A few days after the first Thai meeting in history, the SWISS INNOVATIVE INVESTORS KTM team resumed hostilities on the Motegi circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Rain was among the protagonists of the opening session on Friday morning. Despite precarious conditions, Sam Lowes immediately felt comfortable riding his KTM. Author of the ninth time, the Briton however did not manage to confirm the afternoon, victim of a fall in his second lap on a track that was still wet.
Iker Lecuona, for his part, preferred to concentrate on the second free practice session. The young Spaniard first completed a long run while progressing with each lap. Among the fastest, Iker Lecuona grabbed a few extra tenths in the final minutes to set the benchmark time for the opening day in Motegi.
Iker Lecuona (1st — 1'52.159) : “It was a good day. In the wet this morning, it was impossible to drive, both on slicks and wet tires. The second session wasn't perfect, but it went pretty well. There were still some traces of humidity, but we could ride. Step by step, I felt better and better on the bike and I achieved faster times. I finished first, but it was only the first day and the conditions were not the most ideal. I'm happy, we have to stay calm and keep working. »
Sam Lowes (26th — 1'55.354) : “It’s obviously frustrating to fall in the second round in FP2. The conditions weren't that bad, but there were still some wet tracks on the track and I got trapped. However, I felt very comfortable on the bike before I crashed. I was quick from the start, and that's a good thing. It's the first time in six months that I felt so good on the bike. It was a strange day. It's not ideal, but it's only the beginning. I'm doing well and my first feeling is better than I thought. »
Matthieu Grodecoeur (Chief Mechanic – Iker Lecuona) : “We were unable to work this morning due to the conditions. The idea was therefore to complete a long run on a bike and tires that we know this afternoon, because a new front tire is available for this event. We progressed without putting pressure on ourselves lap after lap. Iker did an excellent job and set consistent times. Even if we are still far from the best times on this route, it is always a good thing to start like this and collect some information. The weather promises to be unpredictable on Saturday and we must prepare for all eventualities. You will just have to stay focused and calm. »
Japanese Grand Prix, Motegi, Moto2, J.1: times
| 1 | 27 | Iker LECUONA | KTM | 1'52.159 | ||
| 2 | 42 | Francesco Bagnaia | Kalex | 1'52.278 | 0.119 / 0.119 | |
| 3 | 40 | Augusto FERNANDEZ | Kalex | 1'52.390 | 0.231 / 0.112 | |
| 4 | 20 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Speed Up | 1'52.517 | 0.358 / 0.127 | |
| 5 | 41 | Brad BINDER | KTM | 1'52.640 | 0.481 / 0.123 | |
| 6 | 44 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | 1'52.715 | 0.556 / 0.075 | |
| 7 | 45 | Tetsuit NAGASHIMA | Kalex | 1'52.718 | 0.559 / 0.003 | |
| 8 | 23 | Marcel SCHROTTER | Kalex | 1'52.819 | 0.660 / 0.101 | |
| 9 | 73 | Alex MARQUEZ | Kalex | 1'53.044 | 0.885 / 0.225 | |
| 10 | 10 | Luca MARINI | Kalex | 1'53.088 | 0.929 / 0.044 | |
| 11 | 36 | Joan Mir | Kalex | 1'53.135 | 0.976 / 0.047 | |
| 12 | 62 | Stefano MANZI | Suter | 1'53.189 | 1.030 / 0.054 | |
| 13 | 77 | Dominique AEGERTER | KTM | 1'53.263 | 1.104 / 0.074 | |
| 14 | 24 | Simone COURSES | Kalex | 1'53.274 | 1.115 / 0.011 | |
| 15 | 9 | Jorge NAVARRO | Kalex | 1'53.632 | 1.473 / 0.358 | |
| 16 | 54 | Matthias PASINI | Kalex | 1'53.632 | 1.473 / 0.000 | |
| 17 | 4 | Steven ODENDAAL | NTS | 1'53.684 | 1.525 / 0.052 | |
| 18 | 2 | Jesko RAFFIN | Kalex | 1'53.763 | 1.604 / 0.079 | |
| 19 | 64 | Bo BENDSNEYDER | Tech 3 | 1'53.984 | 1.825 / 0.221 | |
| 20 | 87 | Remy GARDNER | Tech 3 | 1'54.018 | 1.859 / 0.034 | |
| 21 | 16 | Joe ROBERTS | NTS | 1'54.102 | 1.943 / 0.084 | |
| 22 | 97 | Xavi VIRGIN | Kalex | 1'54.329 | 2.170 / 0.227 | |
| 23 | 57 | Edgar PONS | Speed Up | 1'54.387 | 2.228 / 0.058 | |
| 24 | 5 | Andrea LOCATELLI | Kalex | 1'54.550 | 2.391 / 0.163 | |
| 25 | 7 | Lorenzo BALDASSARRI | Kalex | 1'54.686 | 2.527 / 0.136 | |
| 26 | 66 | Niki TUULI | Kalex | 1'54.801 | 2.642 / 0.115 | |
| 27 | 95 | Jules DANILO | Kalex | 1'55.048 | 2.889 / 0.247 | |
| 28 | 22 | Sam LOWES | KTM | 1'55.354 | 3.195 / 0.306 | |
| 29 | 32 | Isaac VIÑALES | Suter | 1'55.470 | 3.311 / 0.116 | |
| 30 | 89 | Khairul Idham PAWI | Kalex | 1'55.768 | 3.609 / 0.298 | |
| 31 | 21 | Federico FULIGNI | Kalex | 1'56.106 | 3.947 / 0.338 | |
| 32 | 18 | Xavi CARDELUS | Kalex | 1'56.526 | 4.367 / 0.420 |
