Toby Moody gives us the inside stories on an exciting last round of the 2010 season in all classes – once he managed to get close to the action, that is…
Champions down the ages
Marc Márquez wrapped up the 125cc title at Valencia with a cool head once again. He said on Saturday night that he hoped he'd even sleep, but fourth place was all that he needed to wrap up the title, such was his advantage. Finally the team could be relieved after the stress of Estoril. Well… they were stressed a bit on Sunday morning, but then the celebrations started. And did they start when Marc got back home to Cervera. It's a town in Lleida, where Emilio Alzamora, the guy who plucked Marc from the junior ranks and took him through to GPs and the world championship, comes from, so it was nice to see Emilio on the stage with Alex Criville ('99 500cc champion) and Marc, just as Emilio was when he returned from Argentina in '99 as the 125 title holder.
Toby Moody
Like father, like son
Niklas Ajo was riding as a team-mate to Márquez in Valencia, and the 16-year-old Finn and son of the boss engineering Marc to the title certainly had his work cut out in his first grand prix at world level. Just like a hard father teaches his lads, so Aki Ajo was making Niklas realise it wasn't all glamour and sunshine. Oh no. He had him building his own bike on Thursday afternoon…
Time to re-tyre
Jeremy Ferguson of Dunlop Tyres had his last race after joining the company in 1966, being in the grand prix bike paddock since 1985, overseeing championship victories in all classes. British designer and cartoonist John Mockett made a sketch for Jeremy that included the guys who were most important over those 25 years, the picture being presented at a surprise get-together on Friday night. Colleagues of Jeremy made up the majority of the picture, but guest appearances from Kenny Roberts (back right) Marco Simoncelli (bird nesting in hair) and Randy Mamola (as a dog) caused much humour during the evening.
John Mockett
Another motorcycling prodigy on show
Keith Flint had another ride on the back of the two-seater Ducati, making it three out of the last four races, only this time it wasn't Randy Mamola he had a ride with, as previously. The Prodigy singer and dancer opted to go on the back with Franco Battaini, who really lit the afterburners. Reports were that 'Batters' loved it so much that he was in full-flow English by the time he got back to the pits as he tried to tell everyone what it was like taking a music hero around. Flint (pictured below on Steve Parrish’s 1977 Suzuki earlier this year) drifted off to Jerez to do a track day – at which he is getting progressively better and better – but only after having been offered a deal on an actual Moto2 race bike. He was pondering its purchase when he was last seen.
Silverstone Circuit Ltd
By royal appointment
The heir to the throne of Spain, Prince Felipe, arrived at Valencia to give out the trophies and enjoy watching another Spaniard take the final title, though his arrival caused me much consternation. I'd overwound my watch and lost 20 minutes – I should have remembered it could sometimes need a kick start – though we still had 15 minutes to do a three-minute walk back to the commentary box. But the security guards had sealed off a path for the prince to arrive straight from his helicopter to the pitlane. Unable to get back, we were on air in under seven minutes by now and being late for a programme is a total no-no. My desperation was muted, though, when not just a Guarda Civil guy came up to me nose-to-nose, but also an army guy. He just unclipped his holster… At that point I figured it might be better to be five minutes late than arrested. But fortunately the Prince arrived and the area was opened. We got to the box with two minutes to spare… what an end to the season!
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