The Moto2 racers will ride into Aragon this weekend with heavy shoulders, as the death of Shoya Tomizawa is still fresh on the minds of everyone in the paddock.Season leader Toni Elias has a comfortable 83 point lead over Julian Simon going into this weekend's race. He will also be working on his fifth consecutive race win in the Moto2 series as he rides in front of a home crowd in Spain.
“We did a great job at Misano even though my physical condition was not perfect,” Elias said. “In the end we reaped the fruit of all our hard work even though it was very tough. It is extra motivation to pay homage to him [Shoya Tomizawa] at Aragon, with the number 48 in my heart alongside the Spanish fans, and try to win the race so that I can dedicate it to him.”
If Elias wants to take the win at Aragon, he'll have to fight off competition from all directions. There have been 6 Moto2 winners this season, and there are many people capable of climbing to the top of the podium this weekend.
Simon has finished second in the last two races behind Elias, giving him enough points to pass up Thomas Luthi for second place in the overall standings.
"I am very motivated going to Aragon after my second straight podium at Misano,” said Simon. “Moving up to second in the championship also makes me want to keep this positive trend going.”
Andrea Iannone will be another rider vying for the top spot this weekend. Iannone is just 5 points behind Luthi, and nine points behind Simon, making it possible for spots 2-4 to shuffle throughout the weekend.
Scott Redding and Alex de Angelis, who were both involved in the accident that killed Tomizawa, will be back this weekend at Aragon. Redding was taken to the hospital along with Tomizawa, but managed to escape without any serious injury.
