Stefan Bradl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stefan Bradl |
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Bradl at the 2022 British Grand Prix
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| Nationality | German | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 November 1989 Augsburg, West Germany |
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| Current team | Repsol Honda Team (Test/Replacement rider) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stefan Bradl (born on November 29, 1989) is a professional motorcycle racer from Germany. He is famous for winning the Moto2 World Championship in 2011. After that, he moved up to race in MotoGP in 2012.
In MotoGP, one of his best moments was at Laguna Seca in 2013. He started from the very front (called pole position) and finished second in the race. He ended the 2013 season in 7th place, even though he missed two races because of an injury. This was his highest finish ever in MotoGP. Stefan is also the son of a former racer, Helmut Bradl. Today, he works as a test rider for Honda Racing Corporation in MotoGP. He sometimes races as a special guest (wild card) or fills in for injured riders.
Contents
Stefan Bradl's Racing Journey
Early Years in 125cc Racing (2005–2009)
Stefan Bradl was born in Augsburg, West Germany. He started his 125cc World Championship career in 2005. He joined three races as a special guest, riding for KTM. In 2006, he raced more guest races with KTM. He had a serious injury when another rider hit him during practice for the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Later, he joined the 125cc Spanish Championship with Blusens Aprilia. He won the championship by just five points! After that, he raced in a few more World Championship guest races. In 2007, he also joined the Blusens Aprilia Team full-time.
For the 2008 season, Stefan rode for the German Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing team. He got his first win in Brno, which was special because his father had also won there in 1991.
Becoming a Moto2 World Champion (2010–2011)
In 2010, Stefan moved up to the Moto2 racing class. He finished ninth in the championship and won one race in Estoril.
The year 2011 was amazing for Stefan. He won four of the first six races! He had a good lead in the championship for a while. Then, Marc Márquez started to catch up. It looked like the championship would be decided in the very last race. However, Marc Márquez had a bad fall during practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix. He couldn't race for the rest of the season because of problems with his eyesight. This meant Stefan Bradl became the World Champion at the final race in Valencia, Spain.
Racing in MotoGP (2012–2016)
Starting with LCR Honda (2012–2014)
Stefan joined the LCR Honda team in 2012. He had a strong first year, usually finishing in the top 10. His best result was fourth place at the Italian Grand Prix. He finished the season in eighth place and won the "Rookie of the Year" award.
In 2013, Stefan often raced among the second group of top riders. He achieved a big highlight by getting pole position at the United States Grand Prix in Laguna Seca. He also finished second in that race, which was his first time on the podium in MotoGP. Towards the end of the season, he broke his ankle in a crash in Malaysia. He finished the season in seventh place.
In 2014, Stefan continued with LCR Honda. But then, it was announced that another rider would join the team for 2015. So, Stefan decided to move to the Forward Racing team for the next season.
Time with Athinà Forward Racing (2015)
For the 2015 season, Stefan Bradl raced with the Forward Racing team. He scored a few points, but he missed his home race in Germany due to an injury. Later in the season, Stefan left the team because of some problems with the team's management.
Joining Aprilia Racing Team Gresini (2015–2016)
In August 2015, Stefan joined Aprilia Gresini Racing for the rest of the season. He started getting points for them, including a 14th place finish in Brno. In 2016, he continued with Aprilia and finished the season in 16th place overall.
Superbike World Championship (2017)
In 2017, Stefan Bradl moved from MotoGP to the Superbike World Championship. He rode a Honda for the RedBull Honda Team. He raced in 6 full events and 4 half-events, earning 67 points and finishing 14th in the championship.
Back to MotoGP (2018–Present)
Riding for Different Honda Teams (2018)
In 2018, Stefan returned to MotoGP. He filled in for an injured rider at his home race in Germany. He also made two special guest appearances for HRC Honda Team. Later, he replaced another injured rider for the last two races of the season. He earned 10 points that year.
With Repsol Honda Team (2019–Present)
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Since 2019, Stefan has been a test rider for the main Honda MotoGP team. This means he helps develop the bikes. He has also raced as a wild card or filled in for injured riders like Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Márquez.
In 2019, he finished 10th in Jerez as a wild card. He also got 10th in Germany, 15th in Brno, and 13th in Austria while filling in.
In 2020, Stefan became a replacement rider for Marc Márquez for most of the season, as Márquez was recovering from injuries.
In 2021, he again filled in for Márquez early in the season, finishing 11th and 14th in two races in Qatar. He also had a wild card race in Jerez, finishing 12th.
In 2022, Stefan filled in for Marc Márquez again in Argentina, finishing 19th. He also raced in other events when Márquez was injured.
Stefan continues to be an important test rider for Honda, helping them improve their bikes for the races.
Career Highlights
Stefan Bradl has had an exciting career in motorcycle racing. Here are some of his main achievements:
- 125cc Class (2005–2009): He raced 54 times, won 2 races, and was on the podium 6 times.
- Moto2 Class (2010–2011): He raced 33 times, won 5 races, and was on the podium 12 times. Most importantly, he became the Moto2 World Champion in 2011!
- MotoGP Class (2012–2016, 2018–Present): He has raced 131 times, been on the podium once (2nd place at Laguna Seca), and earned one pole position.
- Superbike World Championship (2017): He raced 14 times in this series.
Overall, Stefan has raced in 218 Grand Prix races, won 7 of them, and stood on the podium 19 times. He has also earned 8 pole positions and 5 fastest laps. He is a one-time World Champion!
See also
In Spanish: Stefan Bradl para niños
