Austin Moto2 FP2: Oliveira untouchable and KTM impregnable?

On a Austin route with precarious grip due to work on the track which did not bring the expected effect, Miguel Oliveira had achieved, during the morning in Texas, the best time of the first free practice session. Last year, he started his performance in Austin in the same way. But, for this edition of the Grand Prix of the Americas, he hopes for better than a sixth place at the finish of the race, taken in 2017. Especially since the KTMs seem to appreciate the Texan air, given the result of 'entire first match.

Before we begin, here is the table that keeps the memory alive…

 

Austin Moto2™	2017	2018
FP1	2'11.606 Miguel Oliveira	2'12.104 Miguel Oliveira
FP2	2'10.601 Alex Marquez
FP3	2'10.164 Alex Marquez
Qualification	2'09.379 Franco Morbidelli
Warm Up	2'10.089 Takaaki Nakagami
Course	Morbidelli, Lüthi, Nakagami
All time lap record	2'08.850 Alex Rins 2016

21° in the air and 32° on the track, the conditions are downright ideal when the Moto2 protagonists launch into battle. Nagashima fall at the entry turn 1, and without gravity. In 2'11.104, Olive tree announces that he wants to make the Texan afternoon equal to the morning. Alex Marquez follows, just like fenati et Isaac Viñales. Sam Lowes closes the first top 5 reported.

After the first quarter of an hour, Brad Binder sticks to his teammate and presents a double of the official Austrian machines. Last year, the South African, injured, missed the Texan meeting, and this is therefore the first time he has ridden in Austin on a Moto2.

Before starting the last part, NAVARRO positions himself in third place in front Alex Marquez and one Pasini leader of the championship who seems to have finished with his mechanical problems of the morning.

Bendsneyder goes to the ground at turn 12 with a Mistral 610 which seems to be suffering since Gardner is only 22nd. Five minutes from time, Lowes jumps to second and now ensures a KTM trio in the first positions. Remy gardner confirms a bad day for Tech3 by falling at turn 9.

But the day was on the other hand good for KTM which equips the leading duo. Duo only? Yes, because, in a final burst, Alex Marquez settled third to the detriment of Binder. Mir closes the top 5 and is first among the beginners. Barbera, eighth in front Pasini enters the top 10 and does better than his teammate Baldassarri, second in the championship, but thirteenth. Quarterly will blow out its 19 candles from the 17th position.

Austin Moto2 FP2: Chronos

1	44	Miguel OLIVEIRA	KTM	2'11.104
2	22	Sam LOWES	KTM	2'11.125	0.021	0.021
3	73	Alex MARQUEZ	Kalex	2'11.173	0.069	0.048
4	41	Brad BINDER	KTM	2'11.339	0.235	0.166
5	36	Joan Mir	Kalex	2'11.450	0.346	0.111
6	32	Isaac VIÑALES	Kalex	2'11.570	0.466	0.120
7	27	Iker LECUONA	KTM	2'11.578	0.474	0.008
8	40	Hector BARBERA	Kalex	2'11.603	0.499	0.025
9	54	Matthias PASINI	Kalex	2'11.628	0.524	0.025
10	9	Jorge NAVARRO	Kalex	2'11.645	0.541	0.017
11	13	Roman FENATI	Kalex	2'11.779	0.675	0.134
12	42	Francesco Bagnaia	Kalex	2'11.779	0.675
13	7	Lorenzo BALDASSARRI	Kalex	2'11.783	0.679	0.004
14	24	Simone COURSES	Kalex	2'11.856	0.752	0.073
15	97	Xavi VIRGIN	Kalex	2'11.865	0.761	0.009
16	10	Luca MARINI	Kalex	2'11.940	0.836	0.075
17	20	Fabio QUARTARARO	Speed ​​Up	2'11.959	0.855	0.019
18	23	Marcel SCHROTTER	Kalex	2'11.982	0.878	0.023
19	77	Dominique AEGERTER	KTM	2'12.011	0.907	0.029
20	45	Tetsuit NAGASHIMA	Kalex	2'12.536	1.432	0.525
21	5	Andrea LOCATELLI	Kalex	2'12.562	1.458	0.026
22	52	Danny Kent	Speed ​​Up	2'12.745	1.641	0.183
23	87	Remy GARDNER	Tech 3	2'12.753	1.649	0.008
24	16	Joe ROBERTS	NTS	2'13.171	2.067	0.418
25	64	Bo BENDSNEYDER	Tech 3	2'13.248	2.144	0.077
26	51	Eric GRANADO	Suter	2'13.450	2.346	0.202
27	62	Stefano MANZI	Suter	2'13.500	2.396	0.050
28	4	Steven ODENDAAL	NTS	2'13.502	2.398	0.002
29	89	Khairul Idham PAWI	Kalex	2'13.795	2.691	0.293
30	95	Jules DANILO	Kalex	2'14.256	3.152	0.461
31	63	Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN	Kalex	2'15.152	4.048	0.896
32	21	Federico FULIGNI	Kalex	2'17.043	5.939	1.891