Thanks to a 2:09.004 on Saturday morning, Jake Dixon (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) leads the Moto2™ field into qualifying at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas from Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The Spaniard is just 0.017s off the British rider, with third place Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) also within a tenth of the top time. World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) misses the automatic Q2 cut in P15.
It's all change at the top! ????@jakedixonracing heads the way ahead of @Afernandez37 and @aroncanet44 after @Aldeguer54's final lap was canceled but he still goes directly into Q2! ???? pic.twitter.com/8r1bzMxpQU
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) April 9, 2022
Some improvements made as yellow flags disrupt final time attacks
There were little time improvements made for most of the session in the cooler morning conditions, but a late flurry of time attacks came in at the end of the session. However, crashes for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) heavily disrupted the running. Canet and then Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) set blistering times, but they were chalked off for yellow flag infringements, meaning Dixon’s improved lap stood as the fastest overall.
Automatic Q2 qualifiers
Despite the cancelled lap time that would have been a new lap record, Aldeguer is fourth heading into qualifying ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – the Italian didn’t improve his Friday time. Home hero Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) is P6 overall after three Free Practice sessions, the American is ahead of Acosta, Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Navarro and Albert Arenas (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) in the top 10.
Give the home fans lots to cheer about! ????@cameronbeaubier has been strong all weekend and sits 3rd in combined times! ????#Moto2 | #AmericasGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/7or3GQ1mYF
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) April 9, 2022
America’s Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) is safely into Q2 in P11, he’s ahead of Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Chantra and Lowes – the latter two scraping top 14s ahead of Vietti, who now faces Q1.
Tune into Moto2™ qualifying at 12:35 local time (GMT-5).
Top 10 combined:
1. Jake Dixon (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) – 2:09.004
2. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.017
3. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) + 0.087
4. Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) + 0.151
5. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.197
6. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) + 0.323
7. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.359
8. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.584
9. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) + 0.729
10. Albert Arenas (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.777