Moto2 and 3 tests in Jerez J.1: Francesco Bagnaia and Aron Canet in the lead

The riders in the Moto2 and Moto3 categories have started their tests to prepare for the 2018 season, full of new features, some of which have already been revealed. Thus took place the debut in Moto2 of the Moto3 World Champion, Joan Mir who made contact for the first time with the Kalex inherited from the Italian Franco Morbidelli, now in the MotoGP category. The Mallorcan had a good test session with a total of 74 laps on the Jerez track, obtaining his best result with the fourteenth time in 1'43.270.

Another novelty in Jerez: the arrival in Moto2 of Hector Barberá, who has been part of the MotoGP category since 2010. Barberá (Kalex), supervised by the Pons team structure, finished the session fifteenth with a time of 1.43.324 .XNUMX.

Other novelties and debuts in the Moto2 category such as that of the Italian Romano Fenati with the Kalex from the Marinelli Rivalcold team or the return of Sam Lowes who returns to the intermediate class after his frustrating stint in MotoGP with Aprilia. Lowes rides a KTM in the CGBM Evolution team, along with his teammate, Spaniard Iker Lecuona, becoming the first Moto2 satellite riders of the Austrian firm which has achieved such a good result this season with its official Red Bull KTM structure Ajo with Miguel Oliveira, winner of the last three Grands Prix of the season and Brad Binder.

As for Thursday's times, the quickest in the Moto2 category was Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) who clocked 1.41.873, unofficially beating the best lap time for this category held by Alex Márquez with 1.42.080 and the record held by Jonas Folger since 2014 with 1.42.876. Second was Alex Márquez with 1.42.166 and third was Miguel Oliveira with 1.42.314. Rookies Joan Mir and Hector Barberá were ranked fourteenth and fifteenth respectively.

The best time in Moto3 was set by Spaniard Aron Canet who stopped the clock at 1.46.012. The only incidents of the day were the harmless falls of Remy Gardner and Fabio Quartararo.

Friday, second and final day of testing for these teams in Jerez.

Moto2 ranking, first day:

1 Francesco BAGNAIA 1:41.873
2 Alex MARQUEZ 1:42.166 0.293
3 Miguel OLIVEIRA 1:42.314 0.441
4 Luca MARINI 1:42.389 0.516
5 Brad BINDER 1:42.480 0.607
6 Isaac VIÑALES 1:42.608 0.735
7 Mattia PASINI 1:42.787 0.914
8 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI 1:42.846 0.973
9 Fabio QUARTARARO 1:42.874 1.001
10 Sam LOWES 1:42.973 1.100
11 Khairul Idham PAWI 1:42.998 1.125
12 Simone CORSI 1:43.057 1.184
13 Tetsuya NAGASHIMA 1:43.186 1.314
14 Joan MIR 1:43.270 1.397
15 Héctor BARBERA 1:43.324 1.451
16 Danny KENT 1:43.336 1.463
17 Xavi VIRGIN 1:43.348 1.475
18 Iker LECUONA 1:43.365 1.493
19 Andrea LOCATELLI 1:43.382 1.509
20 Stefano MANZI 1:43.542 1.669 0.160
21 Marcel SCHROTTER 1:43.571 1.698
22 Eric GRANADO 1:43.900 2.027
23 Bo BENDSNEYDER 1:43.961 2.088
24 Romano FENATI 1:43.990 2.117
25 Federico FULIGNI 1:44.640 2.767
26 Jules DANILO 1:45.599 3.726

Moto3 ranking, first day:

1 Aron CANET 1:46.012
2 Tony ARBOLINO 1:46.941
3 Nakarin ATIRATPHUVAPAT 1:47.588
4 Kaito TOBA 1:47.623
5 500 cc 3-stroke Eskil SUTER 1:48.115
6 Can ONCU 1:48.263
7 Deniz ONCU 1:48.624

Photo: Joan Mir (© A.Rivero for the “Circuito de Jerez, SA”)