Viñales has Marquez’s Moto2™ rookie records in his sights

After his victory in the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon, Paginas Amarillas HP 40 rider Maverick Viñales has secured himself the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award for the intermediate class with four races remaining - and he could still also achieve more championship points than Marc Marquez did in his first Moto2™ season.

At Motorland Aragon Viñales notched up his second victory of the season, following his maiden triumph of the year at Austin in only his second race in the class. Viñales now has 204 points in the standings, 138 more than the next best debutante in the category - his teammate Luis Salom – and therefore cannot be outscored for the Rookie of the Year prize.

Indeed, Viñales is having one of the most solid debut seasons in the intermediate category, since the introduction of four-stroke 600cc engines in 2010. Last year the title went to Jordi Torres with 128 points, with one win, two podiums and 90 points more than the next best rookie that year, Marcel Schrotter

In 2012 the top rookie was Johann Zarco, who did not manage any podium results but outscored the next best rookie Takaaki Nakagami by 38 points.

Setting benchmark for the Moto2 category in his debut season so far is Marquez, who notched up 251 points in 2011, 130 more than Bradley Smith, thanks to seven wins and four podiums. However, by contrast that season Marquez failed to score points in six races.

Meanwhile, Viñales with his two wins and four further podiums, has only failed to score points in the race in Argentina.

With the consistency Viñales has been demonstrating he could well be on target to match or beat the 2011 points total of Marquez - and achieve the biggest ever points advantage over the next best classified rookie.