Moto3 had barely launched the 2016 Grand Prix season when Moto2 immediately took action to reveal a first hierarchy. A quick start to the Qatar Grand Prix since the best time in the warm-up is already not very far from last year's pole position in the category. An indication which is not neutral unlike the driver at the top of the timesheet who is Swiss: Tom Lüthi.
The former World Champion of the late 125 had announced the color during the last preliminary tests on this same Losail track by showing up among the leading group: he would not make up the numbers in Qatar. Good intentions implemented from the start with a better performance signed as soon as the exercise began. His 1'59.731 is close to the peak position of the event last year which was 1'59.423 while the latest tests revealed a Sam Lowes in 1'59.405.
It is the same Lowes equipped this year with Kalex who follows while inaugurating its series of falls. The reigning World Champion Johann Zarco, already announced at Suzuki in MotoGP for 2017, closes a leading trio who were the only ones able to beat the 2' per lap.
The rest of the peloton is led by Folger who is ahead of a compatriot Schrotter who does not seem to regret his Mistral 610. Nakagami is in the game, like Syahrin and the rest of the top 10 is an Italian affair with, in particular, a Marini, half-brother of whom you know, on the first page of the timesheet for his debut in the category.
The surprise comes fromAlex Rins, designated among the favorites for the title and who is only twelfth while the Moto3 World Champion Kent is fifteenth. A performance that places him behind his rival from last year and now teammate Olive tree. The Portuguese is thirteenth, making his debut with the no less up-and-coming Leopard team.
The second free session will take place this evening, from 19:50 p.m.
Chronos:
1. Thomas luthi SWI Garage Plus Interwetten (Kalex) 1m 59.731s
2. Sam Lowes GBR Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 59.910s
3. Johann zarco FRA Ajo Motorsport (Kalex) 1m 59.977s
4. Jonas Folger GER Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) 2m 0.116s
5. Marcel schrotter GER AGR Team (Kalex) 2m 0.157s
6. Takaaki Nakagami JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex)
2m 0.198s
7. Hafiz Syahrin MAL Petronas Raceline Malaysia (Kalex)
2m 0.651s
8. Simone Courses ITA Speed Up Racing (Speed Up) 2m 0.769s
9. Franco Morbidelli ITA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (Kalex) 2m 0.896s
10. Alex Marquez SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (Kalex) 2m 0.898s
11. Sandra Cortese GER Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) 2m 0.903s
12. alex rins SPA Paginas Amarillas HP 40 (Kalex) 2m 0.910s
13. Miguel Oliveira POR Leopard Racing (Kalex) 2m 0.955s
14. louis salom SPA SAG Team (Kalex) 2m 0.974s
15. Danny Kent GBR Leopard Racing (Kalex) 2m 0.975s
16. Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA Forward Team (Kalex) 2m 0.981s
17. Julian Simon SPA QMMF Racing Team (Speed Up) 2m 1.180s
18. Luca marini ITA Forward Team (Kalex) 2m 1.187s
19. Axel Pons SPA AGR Team (Kalex) 2m 1.225s
20. Dominique Aegerter SWI CarXpert Interwetten (Kalex)
2m 1.234s
21. Rattha Park Wilairot THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex)
2m 1.308s
22. Xavier Simeon BEL QMMF Racing Team (Speed Up) 2m 1.432s
23. Edgar Pons SPA Paginas Amarillas HP 40 (Kalex) 2m 1.496s
24. Mattia Pasini ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 2m 1.540s
25. Xavi Verge SPA Tech 3 Racing (Tech 3) 2m 2.023s
26. Jesko Raffin SWI Sports-Millions-EMWE-SAG (Kalex) 2m 2.206s
27. Robin Mulhauser SWI CarXpert Interwetten (Kalex) 2m 2.367s
28. Isaac Viñales SPA Tech 3 Racing (Tech 3) 2m 2.378s
29. Alessandro Tonucci ITA Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 (Kalex) 2m 3.093s
30. Efren Vazquez SPA JPMoto Malaysia (Suter) 2m 3.689s
