Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) ended Day 1 of the first Triumph powered Moto2™ Official Test at the top of the times in Jerez, setting the fastest lap time of 1:42.203 to head compatriot Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) by 0.143, with Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) third fastest on his return to his old team – 0.282 separated the British rider from Baldassarri.
The Moto2™ riders completed four sessions throughout the day at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, with conditions improving in the afternoon after overnight rain had seen a damp start to proceedings. At the end of Day 1, Pons HP40’s Augusto Fernandez was fourth fastest, with Remy Gardner (SAG Team) rounding out the top five – 0.533 off the top.
The fastest rookie was Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing Team VR46), the Italian setting the seventh quickest time of the day to finish 0.566 from P1 – a great debut for the number 11 rider. However, it wasn’t such a good day for Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) after the reigning Moto3™ World Champion sustained left arm and right foot fractures in a Turn 2 crash. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Speed Up Racing) was P18 on the times, just ahead of fellow rookie Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) – 1.4 and 1.5 off P1 respectively for the Italian duo.
Elsewhere, Jake Dixon’s (Angel Nieto Team) Moto2™ debut ended with the British rider setting a quickest time of 1:44.401, 2.198 off Baldassarri’s benchmark, with Dixon finishing one place ahead of Moto3™ graduate Marco Bezzecchi (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) – P25 and P26 respectively for the pair.
Moto2™ riders will be back out on track on Saturday as they continue their adaptation to the Triumph engine.