STEP BY STEP: JULIAN SIMÓN’S JOURNEY TO THE TITLE
Preseason – Julián was unsure about his return to the 125cc class, partly because he had spent two years in 250s and partly because he had never ridden an Aprilia in any category of Grand Prix racing. The last time he had ridden the Italian machinery at all had been in the 125cc Aprilia Cup back in 2000, but the all-powerful RSA promised to be a different kettle of fish. It didn’t take long for him to realise that the machine was considered ‘all-powerful’ for a reason and that the technical staff to be put at his disposal had all the experience necessary to get the best out of it. Whoever was on track with him and wherever he went – be it Cheste, Jerez or Estoril – Julián dominated every private test he attended.
MotoGP Test Jerez – The first big test – quite literally – alongside the world’s elite and with the candidates for glory in the smallest category measuring each other up for the first time. Julián passed with flying colours, dominating in every session.
MotoGP Test Qatar – By now paddock wags were already touting him as favourite for the title and the heir apparent to Mike Di Meglio as 125cc World Champion. Julián, however, remained prudent and was well aware of the quality of the opposition, quietly accepting his position as the man everybody else had to beat.
01) Grand Prix of Qatar – The Spaniard was the fastest man on track on both Friday and Saturday, lapping a full second quicker than his closest rival – team-mate Bradley Smith – in the opening session before seeing his advantage slashed to just over a tenth by the same man in qualifying. A week of hard work, which had begun in the MotoGP tests at the same track, made surprises unlikely at the opening round and after setting the first pole position of his career Julián was a standout favourite for victory. However, it proved to be an early lesson in expecting the unexpected. What could be more unexpected than a rainstorm in the middle of the desert?! The race was halted after just four laps, with Simón beaten to the top step of the podium by Andrea Iannone despite leading the Italian when the red flags emerged. With the classification taken back to the previous lap, the Aspar man had no option but to settle for second place.
02) Grand Prix of Japan – Strange happenings continued at the second round of the season, with qualifying in Japan cancelled due to heavy rain and Sunday also affected by a morning downpour, only for bright sunshine to emerge in time for the 125 race. The damp Motegi circuit looked as though it may dry out and after a wet race was declared it was a strategic gamble for all concerned. Julito opted for intermediate tyres and his choice looked to have paid off as he took control of the race in the closing stages. However, a late charge from that man Iannone again proved that slick tyres were the smartest option, the Italian again coming through to edge out the Spaniard. Two second-places from the opening two races represented an impressive start to the campaign but at the same time disappointment for a man who had been so dominant in preseason. The fact he had been denied on both occasions by the same rider certainly didn’t make the pill any easier to swallow.
03) Spanish Grand Prix -Julián Simón arrived at Jerez for his first home race of the season with a moral obligation, at least to himself, to win. With the experience and data gathered in winter testing it was no surprise to see him back on the pace, on pole position for the second time and once again touted as the favourite for victory. However, as he was later to admit, he was eventually beaten by his own desperation to win. After losing positions following a bad start and with Smith disappearing into the distance, Julián hunted him down with fastest lap after fastest lap, including a new record of 1′47.057 at the ‘Cathedral’ of Spanish motorcycling. It was his first lap record and first ‘fastest lap’ of any race, but the opportunity to build on it went up in a cloud of dust just moments later.
04) Grand Prix of France – With that particular lesson learnt you could say that Le Mans would prove to be the turning point of the season for the youngster. Julián started the weekend determined to be on the pace but liberated from the pressure he put himself under at Jerez. His confidence in his own ability returned naturally and with it his first victory of the season. It was also the first victory of his career in a race run over full distance, given that his only previous win at Donington Park in 2005 was cut short by the rain. The Bancaja man was in a different league on the wet French track and his victory was nothing if not convincing, crossing the line with a 30 second advantage over second-placed Jonas Folger. With his first win he also claimed the championship lead for the first time, although not the last.
05) Italian Grand Prix – Now he knew that he could win races and with his championship challenge definitively ignited, Julián went to Mugello with a new approach and for the first time felt mentally prepared to deal with the pressure set to come his way. A breakaway with Smith and Terol ended with a fight to the final lap and a third place for Simon that felt more like a step towards a bigger goal than it did a defeat.
06) Grand Prix of Catalunya – An over eagerness to do well in his home races and impress the Spanish fans has perhaps been the Bancaja rider’s only Achilles heel this season. Once again he started from pole and dominated the race in an entertaining head to head with Iannone, but once again he had his eyes on the prize ahead of schedule and he celebrated victory a lap before the chequered flag. He was passed by a group of riders and could only manage fourth place – a result that felt inadequate but one that was sufficient to move him back to the top of the riders championship. It was a lead that, this time, he would not relinquish.
07) Dutch TT – By now his most dangerous title rivals had become clear and his advantage over them on the track was not as pronounced as it had been at the start of the season, yet even so Julián was amongst the favourites from one circuit to the next. At legendary Assen he became embroiled in a tooth and nail battle with Nico Terol, although in the end victory escaped them both. Sergio Gadea came through to lead his team-mate across the line and seal an Aspar Team one-two that also took the Spanish outfit past the 200th podium milestone. Julito was starting to open daylight at the top of the championship but his two team-mates still had him within their sights.
08) German Grand Prix – The German round proved to be Julián’s first significant step in terms of the championship lead, as he opened up at 25-point gap over Sergio Gadea at Sachsenring. Aware that the twisty nature of the circuit suited his style, Julián dominated the weekend from start to finish and romped clear to take his second victory of the season in much the same style as he had sealed the first. Finally Julito broke his pole position jinx as he turned the front spot on the grid into the top step of the podium for the first time. It was the ideal confidence boost before heading to Donington Park, the scene of his first ever Grand Prix victory back in 2005.
09) British Grand Prix – The second of back-to-back races before an extended summer break for the smaller classes saw an identical result to the first. The way it was achieved was somewhat different, however, with Julián giving chase to a combative lead group in a dry start to the race. When the typical British summer rain arrived at mid-distance, the Bancaja man rode brilliantly to stay upright as many of his rivals hit the deck. The race was stopped and restarted but the carnage continued as several of the contenders for victory crashed out, including Márquez and Smith. The way was left open for Julián, who held off the challenge of Corsi on the final lap to take a pivotal win and a 50-point cushion into the holiday break.
10) Czech Republic Grand Prix – Having had his morale massaged by a relaxing summer spent with that significant advantage at the top of the standings, Julián returned to action at Brno in the mood for another battle. He broke free from the pack with Terol and Iannone for company, going head to head with his fellow Spaniard in a gripping finale. Sensing that twenty points were better than none, Julián gave a demonstration of his growing maturity and after testing Terol with a late attack, he decided that victory could wait for another day and accepted a crucial second place.
11) Indianapolis Grand Prix – The historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway was probably the scene of Simon’s most discreet but most crucial result. On a track surface made difficult by a variety of different kinds of asphalt, Julián took a surprise pole on Saturday following three tricky practice sessions. It looked certain to be a difficult race for the Spaniard but he ran with a lead group of five and weighed up his options. It soon became clear that a podium position would require unnecessary risk-taking and he made the intelligent decision to take fifth place and collect eleven valuable points.
12) San Marino Grand Prix – With the championship entering its final stretch on enemy territory, Julián went toe to toe with home favourite Iannone throughout the majority of the second Italian race of the season. He refused to give up any ground until the arrival of Espargaró, who took over direct combat with the Italian. The Bancaja man read the race perfectly and knew to stay well clear of a frantic scrap between Espargaró and Iannone, which ended with the pair of them tumbling into the gravel in the final corner. Whether it was the luck of a champion or pure intuition, Julito crossed the line victorious once again and took another giant step towards the title.
13) Grand Prix of Portugal – The race that is known as the ‘fourth home Grand Prix’ by Spanish riders was also Simón’s first ‘championship point.’ As the press, fans and his family descended on Estoril, Julito was again desperate to put on a good show. He dominated in practice on Friday and Saturday and cruised to his sixth pole of the season on Sunday. There was little doubt that the Bancaja man was going to put together another one of his now trademark escapes en route to his fifth win of the season and as soon as the lights went out he made his break. However, his impetuosity got the better of him once again and instead of picking up the winner’s trophy he was picking himself up out of the gravel trap. He returned to the track to finish twelfth, edging one small step closer to his ultimate goal.
14) Australian Grand Prix – Having learn from his Estoril disaster, Julián Simón came to Phillip Island with a second chance to be crowned 125cc World Champion. Showing a good pace in practice -although not as dominant as in Portugal- the Bancaja rider started from third on the grid and was ready for any eventuality. He got off to a ad start, but used the drop in positions to stalk the lead group and plan for a later move. He got up to the front with ten laps to go, then fought with teammate Bradley Smith for the race win in a fair and exciting battle. Three corners from the end Simón left his cautious strategy on the shelf and made an attack on Smith, in order to seal the title with a victory. All he had to do was beat rivals Smith and Terol in the race, and with that achieved his 55.5 point advantage guaranteed his place in the history books with two races of the 2009 season still remaining.
