Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez had the honour of sitting at the top of the timesheets at the close of the opening day of the 2020 Moto3™ World Championship, just 0.018 of a second adrift of Aron Canet’s fastest-ever lightweight lap around the Losail International Circuit.
The first Friday of the season belongs to @25RaulFernandez! ????
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) March 6, 2020
The @RedBull_KTM_Ajo rider tops the timesheets in FP2! ????#Moto3 | #QatarGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/CK30soI6cc
All but four of the Moto3™ contenders improved on their FP1 lap, including Friday morning's second-fastest rider Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), as the sun began to set in the Doha desert, as FP1’s pacesetter Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) slipped back to third quickest. Separating the two talented Spanish teenagers in the top three was South African Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power), who ended just over a tenth away from Fernandez’s 2:04.577.
Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura was again just outside the fastest three in fourth, thanks to his final lap of the session, with compatriot and former teammate Kaito Toba a place further back in fifth. Rivacold Snipers Team’s Tony Arbolino was the first man not to dip beneath the 2:05 barrier in sixth place, just ahead of fellow Italian Andrea Migno (SKY Racing Team VR46).
Leopard Racing’s Jaume Masia was three-quarters of a second away from top spot in eighth ahead of Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Friday’s fastest rookie Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3). Fellow rookies Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia) and Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Racing) provisionally claimed the final Q2 spots in 13th and 14th place.
Time attacks in 3, 2, 1... ⏱️
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) March 6, 2020
The sunset is giving us some spectacular pictures while we wait! ????#Moto3 | #QatarGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/KrimtKNRIo
After Migno and Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) both crashed out of FP1, nobody slipped off during the second session of the day for the lightweight class. Now all focus switches to Saturday’s FP3 session for the Moto3™ class and the fight to earn a place directly into Q2 via the top 14. Tune in at 12:55 (GMT+3) local time.
Top 10 combined:
1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 2:04.577
2. Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power) + 0.121
3. Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) + 0.146
4. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) + 0.345
5. Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.411
6. Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) + 0.650
7. Andrea Migno (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.710
8. Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) + 0.755
9. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) + 0.771
10. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) + 0.778
Click here for full results!