Moto2 Austria FP3: Jake Dixon takes the lead

Honda Team Asia achieved a double during the second free practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix in the Moto2 class, scheduled for the Red Bull Ring. The best performance went to Somkiat Chantra with a time of 1'34.553. Behind him only 55 thousandths behind him is his teammate Ai Ogura.

The leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull Ajo) is third, ahead Tony Arbolino (Marc VDS) and Alonso lopez (Speed ​​Up). Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) is sixth, ahead Fermin Aldeguer (Speed ​​Up), Filip Salac (Gresini), Jorge Navarro (Pons) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans) which closes the Top Ten. The drivers of Team Aspar Jake dixon, the fastest FP1 et Albert Arenas, Joe Roberts (Italtrans) and Bo Bendsneyder (SAG Team) also qualified for provisional Q2. The third thief in the title race Celestine Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is only 15th.

What will this have in store for us? FP3 ? Before answering this question, here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far, with the new chicane which redistributed the cards in front of the timing cell.

Moto2™ Red Bull Ring	Austria 2021	Austria 2022 (New chicane)
FP1	1'28.887 Ai Ogura	1'35.000 Jake Dixon
FP2	1'28.967 Remy Gardner	1'34.353 Somkiat Chantra
FP3	1'28.153 Remy Gardner	1'34.016 Jake Dixon
Q1	1'29.164 Stefano Manzi
Q2	1'28.659 Sam Lowes
Warm up	1'28.953 Augusto Fernández
Course	R. Fernandez, Ogura, A. Fernandez (See here)
All time lap record	1'28.153 Remy Gardner

Hello from the one who was the fastest yesterday...

The sky is overcast, the track is dry

On the track it's off for 40min

Lopez signs the reference time in 1.35.152s. Gonzalez and Arbolino compose following the leading trio.

Schrotter takes control in 1.35.034s. But for a short time, Salac seizes the precious time by achieving a lap time of 1.34.480s.

Canet who is playing in the championship (4th) is currently unable to enter the top14 to move on to Q2: he is 14th and laps in 1.35.182s.

Salac pushes and improves further he achieves a time of 1.34.297s. Aldeguer, Dalla Porta, Chantra and Ogura complete this top5: there are 27 minutes left in this session.

Embarked tour with Drive, the Italian is classified 19th (1.35.549s), a passage to Q1 seems to be on the horizon.

kick of Kubo turn 4

There are 19 minutes left in this FP3, the 14 drivers who would join Q2 at this stage would be: Salac, Aldeguer, Dalla Porta, Acosta, Fernandez, Chantra, Schrotter, Beaubier, Ogura, Lopez, Arenas, Navarro, Dixon and Arbolino.

There are 10.15 left and the drivers return to the track for one last run: Salac still leads the way with his time achieved at the start of the session in 1.34.297s.

But that's without counting on Ogura who takes control in 1.34.220s.

He is in turn taken by Fernandez in 1.34.182s. Arenas he picks up just as quickly in 1.34.097s. Dalla Porta, Fernandez, Chantra and Ogura complete by following this provisional top5..

Dixon takes the best time at the wire in 1.34.016s

End of session and the 14 drivers who will go to Q2 are: Dixon, Ogura, Arenas, Dalla Porta, Fernandez, Chantra, Acosta, Salac, Canet, Navarro, Lopez, Baltus, Vietti and Arbolino.

 

      Austrian Moto3 Grand Prix FP2 results at the Red Bull Ring:

 

 

 

Classification credit: MotoGP.com