Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max’s Ayumu Sasaki has gone quickest in FP1 for the Moto3™ field at the Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragon. The Japanese rider jumped to the top with a 1:58.819 in the final three minutes of the 40-minute session at MotorLand Aragon and would find himself 0.266 seconds up on the rest when the music stopped. World Championship leader Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) set a much faster lap with the chequered flag out but that 1:58.503 would not count due to a breach of track limits at the ‘bus stop’ chicane and he would be classified second all-told.
Just two hundredths of a second slower again was Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) on a 1:59.105, followed by Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) on a 1:59.171 and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was quickest for much of the session, in fifth on a 1:59.187. Sergio Garcia (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team), who is looking to reclaim the Championship lead this weekend, was classified seventh on a 1:59.356 while Misano race winner Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) took ninth on a 1:59.388.
Only one rider into the 1:58s this morning! ????@AyumuSasaki1 gets the jump on them all in FP1 ????#AragonGP ???? pic.twitter.com/ada62kPETq
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) September 16, 2022
Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) had a couple of spills at Turn 12 – thankfully at low speed – while Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) had a late crash at the top of the Reverse Corkscrew. Meanwhile, John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) claimed 11th on a 1:59.588 after missing early track time due to a front brake problem.
There’ll be more Moto3™ action at Aragon later on Friday when FP2 unfolds at 13:15 (GMT +2)!
Moto3™ FP1 Top 10:
1. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) – 1:58.819
2. Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.266
3. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) + 0.286
4. Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) + 0.352
5. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.368
6. Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) + 0.448
7. Sergio Garcia (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.537
8. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) + 0.559
9. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) + 0.569
10. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) + 0.584