3. Mika Kallio (Moto2)
Three races in and 2014 will have already brought back some uncomfortable memories for Mika Kallio. The Finn was outshone and outperformed by a sensational young talent on his way to MotoGP as Scott Redding contested the championship and Mika’s new colleague Esteve Rabat has shown signs in the flyaway races that he intended to follow an identical path.
Jerez though was the scene of Kallio’s counter attack and we were made abundantly clear that the 31 year old meant business in qualifying. Mika has never been a Saturday man with his best form usually saved for Sunday but the Marc VDS man totally dominated on his way to his second Moto2 pole position.
The race was similarly one-sided as Kallio roared into an early lead and comfortably kept Dominique Aegerter at bay, reacting whenever the Swiss gained on him by upping his game and taking victory out of his reach. By Moto2’s standards, 2.4 seconds is a sizeable margin of victory but Kallio wasn’t flattered in any way by the result. This was his weekend and he will hope this is the start of a sustained challenge to Rabat in the title chase.
(Photo Credit: MotoGP.com)