Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) continues to impress in Moto2™ this season as the young Spaniard ended Day 1 at the top of the timesheets at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Aldeguer set a 2:09.155 in the second Free Practice session to beat Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) by 0.046s, as Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) begins his home GP with a P3.
The #Moto2 day is done and dusted! ✅
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) April 8, 2022
It's @Aldeguer54 that they're all chasing going into Saturday! ????#AmericasGP ???????? | #GP500 pic.twitter.com/EPLKOJBWoc
0.2s covers top eight, Vietti outside top 14
It was a closely fought FP2 session with every rider bar one going quicker than they did in the cooler FP1 conditions. The fastest times of the day came at the end of FP2, with Aldeguer eventually pipping Arbolino to P1 on his final flying lap. Beaubier also set his personal best lap on his final time attack effort to climb into the top three, as World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) struggles to P15 after crashing unhurt at Turn 5. Crucially, that’s outside the provisional automatic Q2 places.
Jake Dixon (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) claimed P4 on Day 1 ahead of second in the title race Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), with FP1 pacesetter Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) P6. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went well to finish P7, Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) picked up P8 with a late effort as Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) – despite a crash – and Albert Arenas (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) round out the top 10.
Home hero Sean Dylan Kelly (American Racing) headed to the medical centre for a check-up after a crash in FP2, thankfully he was later declared fit, as we also witnessed a crash for Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) – he too went to the medical centre.
A vital FP3 session is coming for Vietti, home favourite Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) knocked the Italian out of the top 14, so make sure you tune into that at 09:00 local time (GMT-5) on Saturday morning.
A late lap put @Joerobertsracer into the top 14! ????
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) April 8, 2022
Along with @cameronbeaubier that's two Americans into Q2 at the end of Friday! ????#Moto2 | #AmericasGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/lYElQ4vFP4
Top 10:
1. Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) – 2:09.155
2. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.046
3. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) + 0.172
4. Jake Dixon (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.179
5. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) + 0.198
6. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.207
7. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.208
8. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.485
9. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) + 0.578
10. Albert Arenas (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.626