The 2017 FIM Moto2 World Championship was the intermediate class of the 69th Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) Road Racing World Championship season.
The season was marred by the death of Stefan Kiefer, head of Kiefer Racing, in Malaysia. Johann Zarco was the reigning two-time series champion but he did not further defend his title as he joined the series' premier class, MotoGP.
The 2017 season was the first season for the KTM Moto2 chassis, after KTM expanded its factory operations to Moto2 and MotoGP.
Calendar The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 2017. Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 1 26 March ‡ Grand Prix of Qatar Losail International Circuit, Lusail 2 9 April 3 23 April Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas Circuit of the Americas, Austin 4 7 May Gran Premio Red Bull de España Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera 5 21 May HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans 6 4 June Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley Mugello Circuit, Scarperia e San Piero 7 11 June Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló 8 25 June Motul TT Assen TT Circuit Assen, Assen 9 2 July GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland Sachsenring, Hohenstein-Ernstthal 10 6 August Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky Brno Circuit, Brno 11 13 August NeroGiardini Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 12 27 August Octo British Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 13 10 September Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Misano Adriatico 14 Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón MotorLand Aragón, Alcañiz 15 15 October Motul Grand Prix of Japan Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi 16 22 October Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Phillip Island 17 29 October Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix Sepang International Circuit, Sepang 18 12 November Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia
‡ = Night race
Calendar changes The Austrian and Czech Republic Grand Prix swapped places, with the Czech Republic hosting the tenth round, while Austria hosts the eleventh round. The British Grand Prix was scheduled to move from Silverstone to the new Circuit of Wales, but construction on the new track has not commenced. The two circuits reached a deal that will see Silverstone continue to host the British Grand Prix in 2017, with an option to host the 2018 race.
Teams and riders
A provisional list of team entrants for 2017 was released on 26 October 2016. All Moto2 competitors raced with an identical CBR600RR inline-four engine developed by Honda. Teams competed with tyres supplied by Dunlop.
TeamConstructorMotorcycleRiderRounds Garage Plus Interwetten CarXpert Interwetten Kalex Kalex Moto2 2 Jesko Raffin All 12 Thomas Lüthi 1–17 27 Iker Lecuona 3–5, 7–18 52 Danny Kent 6 60 Julián Simón 1–2 88 Ricard Cardús 18 NTS NTS NTS NH6 4 Steven Odendaal 14 Italtrans Racing Team Kalex Kalex Moto2 5 Andrea Locatelli All 54 Mattia Pasini All Kiefer Racing Suter Suter MMX2 6 Tarran Mackenzie 5–18 22 Federico Fuligni 4 52 Danny Kent 1–3 77 Dominique Aegerter All Forward Racing Team Forward Junior Team Kalex Kalex Moto2 7 1–8, 10–18 10 Luca Marini All 22 Federico Fuligni 6–7, 13–14 22 Federico Fuligni 9 QMMF Racing Speed Up Speed Up SF16 8 Saeed Al Sulaiti 1 96 Nasser Al Malki 1 Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 Kalex Kalex Moto2 9 Jorge Navarro 1–16, 18 26 Dimas Ekky Pratama 17 Dynavolt Intact GP Suter Suter MMX2 11 Sandro Cortese All 15 Alex de Angelis 13 23 Marcel Schrötter 1–10, 14–18 52 Danny Kent 11 94 Jake Dixon 12 94 Jake Dixon 18 Tech 3 Racing Tech 3 14 Héctor Garzó 9 60 Julián Simón 3 87 Remy Gardner 1–2, 4–18 97 Xavi Vierge 1–8, 10–18 Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 Kalex Kalex Moto2 15 Alex de Angelis 12, 17 19 Xavier Siméon AGR Team Kalex Kalex Moto2 20 Joe Roberts 10–14 68 Yonny Hernández 1–9 EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Kalex Moto2 21 Franco Morbidelli All 73 Álex Márquez All Speed Up Racing Speed Up Speed Up SF7 24 Simone Corsi All 37 6–18 47 Axel Bassani 2–5 88 Ricard Cardús 1 Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex Kalex Moto2 30 Takaaki Nakagami All 89 Khairul Idham Pawi All BE-A-VIP SAG Team Teluru SAG Team Kalex Kalex Moto2 32 Isaac Viñales All 33 Ikuhiro Enokido 15 45 Tetsuta Nagashima All MuSASHi RT HARC-RRO Kalex Kalex Moto2 34 Ryo Mizuno 15 Pons HP40 Kalex Kalex Moto2 40 Fabio Quartararo All 57 Edgar Pons All Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM KTM Moto2 41 Brad Binder 1–2, 6–18 44 Miguel Oliveira All 88 Ricard Cardús 3–5 Sky Racing Team VR46 Kalex Kalex Moto2 42 Francesco Bagnaia All 62 Stefano Manzi All RW Racing GP Kalex Kalex Moto2 49 Axel Pons All Promoracing Kalex Kalex Moto2 51 Eric Granado 18 Petronas Raceline Malaysia Kalex Kalex Moto2 55 Hafizh Syahrin All Willirace Team Kalex Kalex Moto2 98 Karel Hanika 10Key Regular rider Wildcard rider
Team changes Ajo Motorsport switched to KTM bikes, with KTM making their Moto2 debut. KTM fielded two bikes for Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira. Valentino Rossi's Sky Racing Team VR46 expanded to Moto2, fielding two Kalex bikes for Francesco Bagnaia and Stefano Manzi. SAG Team fielded two bikes again, after running most of the 2016 season with only one bike due to Luis Salom's death at the Catalonia Grand Prix. After four years with Kalex, Dynavolt Intact GP switched to Suter. Leopard Racing reverted to their original name Kiefer Racing. In addition, they have also switched to Suter. Italtrans Racing Team competed with two bikes again in 2017, with Pasini and Locatelli riding. AGR Team have downsized to one bike in exchange for one slot in Moto3 for 2017. QMMF Racing Team withdrew from the championship. As a result of losing their customer, Speed Up Racing have expanded to two bikes. RW Racing GP switched from Moto3 to Moto2 for 2017.
Rider changes Isaac Viñales switched team to SAG Team, filling the spot vacated by the late Luis Salom. Remy Gardner has replaced Viñales in Tech 3 for 2017. Marcel Schrötter switched team to Dynavolt Intact GP, filling the spot vacated by Jonas Folger who moved up to MotoGP with Monster Yamaha Tech 3. Jorge Navarro moved up to Moto2 with Federal Oil Gresini Moto2, filling the spot vacated by Sam Lowes who was promoted to MotoGP with the Aprilia Gresini Team. Francesco Bagnaia and Stefano Manzi moved up to Moto2 with Sky Racing Team VR46. Miguel Oliveira switched team to Red Bull KTM Ajo, with 2016 Moto3 champion Brad Binder who has been promoted to Ajo's Moto2 team as Oliveira's teammate. Both will fill the spot vacated by Johann Zarco who moved up to MotoGP with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 after winning two consecutive Moto2 titles. Xavier Siméon switched from QMMF Racing Team to Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 for 2017 as a replacement for Remy Gardner. Fabio Quartararo moved up to Moto2 with Páginas Amarillas HP 40, filling the seat vacated by Álex Rins who moved up to MotoGP with Team Suzuki Ecstar. After spending his entire Moto2 career with Technomag (including after their merger with Interwetten Paddock in 2015), Dominique Aegerter has switched teams to Kiefer Racing. Andrea Locatelli moved up to Moto2 with the Italtrans Racing Team. Yonny Hernández joined AGR Team after losing his MotoGP seat at Pull & Bear Aspar Team to Karel Abraham, replacing Axel Pons who switched teams to RW Racing GP. Tetsuta Nagashima returned to Moto2 full-time with SAG Team, replacing Jesko Raffin who switched teams to CarXpert Interwetten. CarXpert Interwetten promotes Iker Lecuona with a full-season seat in the team after Lecuona becoming the replacement rider for Dominique Aegerter in 2016. Khairul Idham Pawi moved up to Moto2 with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia. Robin Mulhauser left Moto2 for the Supersport World Championship. 2016 FIM Europe Supersport Cup champion Axel Bassani joined Moto2 with Speed Up Racing.
Mid-season changes Danny Kent surprisingly left Kiefer Racing after not starting the Grand Prix of the Americas due to 'irreconcilable differences'. Federico Fuligni temporarily replaced him in Jerez before Kiefer Racing announced that Tarran Mackenzie will replace Kent for the remainder of the season. Kent returned to Moto2 with GaragePlus Interwetten replacing injured Iker Lecuona at the Italian Grand Prix. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Kent rejoined Moto2 to replace Marcel Schrötter at Dynavolt Intact GP. Ricard Cardús replaced Brad Binder at Red Bull KTM Ajo for 3 rounds. He also replaced Thomas Lüthi at CarXpert Interwetten in Valencia. Axel Bassani left Speed Up Racing after the French Grand Prix due to his bad results with the team, so he was replaced by Augusto Fernández for the rest of the season. Yonny Hernández left the AGR Team midway through the season due to inconsistent race results, managing only 16 points over 9 races. He was replaced by the American Joe Roberts until the Aragon Grand Prix, when the AGR Team folded.
Results and standings Grands Prix Round Grand Prix Pole position Fastest lap Winning rider Winning team 1 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 2 Argentine Republic motorcycle Grand Prix Miguel Oliveira Miguel Oliveira Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 3 Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas Franco Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 4 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix Álex Márquez Franco Morbidelli Álex Márquez EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 5 French motorcycle Grand Prix Thomas Lüthi Franco Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 6 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix Franco Morbidelli Thomas Lüthi Mattia Pasini Italtrans Racing Team Kalex Report 7 Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix Álex Márquez Álex Márquez Álex Márquez EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 8 Dutch TT Franco Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 9 German motorcycle Grand Prix Franco Morbidelli Miguel Oliveira Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 10 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix Mattia Pasini Franco Morbidelli Thomas Lüthi CarXpert Interwetten Kalex Report 11 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix Mattia Pasini Álex Márquez Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 12 British motorcycle Grand Prix Mattia Pasini Franco Morbidelli Kalex Report 13 Mattia Pasini Brad Binder Thomas Lüthi CarXpert Interwetten Kalex Report 14 Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix Miguel Oliveira Mattia Pasini Franco Morbidelli EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 15 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix Takaaki Nakagami Álex Márquez Álex Márquez EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex Report 16 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix Mattia Pasini Brad Binder Miguel Oliveira Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM Report 17 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix Franco Morbidelli Miguel Oliveira Miguel Oliveira Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM Report 18 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix Álex Márquez Franco Morbidelli Miguel Oliveira Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM Report
Riders' standings Scoring system 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