Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) is officially the pace-setter following the first two Moto2™ practice sessions at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. The Thai rider broke the All Time Lap Record in FP1 and while Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went even faster in FP2, that lap does not count due to the presence of a yellow flag.
Hot pace and plenty of spills
Chantra had knocked off Francesco Bagnaia’s four-year-old Moto2™ benchmark at Le Mans when he clocked a 1:36.108 in FP1, but it looked like his bragging rights would last only a handful of hours. With around five minutes to go in the second session of the day, Fernandez came through with a 1:36.030, but had done so by transiting a yellow flag zone triggered by a crash for Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP).
Instead, top Red Bull KTM Ajo rider is Pedro Acosta, second on combined times after setting a 1:36.166 which was fastest in FP2, with Fernandez third. The latter was officially third-fastest in FP2 on a 1:36.394, although he had gone even faster than that in clocking a 1:36.263 in FP1.
Despite what we once thought... Chantra remains on top ????@Afernandez37's lap record is scratched off by yellow flags ????#Moto2 | #FrenchGP ???????? https://t.co/WVL8tzHl2h
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) May 13, 2022
As was the case in the MotoGP™ session which preceded it, there were in fact a number of crashes in Moto2™'s second practice session. Sam Lowes was among those who hit the deck, but still finished up fourth overall thanks to a 1:36.403. His fellow Elf Marc VDS Racing Team rider, Tony Arbolino, joined him in the combined top five having gone as quick as a 1:36.517.
Schrötter is in the top half of the provisional Q2 places, as is fellow crasher Stefano Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team). The German sits sixth after clocking a 1:36.589 in FP2 while Manzi is seventh courtesy of his personal-best time from FP1. Spanish GP winner Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) occupies ninth spot, while World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is 11th.
A very fast crash for @SamLowes22 ????
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) May 13, 2022
He definitely deserves some style points though ????#Moto2 | #FrenchGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/jGKmGjNEqW
No further action was taken over the collision between Vietti and Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) in FP1. As it stands, Canet is the last rider directly into Q2, in 14th position, after he also had a spill in FP2.
Whether or not he stays above the cut-off will be decided when FP3 takes place on Saturday, from 10:55 (GMT +2).
Moto2™ Top 10 on Friday:
1. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – 1:36.108
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.058
3. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.155
4. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.295
5. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.409
6. Marcel Schrotter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.481
7. Stefano Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) + 0.500
8. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.502
9. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.522
10. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.540