Karting capers for MotoGP stars

Karting contest for MotoGP stars

Thursday, 7 October 2010

Polishing up on their competitive edge ahead of this weekend’s Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix, a selection of World Championship riders pitted their karting skills against one another in a special pre-event.

Thursday may have been a day off for the MotoGP World Championship riders as they prepare for the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, but a host of stars could not resist the urge to compete with one another on four wheels as they entered a karting competition at the Sepang International Circuit.

Split into two qualification groups Bradley Smith, Marco Melandri, Jules Cluzel, Kenny Noyes, Valentino Rossi, Pol Espargaró, Andrea Iannone, Alex Criville, Uccio and Angel Nieto made up qualification session one, with Dominique Aegerter, Mika Kallio, Jasper Iwema, Danny Webb, Alberto Moncayo, Danny Kent, Joan Olivé, Claudio Corti, Marcel Schrötter and Scott Redding in the second group.

Only ten riders qualified for the race, with Rossi missing out, and after a tight fight to the finish line Melandri took victory ahead of fellow premier class rider Kallio – who set the fastest lap of the race – and Moto2 star Aegerter.