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Thai Grand Prix, Buriram, Moto2 FP1: Pasini asserts his experience ahead of the Championship leaders

by | Oct 5, 2018

The first series of free tests will end with the Moto2 in Thailand. All that is missing is the intermediate category, and all the drivers will now have driven on this track newly added to the calendar. The stakes are high, because the novelty must not disrupt Francesco Bagnaia and Miguel Oliveira in their race for the title. The two men are separated by nineteen points, and at the end of this weekend, the gap will change favorably for one or the other. It will therefore be important for them to quickly adapt to the route to perform well and thus ensure a good qualification and a good race.

However, they will not be the only ones, and there will be many of their opponents who want to get the best place, like Brad Binder, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Álex Márquez and Fabio Quartararo. The fight promises to be tough and the weekend exciting!

Start of hostilities at 5:55 a.m. French time.

It is extremely hot when the drivers set off for their FP1. The thermometers actually record 31 degrees in the air and 49 degrees on the track, and it's not yet midday there! FP2 promises to be complicated. For now, it's the FP1s that have all the attention, and fabio quartararo (Beta Tools – Speed ​​Up Racing) launches hostilities by leaving the pit lane first.

Niki Tuuli (SIC Racing Team) set the reference time in 1'40.642, but was quickly passed by the Frenchman on the following lap. Behind, Stefano manzi (Forward Racing Team) makes a mistake.

After ten minutes, Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP), then Edgar Pons (Beta Tools – Speed ​​Up Racing) fall in turn. Note that the Spaniard is here to replace Danny Kent, removed from his team until the end of the season. In front, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took control of the session. The Portuguese seems in great shape and has already faced his main opponent, Francis Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46), on the track, overtaking him with force. The Italian and his teammate, Luca marini (SKY Racing Team VR46), also feature a special livery for this Grand Prix.

Olive tree therefore leads ahead Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Xavi Verge (Dynavolt Intact GP), Francis Bagnaia et Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team).

The first place keeps moving, and halfway through the session, it's this time Mattia Pasini who took over. He is ahead Alex Marquez, Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP 40), Miguel Oliveira et Joan mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Afterwards, Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors), Xavi Verge (Dynavolt Intact GP), Remy gardner (Tech 3 Racing), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP 40) and Francis Bagnaia complete the top 10.

The end of the session is quite calm. The majority of drivers in the top 10 remain there, even if they change positions. Pasini ultimately remains in the lead and asserts its experience on this new track, just ahead of the Championship leaders, Olive tree et bagnaia, only separated by Márquez. Note that the first 21 are held by only eight tenths!


FP2 ranking:

1 54 Mattia PASINI ITA Italtrans Racing Team Kalex 266.9 1'37.757
2 44 Miguel OLIVEIRA POR Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM 268.9 1'37.850 0.093 / 0.093
3 73 Alex MARQUEZ SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex 268.9 1'37.923 0.166 / 0.073
4 42 Francesco BAGNAIA ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 Kalex 267.7 1'37.949 0.192 / 0.026
5 40 Augusto FERNANDEZ SPA Pons HP40 Kalex 267.3 1'37.957 0.200 / 0.008
6 45 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex 265.7 1'37.983 0.226 / 0.026
7 66 Niki TUULI FIN Petronas Sprinta Racing Kalex 264.0 1'38.023 0.266 / 0.040
8 22 Sam LOWES GBR Swiss Innovative Investors KTM 262.7 1'38.103 0.346 / 0.080
9 9 Jorge NAVARRO SPA Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 Kalex 264.4 1'38.105 0.348 / 0.002
10 20 Fabio QUARTARARO FRA MB Conveyors – Speed ​​Up Speed ​​Up 264.9 1'38.132 0.375 / 0.027
11 89 Khairul Idham PAWI MAL IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex 262.9 1'38.145 0.388 / 0.013
12 23 Marcel SCHROTTER GER Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex 266.0 1'38.160 0.403 / 0.015
13 36 Joan MIR SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex 264.8 1'38.251 0.494 / 0.091
14 10 Luca MARINI ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 Kalex 265.7 1'38.259 0.502 / 0.008
15 27 Iker LECUONA SPA Swiss Innovative Investors KTM 269.3 1'38.269 0.512 / 0.010
16 5 Andrea LOCATELLI ITA Italtrans Racing Team Kalex 266.7 1'38.279 0.522 / 0.010
17 7 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI ITA Pons HP40 Kalex 264.5 1'38.362 0.605 / 0.083
18 97 Xavi VIRGIN SPA Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex 267.3 1'38.369 0.612 / 0.007
19 87 Remy GARDNER AUS Tech 3 Racing Tech 3 264.0 1'38.378 0.621 / 0.009
20 41 Brad BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM 266.5 1'38.434 0.677 / 0.056
21 77 Dominique AEGERTER SWI Kiefer Racing KTM 267.3 1'38.547 0.790 / 0.113
22 24 Simone CORSI ITA Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 Kalex 263.5 1'38.549 0.792 / 0.002
23 64 Bo BENDSNEYDER NED Tech 3 Racing Tech 3 262.6 1'38.617 0.860 / 0.068
24 57 Edgar PONS SPA MB Conveyors – Speed ​​Up Speed ​​Up 263.2 1'38.836 1.079 / 0.219
25 4 Steven ODENDAAL RSA NTS RW Racing GP NTS 266.3 1'39.046 1.289 / 0.210
26 32 Isaac VIÑALES SPA Forward Racing Team Suter 258.2 1'39.181 1.424 / 0.135
27 16 Joe ROBERTS USA NTS RW Racing GP NTS 262.7 1'39.189 1.432 / 0.008
28 62 Stefano MANZI ITA Forward Racing Team Suter 257.3 1'39.503 1.746 / 0.314
29 18 Xavi CARDELUS AND Marinelli Snipers Team Kalex 264.3 1'39.512 1.755 / 0.009
30 99 Thitipong WAROKORN THA SAG Team Kalex 264.7 1'39.922 2.165 / 0.410
31 95 Jules DANILO FRA Nashi Argan SAG Team Kalex 260.6 1'40.144 2.387 / 0.222
32 21 Federico FULIGNI ITA Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 Kalex 259.5 1'40.959 3.202 / 0.815

Oliveira, Moto2, Austrian MotoGP 2018