The 2012 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 64th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Casey Stoner started the season as the defending World Champion, while Honda was the defending Manufacturers' Champion. [1]
In the premier MotoGP class, the championship battle revolved around Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo and Honda pairing Dani Pedrosa and defending champion Stoner. Lorenzo won four of the first six races to be held in the campaign to open up an advantage over Stoner, before he was taken out of the Dutch TT on the first lap by Álvaro Bautista; Stoner won the race to eradicate the points lead. [2] In the next race, Stoner crashed out of the German Grand Prix on the final lap and allowed Pedrosa to take his first win of the season. [3] Stoner struggled in the next few races – despite a victory at the United States Grand Prix [4] – with his championship challenge ended by a qualifying crash at Indianapolis. After ankle surgery, [5] he returned to the series and won his final race of his career at his home race, the Australian Grand Prix, for the sixth successive season. [6] Pedrosa went on a run of five victories in six races, with the streak being interrupted by a first-lap crash at Misano, where he was taken out by Héctor Barberá. [7] Lorenzo finished second to Pedrosa on each occasion that he had won, and he took advantage of Pedrosa's accident to win at Misano. [8] Lorenzo ultimately won the title with a second-place finish to Stoner in Australia, after Pedrosa had crashed out of the lead early on.
The MotoGP class saw the introduction of engines with 1,000 cc (61 cu in) in capacity, with a limit of 4 cylinders and a maximum 81 mm (3.2 in) cylinder bore. [9]
In 2012 the MotoGP class saw the introduction of Claiming Rule Teams (CRT) to allow for participation by independent teams with lower budgets. CRTs were given twelve engines per rider, six more than the other teams and more fuel – 24 litres (5.3 imperial gallons) instead of 21 litres (4.6 imperial gallons) – but were subject to a factory team buying, or "claiming", their engines for €15,000, or €20,000 with the transmission. [10] The sport's governing body received applications from sixteen new teams looking to join the MotoGP class. [11]
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 2012: [12] [13]
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme released an 18-race provisional calendar on 14 September 2011. [14] Another provisional calendar was released three months later, with the Qatar Grand Prix moved forward by a week. [15]
All the bikes used Bridgestone tyres.
In June 2011, the FIM announced that six teams from Moto2 – Interwetten Paddock, Forward Racing, Marc VDS, Kiefer Racing, Speed Master and BQR-Blusens (later renamed Avintia Racing) [41] – had been granted entries to the 2012 grid; [42] two additional entries – Paul Bird Motorsport [39] and Ioda Racing [56] – announced that they had been accepted to the grid, running under CRT regulations. However, Interwetten Paddock, Marc VDS, and Kiefer Racing were absent from the revised grid released by FIM in January 2012. [16]
Round | Grand Prix | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning rider | Winning team | Winning constructor | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Report |
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|
Bold – Pole
|
Each constructor received the same number of points as their best placed rider in each race.
Pos | Constructor | QAT ![]() | SPA ![]() | POR ![]() | FRA ![]() | CAT ![]() | GBR ![]() | NED ![]() | GER ![]() | ITA ![]() | USA ![]() | INP ![]() | CZE ![]() | RSM ![]() | ARA ![]() | JPN ![]() | MAL ![]() | AUS ![]() | VAL ![]() | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 412 |
2 | ![]() | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 386 |
3 | ![]() | 6 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 192 |
4 | ![]() | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 100 |
5 | ![]() | NC | Ret | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 9 | Ret | DSQ | Ret | Ret | 14 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 43 |
6 | ![]() | 15 | Ret | 15 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 13 | 35 | |
7 | ![]() | 12 | 16 | DNS | 17 | NC | 16 | Ret | 12 | Ret | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 14 | 27 |
8 | ![]() | 14 | 17 | Ret | 11 | 13 | 8 | 18 | ||||||||||||
9 | ![]() | Ret | 13 | 15 | Ret | 19 | 17 | 11 | 17 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 17 | 9 | ||||||
10 | ![]() | DNQ | 14 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | ![]() | 14 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
![]() | 16 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Ret | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
Pos | Constructor | QAT ![]() | SPA ![]() | POR ![]() | FRA ![]() | CAT ![]() | GBR ![]() | NED ![]() | GER ![]() | ITA ![]() | USA ![]() | INP ![]() | CZE ![]() | RSM ![]() | ARA ![]() | JPN ![]() | MAL ![]() | AUS ![]() | VAL ![]() | Pts |
The teams' standings were based on results obtained by regular and substitute riders; wild-card entries were ineligible.
Pos | Team | Bike No. | QAT ![]() | SPA ![]() | POR ![]() | FRA ![]() | CAT ![]() | GBR ![]() | NED ![]() | GER ![]() | ITA ![]() | USA ![]() | INP ![]() | CZE ![]() | RSM ![]() | ARA ![]() | JPN ![]() | MAL ![]() | AUS ![]() | VAL ![]() | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 603 | |||
26 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | |||
56 | 8 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
2 | ![]() | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 11 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 5 | 5 | Ret | Ret | 458 | ||
21 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
99 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ret | |||
3 | ![]() | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 369 |
35 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 4 | Ret | Ret | 3 | Ret | |||
4 | ![]() | 46 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 5 | Ret | 7 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 285 |
69 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 6 | DNS | 7 | Ret | 8 | 4 | 8 | Ret | ||||
5 | ![]() | 19 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 221 |
51 | NC | Ret | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 9 | Ret | DSQ | Ret | Ret | 14 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 5 | |||
6 | ![]() | 14 | 13 | Ret | 13 | Ret | 15 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | Ret | 8 | 9 | 11 | Ret | Ret | 11 | 12 | 136 |
41 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | Ret | 13 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Ret | 10 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 11 | |||
7 | ![]() | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 | Ret | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 135 |
8 | ![]() | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | WD | Ret | 12 | 10 | 7 | 12 | Ret | 93 | ||
24 | Ret | 11 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | ![]() | 2 | 16 | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
17 | Ret | 17 | Ret | Ret | 12 | WD | DNS | 10 | 8 | 9 | Ret | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | |||||
10 | ![]() | 22 | 16 | 15 | Ret | 18 | 20 | 18 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 15 | Ret | 44 | ||
43 | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||
44 | 15 | Ret | |||||||||||||||||||
68 | 14 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 18 | 15 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 | Ret | DNS | |||||
73 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 | ![]() | 50 | 18 | Ret | Ret | 11 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | Ret | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 9 | Ret | 9 | 35 |
12 | ![]() | 9 | Ret | 13 | 15 | Ret | 19 | 17 | 11 | 17 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 17 | 14 | 17 | Ret | 11 | 13 | 8 | 27 |
13 | ![]() | 5 | 12 | 16 | DNS | NC | 16 | Ret | 12 | Ret | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 14 | 27 | |
7 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | ![]() | 54 | 17 | 14 | Ret | 12 | 17 | Ret | 10 | Ret | 15 | Ret | Ret | 16 | Ret | 16 | 13 | ||||
84 | 16 | DSQ | Ret | Ret | |||||||||||||||||
Pos | Team | Bike No. | QAT ![]() | SPA ![]() | POR ![]() | FRA ![]() | CAT ![]() | GBR ![]() | NED ![]() | GER ![]() | ITA ![]() | USA ![]() | INP ![]() | CZE ![]() | RSM ![]() | ARA ![]() | JPN ![]() | MAL ![]() | AUS ![]() | VAL ![]() | Pts |
Seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has confirmed he will leave the Fiat Yamaha team to ride for Ducati for two years from 2011.
Ducati has extended Nicky Hayden's contract by a further two years, meaning the American will stay on to partner Valentino Rossi in 2011 and 2012.
During its official preview for this weekend's Czech Republic Grand Prix, Honda stated that Pedrosa and Stoner – who already have a contract in place for 2012 – will be the only riders on the new bike at Brno.
An agreement has been reached between Alvaro Bautista and Fausto Gresini for the Spaniard to ride a Honda RC213V with Team San Carlo Honda Gresini in 2012. Thanks to the co-operation of Suzuki, Bautista gets his first chance to ride the bike ridden this year by Hiroshi Aoyama at Valencia today.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is delighted to announce the signing of British rider Cal Crutchlow to contest the MotoGP World Championship for the next two years.
Kiefer Racing, which currently leads the Moto2 standings with Stefan Bradl, BQR/Blusens, Forward Racing, Marc VDS Racing, Interwetten Paddock GP and the Speed Master team set up around Andrea Iannone this year will all have the opportunity to run one bike in MotoGP from next year under the less restricted 'Claiming Rule Teams' system being introduced as part of the switch from 800cc to 1000cc engines.