Stefan Bradl is 2011 Moto2 World Champion Stefan Bradl was confirmed as the 2011 Moto2 World Champion at the final round of the season in Valencia, making the 21 year-old the first German rider to take a World Championship since Dirk Raudies in the 125cc class in 1993. His first title also made Bradl the youngest German rider ever to take a World Championship, following a 2011 season which delivered on the promise that had been displayed in flashes throughout his earlier career. Gaining his first experience on the Grand Prix stage in the 125cc category in 2005, the son of former 250cc World Championship runner-up Helmut Bradl rode as a wildcard in three rounds before making his full-time debut in the 2006 season. That maiden campaign was cut short by a nasty leg break at the end of the warm up session for the Malaysian GP when Bradl was hit by another bike, but he had shown enough during the season to be lined up by Honda for a factory 125cc ride in 2007. However, after testing for the team the youngster withdrew from the project citing personal reasons and instead rode in the Spanish National Championship, which he won. His form in the domestic competition prompted the Blusens Aprilia team to field him in the World Championship that same season as a wildcard, and he was then entered for the remainder of the campaign with the Spanish outfit. With his career seemingly back on track Bradl linked up with the Kiefer Racing set-up for 2008 and had a revelatory year, winning two races, taking six podiums in total and ending the season fourth overall in the Championship. Big things were expected for 2009 as Bradl continued with Kiefer in the 125cc class, but the title challenge that had been expected failed to materialise and he ended the year tenth in the standings. With the introduction of the new Moto2 format in 2010 Bradl and the Kiefer team made the step up to the intermediate category, showing early-season promise before a strong end to the inaugural year of the 600cc four-stroke class which included a victory at Estoril. An impressive pre-season in preparation for 2011 had many noting the German rider down as a serious title contender for the forthcoming campaign, and victory from pole position in the opening race of the year in Qatar confirmed his credentials. Bradl went on to start from pole for the first five races, the first time since 2003 that a rider had done so in the intermediate class, and four wins from the opening six rounds saw him build up a substantial Championship lead. The coming into form of 2010 125cc Champion and Moto2 rookie Marc Márquez saw the title fight become a two-way affair as the Spaniard rapidly accumulated wins, but Bradl’s consistency and cool head ensured regular podiums and just one finish outside the top eight; a crash at Assen. Heading into the final round of the year with a 23-point advantage over Márquez after the Spaniard missed the Malaysian GP through injury, Bradl was then confirmed World Champion with the withdrawal of his rival for the final round in Valencia, thus putting the seal on a maiden World Championship after an enthralling season-long fight for the crown. Some facts about Stefan Bradl’s achievement • He is the fifth German rider to win the intermediate-class world title, joining: Werner Haas (250cc in 1953 & 1954), Hermann Paul Muller (250cc in 1955), Dieter Braun (250cc in 1973) and Toni Mang (250cc in 1980, 1981 and 1987). • He is the first German rider to win a world title in any class since Dirk Raudies was 125cc world champion in 1993. • Bradl is the youngest German rider ever to take a World Championship title, adding to his record of being youngest German rider to win an intermediate-class Grand Prix race. • He has finished on the podium eleven times in 2011, including 4 victories. • The only time Bradl has failed to finish in the top eight this year is when he crashed at the Dutch TT. • Bradl started from pole seven times in 2011 including, five successive poles in the opening five races of the year – the first time since 2003 that a rider has started from pole at five successive intermediate-class GP races. Birth date: 29/11/1989 (21 years) Birth place: Augsburg, GER First Grand Prix: CAT – 2005 – 125cc First Pole Position: QAT – 2011 – Moto2 First Podium: QAT – 2008 – 125cc First GP Victory: CZE – 2008 – 125cc Grand Prix Starts: 86 Grand Prix Victories: 7 Podiums: 18 Pole Positions: 7 Race Fastest Lap: 5 World Championship Wins: 1 – 2011 – Moto2 Total Points 2011: 274 *all data correct at 5/11/2011 MotoGP Career 2005: 125cc World Championship – 35th position on a KTM, 3 starts, 1 point 2006: 125cc World Championship – 26th position on a KTM, 9 starts, 4 points 2007: 125cc World Championship – 18th position on an Aprilia, 9 starts, 39 points 2008: 125cc World Championship – 4th position on an Aprilia, 17 starts, 187 points, 2 wins 2009: 125cc World Championship – 10th position on an Aprilia, 16 starts, 85 points 2010: Moto2 World Championship – 9th position on a Suter, 16 starts, 97 points, 1 win 2011: Moto2 World Championship – 1st position on a Kalex, 16 starts, 274 points, 4 wins
