M2: Aragon GP: Series preview

With an advantage of 83 points at the top of the Moto2 standings and on a run of four consecutive victories Toni Elias' bid to become the first ever Moto2 World Champion is well on course.

Victory at Misano for Elias was his sixth of the season and his run of four in a row is the longest sequence of successive wins in the intermediate category since Marco Melandri achieved six back-to-back on his way to the 2002 250cc title.

Now second behind Elias in the standings after taking his first consecutive Moto2 podium finishes with second at Misano is Julian Simon. The Mapfre Aspar rider may be some distance off his fellow Spaniard, but leads a tight three-way battle for second position in the Championship.

Just four points behind him is Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Moriwaki) who made a return to the rostrum last time out, his fifth podium of the campaign. He in turn holds only a five-point advantage over Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) who will be desperate to make up for his DNF in San Marino. Fellow Italian Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) completes the current top five but is some 22 points off Iannone.

Ready to race after being involved in the crash at Misano that tragically claimed the life of Shoya Tomizawa is 17 year-old Brit Scott Redding. The Marc VDS Racing Team rider completed a one-day test at Valencia on Monday which allowed him to check his physical condition and regain his confidence on the bike, having received stitches to a laceration on his lower back a week earlier.

There are also two wild card entries riding at Aragon, both with previous experience of the circuit thanks to their participation in the CEV Buckler (Spanish National Championship). Spaniard Roman Ramos will ride for the MIR Racing team, whilst Brit Kev Coghlan will compete on an FTR machine for the Monlau Joe Darcey outfit.

-source: motogp