Austin, Moto2, FP1: Schrötter dominates, Cardelus worried after causing a red flag

It is under the domination of a Lorenzo Baldassarri double winner in two Grands Prix contested as Moto2 arrives in Austin. Unheard of in the category since a certain Morbidelli in 2017. But the same Baldassarri has only scored in one of his five visits to Texas. And it was only tenth place...

Dominique Aegerter (2014) Sam Lowes (2015 and 2016), Tom Luthi (2017) and Alex Marquez (2018) are the only four riders still present in Moto2 who can claim to have been on the Texan podium since the story began in 2013.

The last six Moto2 races held at the Circuit of the Americas have been won by six different riders: Nico Terol (2013) Maverick Vinales (2014) Sam Lowes (2015) Alex Rins (2016) Franco Morbidelli (2017) et Francis Bagnaia (2018). Alone Kidneys et Morbidely won the day starting from pole position. What does this edition have in store for us, which is also the third round of the season?

Moto2 ™	2018	2019
FP1	2'12.104 Miguel Oliveira
FP2	2'11.104 Miguel Oliveira
FP3	2'11.135 Mattia Pasini
Q1	XXX
Q2	2'10.588 Alex Marquez
warm up	2'11.216 Alex Marquez
Course	Bagnaia, Marquez, Oliveira
All time lap record	2'08.850 Alex Rins 2016

18° in the air and 28° on the bumpy Austin track, conditions are improving in Texas and even more so as the sun shines. We have to take advantage of it, because it seems that for the next few days, the sky would not be as clement... Remember, he finished among the first 14 to have his entry ticket to Q2. agitated will celebrate its 200th start in Texas and in the NTS stand, we note the presence of Raffin which continues the replacement ofOdendal.

But the freelancer who will be observed the most is obviously Pasini who has the handlebars of a Fernandez convalescent alongside Baldassarri. It will be recalled that Manzi et Open up are also absent. Then the first is replaced by Collapsed, the second is not.

In 2'12.908, Schrötter don’t procrastinate signing the first reference. He then improved to 2'12.542, ahead of the SpeedUp of NAVARRO et Gardner. Alex Marquez and Baldassarri follow. Pratama fall at turn 2.

As the halfway point approaches, Pasini places himself in the top 5 and shows that he has lost none of his speed. Sam Lowes, fourth confirms his intention to relive his 2015 victory. Lüthi is sixth ahead of the championship leader, Gardner but also agitated. Schrötter manages his session by raising the cursor to 2'11.530. NAVARRO joins him below the 2'12 zone. For once, the gaps are significant since the first four are within a second.

The last quarter of an hour has come and NAVARRO slams a 2'11.401. agitated places his machine stamped MV Agusta fourth. The beginner bastianini invites himself to the party by climbing sixth.

The last five minutes have begun and this is the moment that chooses Lüthi to get out of the woods. He signs a 2'11.338 which launches the epilogue of the exercise. Binder signs the sixth time for KTM, but we stealthily see a rider lying on the side. It is Cardelus and turn 19…

Schrötter responds well to his teammate in 2'10.937. But we won't go any further. Three minutes from the end, the red flag came out, due to the accident of Cardelus. The ranking gives a Dynavolt double ahead of the SpeedUp of NAVARRO, Lowes et Alex Marquez who is ahead Binder. Which gives us four chassis in the top 6.

The interruption is short-lived, time for the ambulance to evacuate the unfortunate driver of the Sama Qatar team Angel Nieto. Hostilities resume for a little over two minutes. Dixon fell at turn 12. It was the teammate of Cardelus... Marini will take advantage of the sprint to position themselves fourth and Virgo eighth behind Gardner. Brad Binder slips to ninth and Pasini registers tenth. Baldassarri is only fourteenth and therefore only provisionally in Q2…

Austin Moto2 FP1: times

Classification credit: MotoGP.com