Moto2 Jerez Spain Race: Sam Lowes in the service of Her Majesty!

It's not often you see a dominant performance in the hotly contested Moto2 category, but that's what happened during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, Sam Lowes (Kalex, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, #22) snatching pole position in 1'40.750 with a lead of 0.578s over the rest of the field.

 

 

A stroke of brilliance all the more unexpected as the experienced Briton is currently not in the Top 10 of the championship which sees three drivers competing for leadership of the intermediate category: Tony Arbolino (Kalex, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, #14), Peter Acosta (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo, #37) and Aron Canet (Kalex, Pons Wegow Los40, #40).

 

 

At the end of the qualifications, Sam Lowes, Pedro Acosta et Jake Dixon (Kalex, India GASGAS Aspar Team, #96) form the first line.

 

 

The next one consists ofAlonso lopez (Boscoscuro, CAG SpeedUp, #21), Ai Ogura (Kalex, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, #79) in the recovery phase and a Barry Baltus (Kalex, Fieten Olie Racing GP, #7) making full progress.

In third place, we find Celestino Vietti (Kalex, Fantic Racing, #13), Joe Roberts (Kalex, Italtrans Racing Team, #16) and Albert Arenas (KTM, Red Bull KTM Ajo, #75), while we will note the occasional poor performances of the new track record holder Aron Canet 12th, and Tony Arbolino 10e.

Let us quote again Somkiat Chantra (Kalex, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, #35) 11th, Filip Salac (Kalex, QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2, #12) 13th, Fermín Aldeguer (Boscoscuro, CAG SpeedUp, #54) 14th, Will Bendsneyder (Kalex, Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team, #64) 15th, Manuel González (Kalex, Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 MasterCamp) 16th, Zonta van den Goorbergh (Kalex, Fieten Olie Racing GP,, #84) 17th, Sergio Garcia (Kalex, Pons Wegow Los40, #11) 18th, and here we have most of those who can liven up the 21-lap race.

Note the withdrawal ofAlex Escrig (Forward Team) due to recurrence of pain in the right shoulder. He nevertheless aims to participate in the test on May 2 on the same circuit.

The Andalusian sky is slightly cloudy as the pilots prepare with temperatures of 26° in the air and 33° on the ground.

Here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far.

Moto2 ™ Jerez Spain	2022	2023
P1	1'41.938 Jake Dixon	1'41.170 Sam Lowes
P2	1'41.646 Jake Dixon	1'42.079 Pedro Acosta
P3	1'41.556 Jake Dixon	1'40.640 Arón Canet
Q1	1'41.397 Somkiat Chantra	1'41.245 Ai Ogura
Q2	1'41.289 Ai Ogura	1'40.750 Sam Lowes
warm up	1'41.587 Sam Lowes	XXXXXXXXXXX
Course	Ogura, Canet, Arbolino	Lowes, Acosta, Lopez
All time lap record	1'40.667 Remy Gardner 2021	1'40.640 Arón Canet 2023

 

In the warm-up lap, Lorenzo Dalla Porta has a mechanical problem and will have to start from the pit lane.

When the red lights go out... Peter Acosta sets off best and takes command in front Alonso Lopez. Tony Arbolino also made a splendid start and found himself in 4th position ahead of Ai Ogura.

 

 

Sam Lowes regains first place in the last corner at the end of the first lap.

 

 

Celestine Vietti suffered a big fall at turn #10.

 

 

After two rounds, Ai Ogura takes advantage of Tony Arbolino while Aron Canet moved up to seventh position, behind Filip Salač.

 

 

On your mind, Sam Lowes is half a second ahead of Peter Acosta, himself having created a gap of 1,5 seconds on the peloton led by Alonso Lopez,

In the next passage, Tony Arbolino gives his coin in change Ai Ogura and regained his fourth place for two laps, before the maneuver was reversed.

 

 

With 13 laps to go, while Sean Dylan Kelly (Kalex, American Racing, #4 makes a mistake, Sam Lowes appears to be in a state of grace and now has an advantage of 1,5 seconds over Pedro Acosta.

 

 

Fermín Aldeguer received a Long Lap for having driven five times on the green part of the circuit, but the action focused on Ai Ogura who falls when touching the rear wheel of Tony Arbolino who had just overtaken him under braking 8 laps from the finish.

 

 

From then on, the podium seems decided, Sam Lowes now 2,4 seconds ahead of Pedro Acosta, himself having left a gap of 4,8 seconds a Alonso lopez separated by 1,1 seconds in front of the peloton led by Tony Arbolino et Arón Canet.

The last rounds are without surprise and Sam Lowes wins the 10th victory of his career in Moto2, to the great joy of Marc van der Straten et Gilles Bigot !

 

 

In the championship, Pedro Acosta et Tony Arbolino are tied with 74 points, Arón Canet 3rd with 52 points.

 

 

Results of the Moto2 Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com