British Grand Prix Silverstone Moto2 FP1: Germany dominates like in Moto3 but with Schrotter

It's a tight Moto2 championship to say the least which presents itself for a British Grand Prix which will take place on the track of Silverstone. Under uncertain skies and resurfaced asphalt, Francesco Bagnaia and Miguel Oliveira will resume their duel for the crown that began at the start of this season. Both have scored in the last eleven meetings, and they are only separated by three points in favor of the Italian at Kalex. This is the smallest gap in the intermediate category since the point separating Biaggi and Capirossi in 1994.

Since we're talking history, here is the table summarizing the chronometric facts:

 

Silverstone Moto2™	2017	2018
FP1	2'08.191 Dominique Aegerter
FP2	2'07.491 Alex Marquez
FP3	2'06.996 Alex Marquez
Qualification	2'06.572 Mattia Pasini
Warm Up	2'07.035 Takaaki Nakagami
Course	Nakagami, Pasini, Morbidelli
All time lap record	2'06.345 Sam Lowes 2015

 

Furthermore, the last eight Moto2 races which have taken place over the last eight years at Silverstone have produced eight different winners: Jules Cluzel (2010) Stefan bradl (2011) Pol Espargaro (2012) Scott Redding (2013) Tito Rabat (2014) Johann zarco (2015) Tom Luthi (2016) et Takaaki Nakagami (2017). Only one of them won the prize starting from pole position: Pol Espargaro (2012)

16° in the air, 23° on the track, and an overcast sky, these are the conditions for this start of the Battle of Britain. Virgin returns to the peloton after his Austrian withdrawal due to a hand injury which is better since he signed for Marc VDS Racing with, with a view to 2019. We will recall in this regard that Sam Lowes will return to Gresini while NAVARRO will be the spearhead of SpeedUp.

Simone Courses goes to the ground at the start of turn 13 as he comes out of an operation on the finger of his right hand. In 2'10.658, bagnaia signs the first reference. But his compatriot fenati is four tenths better whileOlive tree crash of his KTM at turn 3. Pasini et Marquez repel bagnaia fourth. The first few minutes are hectic to say the least!

In 2'10.182, lecuona shows the way for KTM and its team which does not have reassuring economic times. His teammate Lowes then passes him but the leader of the first quarter of an hour finally turns out to be Schrotter in 2'10.045. Alex Marquez gets a fright while Quarterly takes fourth place.

 

Schrotter confirms his leadership by passing the barrier of 2'10 per lap. Lowes, bagnaia follow him in this area but not yet Quarterly which is 2 all round. Gardner is then eighth with the Mistral610. bagnaiathen Lowes pass the German. Virgin is only thirtieth with four laps on the clock. His convalescing hand bothers him worryingly.

Mid-session, Schrotter takes back control in 2'09.052. Quarterly closes the top 5 and agitated the top 10. Olive tree takes the track again, the first time since his fall. Lowes goes to 2'08.946. Schrotter answers him with half a second better. A quarter of an hour from the goal, the KTM officials are only eighteen and nineteenth.

Isaac Viñales fall at turn 12 and Quarterly at turn 14. He was eleventh. A final assault of Pasini does not prevent Schrotter to finish this first game in the lead. Lowes is third. Baldassarri, Marquez et Quarterly follow and bagnaia is seventh.

Silverstone Moto2 FP1 British Grand Prix: times

1	23	Marcel SCHROTTER	Kalex	2'08.385
2	54	Matthias PASINI	Kalex	2'08.643	0.258	0.258
3	22	Sam LOWES	KTM	2'08.832	0.447	0.189
4	7	Lorenzo BALDASSARRI	Kalex	2'08.860	0.475	0.028
5	73	Alex MARQUEZ	Kalex	2'09.083	0.698	0.223
6	20	Fabio QUARTARARO	Speed ​​Up	2'09.100	0.715	0.017
7	42	Francesco Bagnaia	Kalex	2'09.126	0.741	0.026
8	9	Jorge NAVARRO	Kalex	2'09.168	0.783	0.042
9	13	Roman FENATI	Kalex	2'09.259	0.874	0.091
10	5	Andrea LOCATELLI	Kalex	2'09.330	0.945	0.071
11	27	Iker LECUONA	KTM	2'09.358	0.973	0.028
12	10	Luca MARINI	Kalex	2'09.359	0.974	0.001
13	77	Dominique AEGERTER	KTM	2'09.375	0.990	0.016
14	36	Joan Mir	Kalex	2'09.384	0.999	0.009
15	40	Augusto FERNANDEZ	Kalex	2'09.525	1.140	0.141
16	41	Brad BINDER	KTM	2'09.580	1.195	0.055
17	87	Remy GARDNER	Tech 3	2'09.726	1.341	0.146
18	62	Stefano MANZI	Suter	2'09.919	1.534	0.193
19	45	Tetsuit NAGASHIMA	Kalex	2'09.976	1.591	0.057
20	44	Miguel OLIVEIRA	KTM	2'10.111	1.726	0.135
21	4	Steven ODENDAAL	NTS	2'10.128	1.743	0.017
22	16	Joe ROBERTS	NTS	2'10.455	2.070	0.327
23	66	Niki TUULI	Kalex	2'10.460	2.075	0.005
24	64	Bo BENDSNEYDER	Tech 3	2'10.530	2.145	0.070
25	52	Danny Kent	Speed ​​Up	2'10.807	2.422	0.277
26	97	Xavi VIRGIN	Kalex	2'11.350	2.965	0.543
27	89	Khairul Idham PAWI	Kalex	2'11.578	3.193	0.228
28	32	Isaac VIÑALES	Suter	2'11.655	3.270	0.077
29	65	Josh OWENS	Kalex	2'11.679	3.294	0.024
30	95	Jules DANILO	Kalex	2'12.228	3.843	0.549
31	55	Alejandro MEDINA	Kalex	2'14.463	6.078	2.235
32	18	Xavi CARDELUS	Kalex	2'14.628	6.243	0.165
33	21	Federico FULIGNI	Kalex	2'16.176	7.791	1.548
	24	Simone COURSES	Kalex	2'19.389	11.004	3.213