Moto2 Test Jerez J1: Pedro Acosta leads the way!

The first pre-season tests of the Moto2 category of the World Championship began today. As was the case last week for Moto3, this is a private test, but the majority of teams and riders in this intermediate category of the MotoGP World Championship met at the Jerez facilities.

In sunny and warm conditions, very different from those of the previous week, the teams began a first day of work with eight hours ahead of them to evaluate the bikes, tires, settings and tuning options before the first Grand Prix of the season, which will take place in less than two weeks, However, this weekend this category still has three days ahead of it in Portimão to cover a few more kilometers, this time during an official test, before the lights of the Grand Prix goes green on March 24, 25 and 26, also in Portimão, and a new racing season begins.

29 drivers were on track today, almost the entire category, the only absent being the 2022 Japanese world vice-champion, Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda), winner of last season's Spanish Grand Prix and pole position holder, who did not make the trip to Jerez as he is recovering from a left wrist injury. Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Peter Acosta et Albert Arenas were conversely present. The pilot of Murcia, Peter Acosta, started the first day of testing on top, sending a message to his rivals and showing them his strength as favorite for the title. Peter Acosta achieved the best time in 1'41.549 for a total of 73 laps completed, while his teammate Albert Arenas stopped the clock in 1'41.902, which places him in third position.

Between the two drivers of the Finnish team, Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) managed to insert its 2023 Kalex.
The fourth time was achieved by the Briton Jake dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) in 1'42.238, followed by Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) in 1'42.293 and the experienced and veteran Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who finished sixth in 1'42.361. The Spanish Alonso lopez (SpeedUp Racing) ranked seventh in 1'42.483, while the Spaniard Fermín Aldeguer (SpeedUp Racing) placed eighth in 1'42.516. The American Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) took ninth place in 1'42.519, while the German Lukas Tulovic (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) closed the top 10 in the category in 1'42.625. Marcos Ramirez (MV Agusta Forward Team), from nearby Cádiz, finished with their MV Agusta in twentieth place in 1'43.641.

The rookie Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team) started slowly, with only 31 laps and 26th.

 

Tomorrow, Wednesday, second and final day with a large margin of progress, not in vain, today's times were a little far from the 2022 pole (1'41.289), the best lap in the race (1'41.313 year 2021) and the all-time lap record (1'40.667 per Remy gardner in 2021).

Photos: A.Rivero