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Australia Moto2 FP1: Jorge Martin puts the KTM at the forefront on a wet track

by | Oct 25, 2019

This Moto2 version of the Australian Grand Prix should be considered as the first match point for Álex Márquez, thus able to join his illustrious brother Marc on this season's list of winners. To get there, he will absolutely have to finish on the podium, which will not be so simple. The Marc VDS driver indeed comes out of a Japanese Grand Prix with a sixth place, his worst result since the 24e position of Jerez. And what’s more, other drivers are late revealing their great form…

It is so with Marini, winner successively of the last two meetings or even Jorge Martin who seems to have found the mode of operation of his KTM. The newbie this year in the category and outgoing Moto3 World Champion will be one to watch.

Alex Marquez will he make the difference this weekend in Australia? Before answering this question, here is the table which summarizes the facts…

Phillip Island Moto2™

 2018

2019
FP1

1'33.788 Marcel Schrötter

 1'45.823s Jorge Martin
FP2

1'33.701 Brad Binder
FP3

1'34.143 Marcel Schrötter
Q1

XXX
Q2

1'33.368 Mattia Pasini
Warm-up

1'33.628 Brad Binder
Course

Binder, Mir, Virgo
All time lap record  

 

58 points cover the top six in the Moto2 championship, which is the smallest margin after the first 16 races since the discipline began in 2010. Any of these six riders can still clinch the Moto2 title. Tom Lüthi, Augusto Fernández, Jorge Navarro, Brad Binder and Luca Marini are now Álex Márquez's only rivals.

It is 14,4 degrees in the air and 17,7 degrees on a wet track, the rain having been present on this first day.

It went on for 40 minutes and Marini fell at the start of the session in turn 2 just like Márquez in turn 4.

Gardner, the local, set the reference time for the session in 1.51.782s ahead of Chantra and Raffin. The Australian improves everything after lap, he now laps in 1.49.367s. Bulega, Schrötter, Chantra and Lowes make up the top5

Di Giannantonio crashes in turn 6.

Tech3 driver Bezzecchi made the effort and came in third best time in 1.49.344s. The 1.48 mark is crossed by Gardner in 1.48.295s, by Chantra and Bulega. Bezzecchi improves and takes the reference time in 1.47.732s.

Fall of Ekky Pratama and Cardelus in turn 4.

Bulega, in turn, took the lead by setting the best lap time in 1.46.872s. Bezzecchi and Chantra follow suit. Bastianini crashes in turn 6. Chantra gets involved in turn 12. Dixon also crashes in turn 8.

15 minutes from the end of the session, Bulega took the best time in 1.46.872s. Binder, future successor to Zarco on the official KTM in MotoGP next year, is currently fifth best time in 1.48.239s. Bezzecchi, Manzi, Chantra and Baldassarri make up the top5. Márquez, the championship leader, is in nineteenth place.

Still 4 minutes before the end of this first session and Bulega is holding the line in these precarious conditions. It runs in 1.46.594s. He is ahead of Manzi, Virgo, Locatelli and Bezzecchi. Tulovic crashes in turn 4.

Another fall for Ekky Pratama in turn 6 while Bendsneyder manages to recover his machine, narrowly missing out.

Virgo goes to the mat in turn 10.

At the end of the session, it was Martin who set the best time of the session in 1.45.823s ahead of Bulega and Manzi. Heavy fall from Gardner in turn 8.

Baldassarri falls in turn 6.

Finish: Martin ahead of Bulega and Manzi. Virginie and Lüthi closed the top5.

 

Full results:

Pos Name Race time Gap (first/prev) number Nat. Team Motorcycle PTS
1 Jorge MARTIN 01'45.823 88 SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM
2 Nicolò BULEGA 01'46.594 +0.771 / 0.771 11 ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 Kalex
3 Stefano MANZI 01'46.961 +1.138 / 0.367 62 ITA MV Agusta Temporary Forward MV Agusta
4 Xavi VIRGIN 01'46.998 +1.175 / 0.037 97 SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex
5 Thomas LÜTHI 01'47.07 +1.184 / 0.009 12 SWI Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex
6 Andrea LOCATELLI 01'47.106 +1.283 / 0.099 5 ITA Italtrans Racing Team Kalex
7 Marco BEZZECCHI 01'47.256 +1.433 / 0.150 72 ITA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM
8 Sam LOWES 01'47.33 +1.507 / 0.074 22 GBR Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 Kalex
9 Alex MÁRQUEZ 01'47.539 +1.716 / 0.209 73 SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex
10 Marcel SCHRÖTTER 01'47.633 +1.810 / 0.094 23 GER Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex
11 Remy GARDNER 01'47.742 +1.919 / 0.109 87 AUS ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team Kalex
12 Somkiat CHANTRA 01'47.867 +2.044 / 0.125 35 THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex
13 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA 01'48.119 +2.296 / 0.252 45 JPN ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team Kalex
14 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI 01'48.137 +2.314 / 0.018 7 ITA Flexbox HP 40 Kalex
15 Brad BINDER 01'48.142 +2.319 / 0.005 41 RSA Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM
16 Bo BENDSNEYDER 01'48.341 +2.518 / 0.199 64 NED NTS RW Racing GP NTS
17 Jesko RAFFIN 01'48.615 +2.792 / 0.274 2 SWI NTS RW Racing GP NTS
18 Augusto FERNÁNDEZ 01'48.955 +3.132 / 0.340 40 SPA Flexbox HP 40 Kalex
19 Joe ROBERTS 01'49.24 +3.201 / 0.069 16 USA monday.com American Racing KTM
20 Jorge NAVARRO 01'49.137 +3.314 / 0.113 9 SPA Beta Tools Speed ​​Up Speed ​​Up
21 Xavi CARDELUS 01'49.622 +3.799 / 0.485 18 AND Gaviota Angel Nieto Team KTM
22 Dimas EKKY PRATAMA 01'49.637 +3.814 / 0.015 20 INA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex
23 Dominique AEGERTER 01'49.728 +3.905 / 0.091 77 SWI MV Agusta Temporary Forward MV Agusta
24 Lukas TULOVIC 01'50.98 +4.275 / 0.370 3 GER Kiefer Racing KTM
25 Jake DIXON 01'50.698 +4.875 / 0.600 96 GBR Gaviota Angel Nieto Team KTM
26 Philipp ÖTTL 01'51.207 +5.384 / 0.509 65 GER Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM
-1 Mattia PASINI 01'54.98 +8.275 / 1.192 54 ITA Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 Kalex
-1 Luca MARINI 00'00. 10 ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 Kalex
-1 Iker LECUONA 00'00. 27 SPA monday.com American Racing KTM
27 Adam NORRODIN 01'52.116 +6.293 / 0.909 47 MAL Petronas Sprinta Racing Kalex
28 Enea BASTIANINI 01'52.881 +7.058 / 0.765 33 ITA Italtrans Racing Team Kalex
29 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO 01'52.906 +7.083 / 0.025 21 ITA Beta Tools Speed ​​Up Speed ​​Up

 

 

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