Provisional 2010 125cc Rider Entry List

Last but not least of the entry lists released by the FIM today is the 125cc class. Few surprises here either, but certainly a few names of note. Perhaps the most remarkable name on the list is not that of a rider, but of a bike. The vaunted Italian marque Lambretta is on the grid, fielding a two-rider team. For those over the age of about 40, Lambretta is forever associated with scooters rather than racing motorcycles, in part as a result of popular culture and the film Quadrophenia. But the Lambretta team is actually the remnants of the old Loncin team, the Chinese manufacturer of commuter bikes having pulled out at the end of last season. It is unlikely that the Lambretta team will be racing with vast numbers of lights and mirrors attached to the fairing.

The championship promises to be very close, probably closer than last year, despite the departure of Julian Simon. Though Bancaja Aspar's Bradley Smith is the red hot favorite to win the class, he will have some pretty tough competition. Pol Espargaro has grown in maturity over the past year, and is sure to win at least a couple of races; Marc Marquez has blossomed into a fully-fledged championship-level rider; and both Sandro Cortese and Nico Terol will be a factor. Danny Webb will hope that his switch to the WRB Jack&Jones team will pay dividends, while the two men who dominated the Red Bull Rookies Cup, Jakub Kornfeil and Sturla Fagerhaug, are likely to learn quickly. They have Jonas Folger's example to follow, who showed flashes of genius in 2009 and will hope to convert that into becoming a front runner for 2010.

Provisional 2010 125cc Rider Lineup