Canet leads the way after a wild FP3

Flexbox HP40’s Aron Canet is the Moto2™ pace-setter after a dramatic FP3 at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, but some big names will have to go into Q1. Canet, who had been third-fastest in Friday practice at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, jumped to the top with a 1:51.761 late in the third session of the weekend. He finished just hundredths of a second ahead of the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo of Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez, who clocked a 1:51.820 and 1:51.828 respectively, while Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took fourth on a 1:51.864.

Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP), and World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top seven, which was covered by only 0.148 seconds. With the rain holding off at Mugello, Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) slipped down the order after he did not improve on his Friday benchmark of 1:51.966, but that still held up for eighth on combined times. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was ninth and Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) 10th.

Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) set a 1:51.754 which would have been good enough for fastest lap of the session but it was scrubbed off due to the presence of yellow flags for a crash for Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP). It did not cost the Japanese rider too much, however, given his next-best time of 1:52.076 was good enough for 11th. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) just got into the top 14 cut-off for Q2, but Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was 15th when he crashed with minutes remaining, locking him into Q1. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) will also be forced to go the long way if he is to fight for pole having finished 18th on combined times, albeit only 0.399 seconds off the pace.

There was an unfortunate incident at the start of the session when Vietti pulled off a super save at San Donato (Turn 1), causing Marcos Ramirez (MV Augusta Forward Racing) to check up and Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) to ram him. Rodrigo has been taken to the medical centre with pain in his right shoulder but both riders did walk away from the incident.

With plenty of contenders for pole, both inside and outside the top 14, make sure you tune in to Q1 later on Saturday at 15:10 (GMT +2).

Moto2™ Top 10:
1. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) – 1:51.761
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.059
3. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.067
4. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.103
5. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) + 0.123
6. Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP) + 0.143
7. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 0.148
8. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.205
9. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) + 0.258
10. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.301

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