Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was the quickest rider in Moto3™ FP2 at the Motul TT Assen to top the combined timesheets on the opening day after finishing fourth in the morning. The Spaniard leads compatriot Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) overall, however FP1’s pace setter suffered a heavy crash at the end of FP2 at Turn 4 and needed to be stretchered away.
#Moto3 FP2 ????
— MotoGP™???????????? (@MotoGP) June 29, 2018
It's @aroncanet44 who tops the afternoon session and ends Friday quickest in the lightweight class #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/lToA8pYmKO
On his final run, Canet set a flurry of quick times to confirm his speed at Assen, a venue he was victorious at last season. Thankfully, Martin was declared fit after a checkup in the medical centre and will be ready to battle on Saturday. Meanwhile, after earning his first Grand Prix podium at the Catalan GP, Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) enjoyed a great Friday at the Dutch GP, finishing the day third fastest overall after ending FP1 in P10. The Argentine was one of three riders to set a time in the 1:42.8 bracket, with John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) firing in an impressive final run of the day to finish fourth quickest on the combined timesheets, 0.155 off Canet – the Scotsman was third in the morning.
Jerez race winner Philipp Oettl (Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing) set a 1:42.856 to end the day fifth quickest, jumping up the timesheets late in FP2 after ending FP1 in ninth place. 0.086 behind the German was the resurgent Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing Team VR46) in sixth, upping his time by over a second in the afternoon to leap up from 11th place finish in FP1.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) was second in the morning and lead for the majority of the afternoon session, but the Italian eventually ended the day seventh fastest – 0.288 behind Canet’s benchmark. Teammate Jakub Kornfeil consolidated a top ten place in the afternoon after ending FP1 sixth, the Czech rider was a slender 0.022 off Bezzecchi’s time in eighth.
Japan’s Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) was ninth on the combined times, impressively jumping up from 24th in FP1. Rounding out the top ten in the lightweight class was second in the Championship Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), the Italian was P14 in the morning but ended the day less than half a second behind Canet in 10th on the combined timesheets.
It’s looking tight at the top in the lightweight class after the opening day at Assen, with a second covering the top 18. Don’t miss the Moto3™ riders out on track for FP3 on Saturday morning, with qualifying getting underway at 12:35 local time (GMT +2).