Stefan Bradl is the man to catch in the Moto2 class having opened up a 28-point advantage at the top of the Championship after four rounds, and the Viessmann Kiefer Racing rider is in fine form as the 2011 season pushes on this weekend.

Five races in seven weekends for the intermediate class will deliver plenty of telling action in quick succession, and Bradl is the form man going into Round 5.

The German has won two of the four races in 2011 to date, finishing third at Le Mans in the previous round, and by qualifying in pole position in France became the first rider to take four successive poles in the intermediate category since Jorge Lorenzo did so in 2006.

His closest rival at the moment is Julián Simón, and the Mapfre Aspar rider is hungry for his first Moto2 win.

Spaniard Simón was one of a group of riders who took part in a private Test at the MotorLand Aragón circuit last week, and will be hoping that the progress made there will translate onto the track at Catalunya where he stood on the podium in last year’s race.

Italian Andrea Iannone (Speed Master) is just a point behind Simón in the standings and after crashing out in France will be steeled for an assault on the podium at Catalunya. The Italian started last year’s Moto2 race there from pole and was leading before a ride through penalty dashed his hopes of victory.

Just three points separate Simón in second and Simone Corsi in sixth position in the standings ahead of this weekend.

Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing) and Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) have each taken two podiums so far this season and finished first and second respectively in last year’s Catalunya race, with Corsi (Ioda Racing Project) having had a consistent start to 2011 as well.

Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2) and Bradley Smith (Tech 3) have both had solid starts to the season, whilst Marc Márquez picked up his first points of the year in style in France. The Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol rider became the youngest ever winner of an intermediate class GP race with victory at Le Mans.

Espargaró brothers Aleix (Pons HP 40) and Pol (HP Tuenti Speed Up) will want to impress in their home race, whilst Marc VDS Racing pair Scott Redding and Mika Kallio are both still in search of their first Championship points of the season.

Spaniard Carmelo Morales starts his full-time World Championship entry with the Desguaces La Torre G22 team, having replaced Raffaele de Rosa on the team.