Moto3 Brno FP1: Rodrigo in extremis

After the two victories obtained during the first two Grands Prix by Albert Arenas (KTM Solunion Aspar Team Moto3), he crashed during the third round, in Jerez, 15 days ago. The gaps in the Championship are tight to say the least before the hat-trick of consecutive events which awaits the drivers and their teams, the Brno track being the first to welcome them.

Albert Arenas arrives in the Czech Republic as leader of the Championship, but he played his first joker of the season in Jerez. Following his fall during the race, he recovered from a sprained ankle. A week's break certainly helped, as did the intense physiotherapy sessions, but the Moto3 class leader is clearly not completely 100% yet. Despite everything, from Brno he will have to give the best of himself: because of his fall during the last race, his main rivals, Tatsuki suzuki (Honda, SIC58 Squadra Corse) and John mcphee (Honda, Petronas Sprinta Racing) in the first place (but also Ai Ogura (Honda, Honda Team Asia), Gabriel Rodrigo (Honda, Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), Celestine Vietti (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46) …), are relatively close in the standings.

Alonso lopez has recovered, he suffered from the intense Andalusian heat and was absent from the grid for the 2nd Grand Prix in Jerez. He will return to the handlebars of his Husqvarna from FP1. In a championship with 15 rounds and very little time between each of them, every mistake matters.

The round in Czech Republic opens a hat-trick of consecutive events, as it is followed by 2 WE at the Red Bull Ring. For Albert Arenas, as for the others, “It will be important to be consistent in the three Grands Prix. We will see how these weeks go and check the evolution of the lesion.”

 

Brno Moto3™	2019	2020
FP1	2'08.615 Jaume Masia	2'08.612 Gabriel Rodrigo
FP2	2'08.125 Gabriel Rodrigo
FP3	2'16.962 Jaume Masia
Q1	2'19.006 Raul Fernandez
Q2	2'18.020 Tony Arbolino
Warm-up	2'09.161 Lorenzo Dalla Porta
Course	Canet, Dalla Porta, Arbolino
All time lap record	2'07.622 Alex Rins 2013

 

At the start of this FP1 on the Brno track, the temperature was 24°C for the air and 27°C for the track.

Andrea Migno (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46), Raul Fernandez (KTM, Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Celestine Vietti (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46) were the first to set off, closely followed by the entire Moto3 field.

The first time of the morning, 2'12.509, is to the credit ofAndrea Migno (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46). The times very quickly dropped to 2'10, Raúl Fernández taking first place with his KTM from the Red Bull Ajo team in the first quarter of an hour of testing, achieving a lap in 2'09.877. We are still very far from the 2019 times at the moment.

Tastuki Suzuki (Honda, SIC58 Squadra Corse) crashed without seriousness at turn 13 after just 10 minutes on the track. He attempted a rescue inspired by Marc Marquez but ended up falling without seriousness. He was able to bring his bike back to the pits, helped by the track marshals.

Only 3 riders went below the 2'09 mark halfway through the session, before the first pit stop: KTM Red Bull riders Ajo, Kaito Toba, in 2'09.609, followed by his teammate Raul Fernandez (2'09.877) and the Honda Leopard Racing of Dennis Foggia (2'09.973). The top 10 drivers are less than a second from each other.

Ten minutes from the checkered flag, Tatsuki Suzuki returned to the track, his Honda having been repaired following his fall.

7 minutes from the checkered flag, James Masia lost the front at turn 11, a very quick fall but fortunately not serious, the Honda Leopard Racing rider getting back on his feet in style!

The last run saw the times improve, Gabriel Rodrigo (Honda, Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) taking the best time at the very end of FP1, in 2'08.612, ahead of the KTM RedBull Ajo duo composed of Kaito Toba (+0.106) and Raul Fernandez (+ 0.227).

FP1 classification of the Moto3 Czech Republic Grand Prix:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com