125cc class ready for Czech test

The latest episode in the superb 125cc Championship battle takes place at Brno this weekend, where the dominant Marc Márquez (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) will go for a phenomenal sixth straight win. The 17 year-old Spaniard has not been off the top step of the podium since he secured his first World Championship win at Mugello at the start of June, and he holds a 26-point lead at the top of the standings going into the Cardion ab Grand Prix Czech Republic.

His closest rival at the moment is Pol Espargaró, and the Tuenti Racing rider will be desperate to bounce back from the crash at Sachsenring which ended his battle for the race victory with Márquez. Espargaró’s best previous finish at Brno is the fifth place he took last year, but only victory will satisfy his desire to close the gap on his rival.

Making his return to action after sitting out Germany due to the injuries sustained in a fall at Catalunya is Nico Terol, and the Bancaja Aspar rider is still third in the Championship. Presently 39 points off Márquez with 118, Terol will discover his true level of fitness and have one eye on the eight rounds that remain after Brno as he sets about recovering points. He won at the track last season.

His team-mate Bradley Smith, on 105 points, is still in search of his first win of 2010. Further back and separated by a single point are the two remaining podium finishers in Germany, Tomoyoshi Koyama (Racing Team Germany) and Sandro Cortese (Avant Mitsubishi Ajo), and both will fancy their chances of follow-up top-three results in Brno.

Joining the permanent 125cc entry list from this round is Isaac Viñales who replaces Michael van der Mark on the Lambretta Reparto Corse team. Wildcard riders in round nine will be Ladislav Chmelik (Moto FGR), Andrea Touskova (Moto 82), Luigi Morciano and Alessandro Tonucci (both Junior GP Racing FMI).