Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) was fastest once more on Tuesday at Jerez, heading the timesheets in the Official Test ahead of Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) as the two mirrored the duel at the top on Day 1. Bagnaia was two tenths clear, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP 40) completing the top three and a further tenth and a half off Marquez.
Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) made a leap up the timesheets on Tuesday to take fourth overall as he moves to the VR46-backed Moto2™ outfit, ahead of Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) as Italians took over in the top five bar one. And that top five is covered by only four tenths.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) hit back in P6 overall only a tenth off Pasini, and the Portuguese rider once more led the charge for KTM on the timesheets after winning the final three races of last year on the then-debuting Austrian machine. Behind him was another KTM in the form of Sam Lowes – just 0.067 in arrears – as the Swiss Innovative Investors rider readjusts to life on a Moto2™ machine.
Remy Gardner put in an impressive performance to take eighth overall on the Tech 3 machine, with the Aussie splitting the KTMs and edging Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brad Binder by only 0.037. Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) completed the top ten.
Isaac Viñales (SAG Team) missed out on that top ten by just 0.002 on Tuesday, but it was nevertheless a solid performance from the Spaniard once again as he gains some real traction in preseason. He just beat Hector Barbera, who is debuting in Moto2™ this year but a former 250 World Championship runner up. Barbera was the fastest newcomer in the class.
Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) was P13 as he readjusts to life on a Kalex, with reigning Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) just behind him. Mir was the fastest of the Moto3™ graduates, taking back that honour after Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team) achieved the feat on Monday. Fenati was four places behind Mir on Day 2, but in the incredible competition of the Moto2™ field, that equated to less than a tenth off his former lightweight class rival.
Khairul Idham Pawi (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) locked out the fastest fifteen, with the Malaysian rider showing some positive progress on Tuesday to move ahead of some big names.
There's more on Wednesday on the third and final day, with action from 10:00 (GMT +1). For full results, click here!