Things are becoming clearer in the Moto2 category on the evening of the second day of the pre-season test in Qatar. This Saturday, Jorge Martin (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo) showed what he was capable of with the Ajo team bike in the same colors as last year, including the KTM trigram. But it is indeed a Kalex that the 2018 Moto3 World Champion is riding, and apparently in a very good way. Here he is with the best time…
George Martin found the instructions for a Moto2. A talent which began to be glimpsed during the second part of the 2019 season and which is asserting itself on the eve of the 2020 campaign. The Spaniard is assessed as one of the title contenders this season in the category. It will be recalled that he was considered for the place in MotoGP at Tech3-KTM, but he preferred another season in the Moto2 class. That is why Iker Lecuona got the job next to Miguel Oliveira...
Jorge Martin, Qatar Moto2 test, February 2020
George Martin : " I'm happy because it was a very positive Saturday. We had a bit of trouble at the start and I even suffered a small fall. However, as the day went on and the track conditions got closer to those we will encounter in the race, I felt much better. We had a very long run, setting a very good pace and, on top of that, we were fast on a single lap on a new tire. We must continue to work in this way, constantly making progress, and we will arrive ready for the first race of 2020.”
The hierarchy this Saturday is different from that of the day before. So, after achieving the best time on Friday,
Jorge Navarro (Speed Up, +Ego Speed Up) was the only one not to improve his Friday time and as a result fell to 10th position on the 5,3 km Losail circuit, while the rookie Aron Canet (Speed Up, Aspar team) again surprised positively with seventh place, before explaining: “ In the morning I tried several things and got lost, because I'm not used to the category yet. We also found a soft front tire that did not perform properly. We went back to the standard setup and still got a 1'59,2 with a worn tire and attacking alone. I have a good rhythm; the only problem is that in the last session we again found a rear tire that did not give us the benefits we expected. I tried again with a 20 lap used tire and felt more comfortable. Tomorrow we will try to continue improving. »
Remy gardner (Kalex, Onebox TKKR SAG Team), Nicoló Bulega (Kalex, Federal Oil Gresini Moto2),Joe Roberts (Kalex, American Racing) and Xavi Verge (Kalex, Petronas Sprinta Racing) close the top 5 to one Marcel Schrötter (Kalex, Liqui Moly Intact GP) in progress and who has good memories of his previous race at Qatar, marked by a podium. The other two favorites designated for the crown this year are still absent. This is'Augusto Fernandez (Kalex, EG 0,0 Marc VDS), only 18e rear Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex, Flex–Box Pons HP 40)…
Today, the sessions went crescendo, Tom Luthi (Kalex, Liqui Moly Intact GP) claiming the best time of the morning in 1'59.600, Fabio di Giannantonio (Speed Up, +Ego Speed Up) did the same during the intermediate session in 1'59.417, before Jorge Martin achieved the best time of the day at the very end of the last session.
Moto2 Test Qatar J2: times
1. Martin, Kalex, 1:58.655,
2. Gardner, Kalex, + 0.330 sec
3. Bulega, Kalex, +0.407
4. Roberts, Kalex, +0.411
5. Virgo, Kalex, +0.456
6. Schrötter, Kalex, + 0,551
7. Canet, accelerated, + 0,565
8. Bastianini, Kalex, +0,591
9. Marini, Kalex, +0,603
10. Navarro, Speed Up, +0,712
11. Syahrin, Speed Up, +0,722
12. Bezzecchi, Kalex, +0,735
13. Di Giannantonio, Speed Up, +0,762
14. Nagashima, Kalex, +0,844
15. Lüthi, Kalex, + 0,945
16. Edgar Pons, Kalex, +1,036
17. Augusto Fernández, Kalex, +1,182
18. Baldassarri, Kalex, +1,255
19. Garzó, Kalex, +1,278
20. Bendsneyder, SNRC, +1,464
21. Corsi, MV Agusta, 1,464
22. Manzi, MV Agusta, +1,518
23. Chantra, Kalex, + 1,520
24. Raffin, SNRC, +1,827
25. Dalla Porta, Kalex, +2,007
26. Dixon, Kalex, +2.040
27. Marcos Ramirez, Kalex, 2.135
28. Farid Izdihar, Kalex, + 3.158
