With less than seven days remain until the opening lights out of the year, the final touches on the 2023 preseason have come to an end. Both the Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes picked up some vital track time at the Algarve International Circuit over the past three days in an effort to get up to speed before Round 1.
In the intermediate class, Pedro Acosta has set the benchmark for the season to come as the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider’s 1:41.907 sees him finish the Test atop the timesheets. It’s something of a statement from the young Spaniard, who has blown off the cobwebs with relative ease and his showing in Portimao will have done little to quell the talk of him entering the season as the Moto2™ title favourite.
Fermin Aldeguer (CAG Speed Up) and Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) will both have plenty to say in the upcoming Championship battle also, and both riders have claimed top three results in Portimao, with the former less than a tenth off of Acosta’s time.
It has also been a promising few days for the ELF Marc VDS riders, with Sam Lowes and Tony Arbolino claiming a place in the top six behind Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia).
In Moto3™, Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) takes testing honours thanks to a 1:47.211 in the penultimate session of the weekend. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is one to watch in the category in the coming season, with last year’s Red Bull Rookies Champion taking P2 0.051s off the fastest lap. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) rounds out an impressive Test for him with third. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Dani Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) also feature in the top six.
The shutters have been pulled down in the garages as testing concludes, and now we’re facing into a short turnaround before the Portuguese GP kicks off on March 24th. Make sure you don’t miss a second of the build up and latest news with motogp.com. Stay tuned!