Moto2 Spain FP1: Jake Dixon in the lead by elbowing his way

It is as a Moto2 Grand Prix winner that Joe Roberts begins this Spanish Grand Prix. Concreting this at Portimao, he became the first American to win in the intermediate category since John Kocinski at Phillip Island in 1990 in 250cc. He is also the first American to win in a Grand Prix since Ben Spies at the 2011 Dutch TT.

After Celestine Vietti in Qatar, Somkiat Chantra in Indonesia and Tony Arbolino in Texas, Roberts became the fourth young winner in Moto2 since the start of the year. This is the first time there have been four or more winners in Moto2 since 2020 with: Tetsuta Nagashima, Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and Remy Gardner.

Celestine Vietti finished second for his fourth podium since the start of the season, all races except Austin, where he crashed. Jorge Navarro finished third for his 10th Moto2 podium and first since his third place at Silverstone last year. The rookie Manuel Gonzalez finished fifth for his best result so far in Moto2. He is now third in the fight for the Rookie of the Year title with 16 points. Jeremy Alcove, who equaled his best result in Moto2 in Austin (P6), is in the lead with 24 points ahead Peter Acosta (20)

The 13 Moto2 races held at Jerez saw 12 winners: Toni Elias (2010), Andrea Iannone (2011), Pol Espargaró (2012), Tito Rabat (2013), Mika Kallio (2014), Jonas Folger (2015), Sam Lowes (2016), Alex Marquez (2017), Lorenzo Baldassarri (2018, 2019), Luca Marini (2020/1), Enea Bastianini (2020/2), Fabio Di Giannantonio (2021). Alongside Lowes (P1 in 2016 and P3 in 2021), Simone Corsi (P3 in 2011), Navarro (P2 in 2019) and Augusto Fernandez (P3 in 2019) are the only other riders still currently in Moto2 to have ridden on the podium in the category in Jerez.

What will these FP1s which launch hostilities in the category have in store for us for this sixth round of the season? Before you know it, here is a table that summarizes the facts known so far.

Jerez Moto2™	2021	2022
FP1	1'41.675 Remy Gardner	1'41.938 Jake Dixon
FP2	1'41.515 Sam Lowes
FP3	1'40.841 Remy Gardner
Q1	1'41.308 Cameron Beaubier
Q2	1'40.667 Remy Gardner
Warm Up	1'41.430 Fabio Di Giannantonio
Course	Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi, Lowes
All time lap record	1'40.667 Remy Gardner 2021

Arón Canet has been declared fit to race this weekend in Jerez. The driver of the FlexBox HP 40 passes the Race Direction medical examination and will compete in the Spanish Grand Prix, Ugood news for Aron Canet and the FlexBox HP 40, anear the operation performed only on Monday. 

The Jerez track is bathed by the sun which gradually dries up the traces of humidity which caused some problems for the MotoGP riders.

The first reference is signed by Jake dixon in 1'43.540. Aron canet is 12th despite his condition. After ten minutes of fighting, Tony Arbolino brings the mark to 1'42.763.

His teammate Sam Lowes joins him for a double Marc VDS Racing at the end of the first quarter of an hour. Then Drive comes between the two teammates. Canet continues to amaze by finishing eleventh.

Agusto Fernandez joined Arbolino below the 1'43 per lap mark and with his 1'42.757 takes the lead. The two teammates Dixon et Arenas almost hanging on, the last city wandering in full trajectory in slow motion. Arenas then fell mid-session at turn 6. He was ninth.

Ten minutes from the goal, the drivers put on new tires to set off to challenge the clock. The effect is immediate: Augusto Fernandez passes in 1'42/245. Arenas follows as Beaubier who falls at turn 9, Peter Acosta et Ai Augura. Then Jake dixon clocked a 1'41.938, the only one below the 1'42 lap mark.

Under the checkered flag, Dixon keeps the advantage in Spain ahead Sam Lowes, Augusto Fernandez Ai Ogura and his teammate Albert Arenas with whom he had words. Aron canet is sixteenth in pain.

FP1 results of the Moto2 Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com