MotoGP Silverstone: Moto2 race preview

With Vietti and Fernandez equal on points and Ogura only trailing by one, it’s back to square one for Moto2 at Silverstone – in the best way.

There was a runaway favourite at the start of the 2022 Moto2 title fight as Mooney VR46’s Celestino Vietti pulled out some margin, but plenty has happened since then to give us an almost clean slate at the front of the intermediate championship. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez has clawed his way back from a tougher start to equal Vietti on points, and Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura has become a Grand Prix winner and a serious contender as he’s only a further point in arrears. So what will Silverstone bring as the second half of the season gets in gear?

The three will surely be in the fight at the front once again, but Fernandez is likely the favourite as a former winner at the venue in Moto2. They’re also unlikely to be in a three-horse race, with plenty of contenders aiming for the podium. Aron Canet is the first looking to usurp all three as he’ll be back in action on the Flexbox HP 40 after a tumultuous rollercoaster of injury, incredible rides through the pain barrier and then more health struggles, and he’s also still looking for that maiden Moto2 win after having come very, very close. Moto3 Champion Pedro Acosta will also likely be back from injury and has already taken that first win in the class, so it’ll be interesting to see where he slots back in…

Then there are the home heroes. Elf Marc VDS’s Sam Lowes has had an up and down season so far, but has a wealth of experience at Silverstone despite it not always rewarding him big. GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon, meanwhile, is arguably the Brit with the momentum after a podium at Assen – his second in Grand Prix racing –