MotoGP 250cc leader Hiroshi Aoyama needs to win at the grand prix at Phillip Island on October 18 and hope that his nearest rivals draw a blank in Australia if the Japanese rider is to wrap up this year’s title with two races to spare.
Aoyama registered another solid result in the last race, with fourth in Portugal, but a resurgent Marco Simoncelli kept the title race interesting with another fine win. The loser at Estoril was Spain's Álvaro Bautista, who saw the gap to Aoyama from first to second widen to 26pts and the one behind him to Simoncelli in third place shrink to just a couple of points.
Hiro’s consistency is likely to be the key again if he is to succeed, as it has been throughout a season that has seen fewer wins than for Simoncelli – the Italian has five wins to his three – but a points finish in every race, with only two below fourth place. However, his recent record at Phillip Island is indifferent, with a DNF last year and his best only a third place in 2006. His closest rival, Bautista, has two third places at the circuit in 250s in the last two visits, plus a win in 125s the year before – and Simoncelli won last year’s grand prix on his way to the 2008 championship.
But, irrespective of Australia’s winners and losers, if Aoyama registers 50pts in the last three remaining grands prix, with Malaysia and Valencia also to come, the title will be his.
In the 125cc category, Red Bull KTM’s Marc Márquez has three races to improve on his current eighth in the standings after a DNF at Estoril last time out. He will be looking back to the fourth he secured in the previous race at Misano in the San Marino GP with renewed hope as KTM, withdrawing at this season's end to focus on the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2010, look to bow out of the series with a bang.
Current 250cc standings
Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan), Scot Racing Team – 218pts
Álvaro Bautista (Spain), Mapfre Aspar Team – 192pts
Marco Simoncelli (Italy), Metis Gilera – 190pts
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