Mika Kallio sees chances of 250 cc title slip in San Marino

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Mika Kallio’s hopes of scoring a Road Racing World Championship title in the 250cc class took a blow on Sunday when he collided with Red Bull KTM teammate Hiroshi Aoyama and was forced to retire after just two laps.
      Kallio had qualified tenth on the grid for the San Marino GP, but he pulled himself up into sixth in the early stages, and had got behind his teammate and was preparing to overtake, when Aoyama inexplicably eased off the gas and Kallio ran into his rear wheel.
      Both riders went out, amidst a certain amount of acrimony from the Finn, who had held out hopes of clawing his way to a podium finish.
     
After 12 races of the 17-race season, Kallio has 164 points and is in second place in the standings, but 26 points behind the leader Marco Simoncelli of Italy.
      Some consolation came in the sense that Simoncelli could do no better than 6th as Alvaro Bautista won an exciting race.
      Bautista is now just one point behind Kallio in third, as the riders prepare for the next GP at Indianapolis in mid-September.
     
Victory in the World Championship battle would be a huge feather in the cap of the Finn, who is currently negotiating a ride for himself in next season’s MotoGP class.
      Finns have won the Formula One drivers' crown on four occasions, but thus far the only Finnish rider to take a motorcycle world championship title was the late Jarno Saarinen, who topped the 250cc category in 1972.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mika Kallio wins in the wet in Shanghai to extend lead in 250cc World Championship (5.5.2008)

Links:
  Mika Kallio personal website
  Mika Kallio (Wikipedia)
  Moto GP: 250 cc

Helsingin Sanomat