race and you never know what can happen in such conditions. I focused hard and pushed right up to the flag. On the second corner of the opening lap I saw that I could pass Pol and I didn’t think twice, I wanted to pull away as soon as possible. This podium has even higher value because it came in the wet, in which I don’t normally feel so comfortable. I had various scares, but luckily I could stay upright. This podium is like a victory for me.”
6th Jordi Torres: “I am very happy with this result, as we were able to tackle a slippery surface and take a best result of the season. In the beginning I was very prudent, as I could see many riders crashing around me and I didn’t want to end up in the gravel. I also overtook various riders. The opening laps were very crazy, but luckily the race settled down later. I tried to stick on Luthi’s rear wheel, and then later I could see that my bike was almost throwing me off at many parts of the track, so I decided to let him pull away. My suspension was a little soft, but riding with stability was no problem. I am satisfied to end the season like this, because I was always riding to avoid crashes. I want to thank the team once again, because they make this all possible.”
source: Aspar Team Press Release