Moto2 Losail Qatar FP1: Tom Lüthi, a safe haven in times of crisis…

The cancellation of the premier category at the Qatar Grand Prix provides a unique opportunity for the intermediate Moto2 category to showcase itself on small screens around the world.

In the absence ofAlex Marquez et Brad Binder climbed into the MotoGP category alongsideIker Lecuona, the winter tests were first of all the occasion for a shower of (unofficial) records in Jerez de la Frontera achieved by the experienced Tom Luthi (Kalex, Liqui Moly Intact GP), Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex, Sky Racing Team VR46), Nicolò Bulega (Kalex, Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Tetsuta Nagashima (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo) and the rookie Aron Canet (Speed ​​Up, Aspar team), before highlighting Jorge Navarro (Speed ​​Up, +Ego Speed ​​Up), George Martin (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo), Remy gardner (Kalex, Onexox TKKR SAG Team), Fabio di Giannantonio (Speed ​​Up, +Ego Speed ​​Up) and Marcel Schrötter (Kalex, Liqui Moly Intact GP) during last week's IRTA testing in Qatar, aided by a new Dunlop front tire offering a larger contact patch with the ground.

 

 

 

For its part, Sam Lowes (Kalex, EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will do what he can to be present, recovering from an injury sustained after a fall during testing at Jerez, although it would be a mistake to forget Enea Bastianini, now leader at Italtrans, d'Augusto Fernández, passed to Marc VDS or Xavi Verge riding his Kalex from the Petronas Sprinta Racing team, or even the two starters from the MV Agusta Temporary Forward team, Simone Courses et Stefano Manzi, or the promising rookie of the American Racing team, Marcos Ramirez.

As we can see, between the old guard and the established young players, the games are extremely open, which bodes well for great battles during the race which will take place over 20 laps on Sunday at 16 p.m. French time, but in the spotlight in Qatar!

 

 

 

As the 30 drivers prepare on the grid, the sky is uniformly blue, there is no wind, and the temperatures are 27° in the air and 34° on the ground.

 

Here are the available references:

Moto2™ Losail Qatar	2019	2020
FP1	1'59.591 Marcel Schrötter	1'59.168 Tom Lüthi
FP2	1'58.635 Lorenzo Baldassarri
FP3	1'59.596 Jorge Martin
Q1	1'59.154 Luca Marini
Q2	1'58.585 Marcel Schrötter
warm up	1'59.195 Remy Gardner
Course	Baldassarri, Lüthi, Schrötter
All time lap record	1'58.635 Lorenzo Baldassarri 2019

 

When the red lights go out, it's Marcos Ramirez (Kalex, American Racing) who sets off first on the 5,4 kilometer route of the Losail international circuit.

 

 

Unfortunately, the live timing seems corrupted and remains frozen on the Moto3…

Will Bendsneyder (NTS, NTS RW Racing GP) set the first benchmark in 2'00.058 ahead Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex, Flex–Box Pons HP 40).

Xavi Verge (Kalex, Petronas Sprinta Racing) falls without gravity in turn #6 when Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex, Sky Racing Team VR46) crossed the two-minute mark in 1'59.353.

 

 

After 10 minutes, the Italian precedes his compatriot Fabio di Giannantonio (Speed ​​Up, +Ego Speed ​​Up) while another Transalpine,  Enea Bastianini (Kalex, Italtrans Racing Team), crash at turn number 6.

Luca marini (Kalex, Sky Racing Team VR46) improves the provisional reference by a few hundredths, in 1'59.301, thus offering an Italian trio at the top of the ranking.

 

 

Jorge Navarro (Speed ​​Up, +Ego Speed ​​Up) also loses the front at turn #6… Anything in this turn?

 

 

As in Moto3, Live Timing makes its appearance a little before mid-session, the opportunity to see the good performance of the Speed ​​Up, placed in 3rd and 4th places with Jorge Navarro (Speed ​​Up, +Ego Speed ​​Up) and Fabio di Giannantonio (Speed ​​Up, +Ego Speed ​​Up).

With 15 drivers in the same second, the hierarchy is then made up of Luca marini before Marco Bezzecchi, Jorge Navarro, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Augusto Fernández (Kalex, EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Tom Lüthi (Kalex, Liqui Moly Intact GP), Tetsuta Nagashima (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo), the rookie Arón Canet (Speed ​​Up, Aspar team), Jorge Martin (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Lorenzo Baldassarri.

A quarter of an hour from the checkered flag, Tom Luthi moves up two places while Xavi Virgo enters the Top 8 after his morning fall.

 

 

The Swiss rider continued his effort and took provisional leadership in 1'59.168 aboard his Kalex from the Liqui Moly Intact GP team.

But he's the rookie Aron Canet who once again arouses interest by placing 3rd: visibly the young Spaniard is acclimatizing very well to his new category and to his Speed ​​Up from the Aspar team!

 

 

The boiling Remy gardner (Kalex, Onexox TKKR SAG Team) then rose to second position before being dethroned by Augusto Fernandez.

 

Less than five minutes from the end of the session, Aron Canet recovers 2nd position, only 47 thousandths behind Tom Luthi.

Joe Roberts (Kalex, American Racing) arrived in the Top 5 when Lorenzo Baldassarri falls at high speed in the penultimate corner but gets up immediately.

 

In extremis, George Martin (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo) places his “real-false” KTM 17 thousandths from first position.

 

 

FP1 Moto2 Ranking Qatar Grand Prix at Losail:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com