An introduction to… Shoya Tomizawa

With so many new faces in the MotoGP paddock this season across all classes and a packed Moto2 grid there are some names and faces which may not be all that familiar to fans. This is where the ‘An introduction to…’ series can help you get to know better the riders competing in the 2010 World Championship.

Shoya Tomizawa has made a superb start to the campaign in only his second season in the World Championship, appearing to make the step up to Moto2 seamlessly after a single season in the 250cc category.

The Technomag-CIP rider’s best result in his debut season was 10th, achieved in his home GP and at Valencia, as he also experienced a series of crashes that made his maiden campaign a steep learning curve.

“My debut year was very difficult because I didn’t know the circuits, so I had to learn them and that’s why I couldn’t finish in the higher positions,” said Tomizawa.

The 19 year-old from Chiba’s adaptation to the 600cc 4-stroke Moto2 machine has been impressive however, as he took victory in the season-opening race in Qatar and then finished second in round two at Jerez to move to the top of the standings ahead of round three at Le Mans.

“600cc is very smooth and I can run very well but the braking is very hard, and that’s why I couldn’t run well at first. But it’s coming now,” said Tomizawa, who rides a Suter chassis. “Many things happen during the race and it can be easy to crash! In Moto2 there are 40 riders, so I never think about the others, just myself.”

“The season is very long and if I think about the Championship overall I get very tired. I have to think race by race.”

You can watch the full interview with Tomizawa, in which he also discusses his racing career prior to the World Championship, in the attached motogp.com video.