Day 1 of the official Moto2™ and Moto3™ test at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve saw Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) make a late lunge to the top in the intermediate class, the Brit ending the day 0.075 ahead of Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40).
Almost as close was Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), only another four thousandths in arrears. Only a few more thousandths behind came his teammate, reigning Moto3™ World Champion Pedro Acosta, with last year’s rookie sensation maintaining that moniker as he moves into the intermediate class…
Then came a small gap back to Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) as the number 6 ended the day 0.265 off Acosta, heading up another group of incredibly tight laptimes. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team) were up next, with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) just 0.002 off Arenas. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) took P9, with Fermin Aldeguer (Speed Up Racing) taking tenth.
The likes of Fernandez, Acosta, Ogura, Beaubier and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing) didn’t head out in the final session and with laptimes only a second off the pole record already, how much more will get pulled out the locker on Day 2?
Moto2 Testing Day 1 Top Three (Full Results Here)
1 Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) – Kalex – 1:43.169
2 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +0.075
3 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +0.089
Moto3
Tatsuki Suzuki began his tenure with Leopard Racing by topping the timesheets on Day 1, the Japanese rider putting in a 1’48.575 to pull nearly a tenth and a half clear of Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team), who is gearing up for his second season in Moto3™. It was a rookie completing the top three though, with David Muñoz (BOE SKX) 0.283 off the top.
That denied Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) as the Turk was an apt 0.053 further back, with another rookie standout in fifth: Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI). The Brazilian debutant was even closer in the tight field, 0.017 off Öncü.
Adrian Fernandez seems to be settling in at Red Bull KTM Tech 3 as he ended Day 1 in P6, just ahead of Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Aspar Team). Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) put CFMoto into the top ten on their debut in P8, ahead of another impressive rookie in Ivan Ortola (Team MTA). Ayumu Sasaki’s first official day in Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max colours saw the Japanese rider complete the top ten.
That leaves the likes of Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) outside the top ten, but it is, after all, only the first day. And Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), the runner up last season, will be glad of that too as he was sidelined due to illness. Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) is also sidelined, the Japanese rookie through injury after breaking his ankle, and he will unfortunately miss the test.
Moto3 Testing Day 1 Top Three (Full Results Here)
1 Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) – Honda – 1’48.575
2 Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team – GASGAS – +0.131
3 David Muñoz (BOE SKX) – KTM – +0.283
