The 2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 62nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The season consisted out of 18 races for the MotoGP class and 17 for the 125cc and Moto2 classes, beginning with the Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix on 11 April 2010 and ending with the Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix on 7 November. It was the first season for the new Moto2 class.

Preseason

Moto2 introduction

The Moto2 class replaced the 250cc class for 2010. The original intention was for Moto2 bikes to run alongside the existing 250cc machinery, however the entry list consisted of Moto2 machines only. The new class aimed to be economical, with measures such as limiting electronics (which will be supplied only by FIM sanctioned producers), the ban of carbon-ceramic brakes and the use of steel brakes only; however, there are no chassis limitations. All Moto2 bikes use a mandatory 600cc (36.6 cu in) Honda engine based on the Honda CBR600RR, which are prepared by Honda's European specialized tuner Ten Kate, and produces power of about 150 bhp. Control tyres for the new series were provided by Dunlop only, despite early intentions of leaving tyre specifications free.

Season review

MotoGP class

Jorge Lorenzo was crowned MotoGP World Champion for the first time, after he finished third in the Malaysian Grand Prix on 10 October. Finishing on the podium in 16 of the 18 races – including nine victories – to be held during the season, Lorenzo amassed a record points total for the premier class, achieving a total of 383 points, ten more than the previous best score achieved by Valentino Rossi in. Second in the championship was Dani Pedrosa, 138 points behind Lorenzo, recording four race victories over the course of the season. He and third-placed Rossi both missed at least three races due to injuries suffered during race weekends; Pedrosa suffered a fractured collarbone at Motegi, while Rossi suffered a broken leg at Mugello, resulting in the first missed races of his entire Grand Prix career. The only other rider to win races during the season was Casey Stoner, who finished fourth in the championship. Stoner won three races in the latter half of the season, winning the inaugural race in Aragón, as well as the races at Motegi and his home race at Phillip Island.

Moto2 class

Nine different riders won races in the secondary Moto2 championship, and former MotoGP rider Toni Elías claimed the inaugural championship title, with three events to spare as his seven victories had taken him out of reach of his rivals. Second place went to Julián Simón, who despite not winning a race, finished on the podium eight times. Third place in the championship went to Andrea Iannone, who achieved three victories but lost out on runner-up in the championship to Simón by just two points. The season was also tinged with tragedy as the inaugural race winner in the class, Shoya Tomizawa, died of injuries suffered in an accident at Misano; the first on-track fatality at Grand Prix level since Daijiro Kato was killed in the senior class at Suzuka in. Other riders to win races were Jules Cluzel, Yuki Takahashi, Roberto Rolfo, Alex de Angelis, Stefan Bradl and Karel Abraham.

125cc class

Spanish riders once again dominated the 125cc championship, with a 26-race winning streak for Spanish riders only being broken by Bradley Smith at the final race of the season in Valencia. The top three championship placings went to Spanish riders as Marc Márquez won the championship ahead of Nicolás Terol and Pol Espargaró. With ten victories, Márquez became the second youngest World Champion ever at the age of 17 years, 267 days, with only Loris Capirossi's triumph coming at a younger age.

2010 Grand Prix season calendar

The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 2010: The provisional calendar was announced on 10 November 2009. In case a circuit was not able to hold a scheduled Grand Prix, a reserve race would take place on the same day at the MotorLand Aragón circuit. This was updated six days later, with a date change for the Czech round, moving one week forward. It was announced on 18 March 2010 that Aragón would be included on the calendar, at the expense of the Balatonring, due to the fact that construction work on the latter circuit could not be completed on time. On 19 April 2010, it was announced that the Japanese Grand Prix would be moved from 25 April to 3 October, due to the disruption to air travel after the second eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

Calendar changes

Regulation changes

The following changes are made to the regulation for the 2010 season:

Sporting regulations

Technical regulations

These rules were additionally added on the 15th of August 2010:

• Front slick tyres: Two of the A specification plus two of the B specification.
• Rear slick tyres: Two of the A specification plus two of the B specification.
• Front wet tyres: Two of the standard specification.
• Rear wet tyres: Two of the standard specification. In addition, each rider can use one set of tyres (one front and one rear) that they have retained from their assignment for the following race. These tyres be either new or used (used tyres still have to be mounted on wheels from the last race), and the team has to inform the tyre supplier which set of tyres (one front and one rear), if any, they wish to keep for the test within two hours of the last race finish.

2010 Grand Prix season results

Participants

MotoGP participants

Moto2 participants

125cc participants

Standings

MotoGP standings

Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. Rider had to finish the race to earn points.

Riders' standings

Constructors' standings

Teams' standings

Moto2 standings

Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. Rider had to finish the race to earn points.

Riders' standings

Constructors' standings

Teams' standings

The teams' standings were based on results obtained by regular and substitute riders; wild-card entries were ineligible.

125cc standings

Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. Rider had to finish the race to earn points.

Riders' standings

Constructors' standings

Teams' standings

The teams' standings were based on results obtained by regular and substitute riders; wild-card entries were ineligible.