After an inconclusive first session due to a track with precarious grip due to bad weather the day before, Romano Fenati won in the second with a good time of 2'07.360. In the final session, the Italian improved to 2'06.690 and finished the second day in the lead ahead of the two Spaniards Jorge Martin and Aron Canet.
After a useless first day with a wet track and only slick tires available, the drivers were finally able to set off this Saturday in good conditions. Tatsuki Sasaki was the first to take command for the new Sic58 Squadra Corse in the Grand Prix in 2'10.4. 18 drivers were racing at the time.
Marcos Ramirez then took the lead in 2'09.5 for the Platinium Bay Real Estate team, while leading drivers came out of the pits, including Romano Fenati, Jorge Martin and Niccolo Antonelli. Fenati was quick to take the lead in 2'08.6. Sky Racing Team VR46 drivers Nicolo Bulega and Andrea Migno were almost the last to join the track. Fenati progressed in 2'08.3. While some had already completed a good fifteen laps, Aron Canet, Joan Mir, Livio Loi and Enea Bastianini joined them with half an hour to go, bringing the squad to 30. Juanfran Guevara took the lead in 2'08.1.
The little deposit of rubber on the asphalt, following yesterday's storm, explained the modest times and the reluctance of some to ride. John mcphee, driver of the new British Talent Team, improved to 2'08.0, ahead of 0.09 5 minutes from the checkered flag in 2'07.919 by Aron Canet. Fenati picked up the pace in 2'07.402, then closed the session in first position with a time of 2'07.360, 0.5 ahead of Canet and 0.6 ahead of McPhee, Guevara and Ramirez.
Results of the first session:
1 FENATI, Romano-MARINELLI RIVACOLD SNIPERS 2:07.360
2 CANET, Aron-ESTRELLA GALICIA 0.0 2:07.919 to 0.559
3 McPHEE, John-BRITISH TALENT TEAM 2:08.013 to 0.653
4 GUEVARA, Juanfran-RBA BOE RACING TEAM 2:08.021 to 0.661
5 RAMIREZ, Marcos-PLATINUM BAY REAL ESTATE 2:08.037 to 0.677
6 ANTONELLI, Niccolo-RED BULL KTM AJO 2:08.045 at 0.685
7 RODRIGO, Gabriel-RBA BOE RACING TEAM 2:08.122 to 0.762
8 MIR, Joan-LEOPARD RACING 2:08.228 to 0.868
9 TOBA, Kaito-HONDA TEAM ASIA 2:08.356 to 0.996
10 SUZUKI, Tatsuki-SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE 2:08.394 to 1.034
…23 DANILO, Jules-MARINELLI RIVACOLD SNIPERS 2:09.208 to 1.848
While the weather forecast predicted storms for this Sunday (80% chance of precipitation), there were 31 of them rushing onto the track from the start of the second session. George Martin very motivated jumped into the lead in 2'06.729, already faster than the best time of the first session, and less than a second from the lap record ofAlexis Masbou. Martin's initial sprint, of the dragster type, took everyone by surprise and by mid-session he still had a 1.1 lead over the second Fenati. He was approaching 0.3 behind the Spanish leader 30 minutes from the checkered flag, 1.2 ahead of the deserving Sic58 riders Suzuki and Arbolino. Aron Canet moved into second at 0.1 with 15 minutes remaining. Roman Fenati took command 3 minutes from the checkered flag in 2'06.726. He finished first with 0.003 ahead of Jorge Martin, 0.1 ahead of Aron Canet, and 0.3 ahead of Gabriel Rodrigo and Livio Loi.
Results of the second session:
1 FENATI, Romano-MARINELLI RIVACOLD SNIPERS 2:06.726
2 MARTIN, Jorge-DEL CONCA GRESINI Moto3 2:06.729 to 0.003
3 CANET, Aron-ESTRELLA GALICIA 0.0 2:06.860 to 0.134
4 RODRIGO, Gabriel-RBA BOE RACING TEAM 2:07.034 to 0.308
5 LAW, Livio-LEOPARD RACING 2:07.068 to 0.342
6 SASAKI, Ayumu-SIC RACING TEAM 2:07.140 to 0.414
7 GUEVARA, Juanfran-RBA BOE RACING TEAM 2:07.162 to 0.436
8 BULEGA, Nicolo-SKY RACING TEAM VR46 2:07.413 to 0.687
9 MIR, Joan-LEOPARD RACING 2:07.418 to 0.692
10 KORNFEIL, Jakub-PEUGEOT MC SAXOPRINT 2:07.474 to 0.748
…27 DANILO, Jules-MARINELLI RIVACOLD SNIPERS 2:08.700 to 1.974
There were 26 of them taking to the track at the start of the third and final session this Saturday, and Aron canet established the first reference time in 2'08.4. Roman Fenati replaced him at the top of the timing screens in 2'07.717. Jakub Kornfeil came within a thousandth of him. Gabi Rodrigo took the lead in 2'07.714, 0.003 ahead of Fenati. There were therefore three grouped into four thousandths. Fenati then struck a big blow and widened a gap of more than half a second in 2'07.080. He accelerated in 2'06.939, while Nicholas Bulega was 0.3 closer to him. Philipp Oettl went second at mid-session at 0.2. A quarter of an hour from the end, Aron canet achieved 2'06.749, very close to Fenati's best time in the second session. 5 minutes from the checkered flag, Fenati set the best time of the day in 2'06.690, then Canet closed to within 0.05 of the Italian. The two men finished ahead of Rodrigo, Bulega, Antonelli and Oettl. Hope the weather is nice on Sunday!
Results of the second day:
1- Romano Fenati – Marinelli Rivacold Snipers – Honda NSF250RW – 2’06.690
2- Jorge Martin – Del Conca Gresini Moto3 – Honda NSF250RW – +0.039
3- Aron Canet – Estrella Galicia 0,0 – Honda NSF250RW – + 0.059
4- Gabriel Rodrigo – RBA BOÉ Racing Team – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.267
5- Livio Loi – Leopard Racing – Honda NSF250RW – + 0.378
6- Nicolò Bulega – Sky Racing Team VR46 – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.396
7- Ayumu Sasaki – SIC Racing Team – Honda NSF250RW – + 0.450
8- Niccolò Antonelli – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.460
9- Juanfran Guevara – RBA BOÉ Racing Team – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.472
10- Philipp Öttl – Südmetall Schedl GP Racing – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.486
11- Jakub Kornfeil – Peugeot MC SaxoPrint – Peugeot GP3-17 – + 0.502
12- John McPhee – British Talent Team – Honda NSF250RW – + 0.637
13- Bo Bendsneyder – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.649
14- Joan Mir – Leopard Racing – Honda NSF250RW – +0.728
15- Marcos Ramirez – Platinum Bay Real Estate – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.868
16- Tatsuki Suzuki – Sic 58 Squadra Corse – Honda NSF250RW – + 0.938
17- Andrea Migno – Sky Racing Team VR46 – KTM RC 250 GP – + 0.944
18- Kaito Toba – Honda Team Asia – Honda NSF250RW – + 1.027
19- Jules Danilo – Marinelli Rivacold Snipers – Honda NSF250RW – +1.118
20- Maria Herrera – AGR Team – KTM RC 250 GP – + 1.166
21- Lorenzo Dalla Porta – Aspar Mahindra Moto3 – Mahindra MGP3O – + 1.193
22- Adam Norrodin – SIC Racing Team – Honda NSF250RW – + 1.204
23- Darryn Binder – Platinum Bay Real Estate – KTM RC 250 GP – + 1.215
24- Nakarin Atiratphuvapat – Honda Team Asia – Honda NSF250RW – +1.346
25- Tony Arbolino – Sic 58 Squadra Corse – Honda NSF250RW – + 1.347
26- Fabio Di Giannantonio – Del Conca Gresini Moto3 – Honda NSF250RW – + 1.384
27- Albert Arenas – Aspar Mahindra Moto3 – Mahindra MGP3O – + 1.544
28- Manuel Pagliani – CIP Moto – Mahindra MGP3O – + 1.570
29- Marco Bezzecchi – CIP Moto – Mahindra MGP3O – + 1.809
30- Enea Bastianini – Estrella Galicia 0,0 – Honda NSF250RW – + 2.023
31- Patrik Pulkkinen – Peugeot MC SaxoPrint – Peugeot GP3-17 – + 3.818
Reference times:
Test record: 2'05.832 by Livio Loi (Honda RW Racing GP BV) in FP2 in 2016
Lap record: 2'05.862 by Alexis Masbou (Honda Ongetta-Rivacold) in 2014
Top speed: 240,3 km/h for Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in 2016
Third day schedule (Sunday):
In French time
13:00 p.m. – 14:20 p.m. Moto3
14:30 p.m. – 15:50 p.m. Moto2
16:00 p.m. – 17:00 p.m. Moto3
17:10 p.m. – 18:10 p.m. Moto2
18:20 p.m. – 19:20 p.m. Moto3
19:30 p.m. – 20:30 p.m. Moto2