From the 19th to the 21st of February, the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto will host the first official 2020 preseason test for Moto2™ and Moto3™, but before that there’s a private two-day test happening at the Andalusian track this week. On Monday, a number of teams hit the tarmac for the first time this year and they’ll be back out on Tuesday, too. It’s valuable track time – as most often is – but even more so this season after inclement weather put paid to many testing programs the last time the grid headed for Jerez back in November.
There are eight Moto2™ teams and eight Moto3™ teams present: EG 0,0 Marc VDS, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, Red Bull KTM Ajo, Petronas Sprinta Racing, Sky Racing Team VR46, Speed Up, Aspar Team and Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 in the intermediate class; and Honda Team Asia, Red Bull KTM Ajo, Petronas Sprinta Racing, CIP-Green Power, Kömmerling Gresini Moto3, Sky Racing Team VR46, Estrella Galicia 0,0 and Aspar Team in the lightweight class.
According to the circuit’s live timing, Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was quickest on Day 1 in Moto2™. The 2018 Moto3™ World Champion, now on a Kalex for his second season in the intermediate class, had begun an ascent up the timesheets towards the end of his rookie Moto2™ campaign and certainly picked up where he left off. He had close company from Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Speed Up's Jorge Navarro, however, as they ended the day 0.140 and 0.152 off the top, respectively. Navarro’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio was a quarter of a second off in fourth on Day 1, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) just 0.008 behind him to complete the top five.
In Moto3™, 2019 Valencia GP winner Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was the fastest man on Monday. The top three were tight, however, with fellow sophomore Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) next up and veteran Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) in third to make it a top three split by just over a tenth. More experience completed the top five: Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing).
Check back on Tuesday for another update on what the teams are up to and get in gear for the first official test from the 19th to 21st February.