MADRID, 13 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish rider Aleix Espargaró led the MotoGP dominance of the Aprilia in the first contact with the Mandalika circuit, the scene of the Indonesian Grand Prix this weekend, while the also Spanish Pedro Acosta (Kalex) and the Turkish Deniz Öncu (KTM) were the fastest in Moto2 and Moto3, respectively.
In the ‘queen’ category, the motorcycles from the Noale factory once again had a ‘forgotten’ role since their display at the Catalunya Grand Prix and warned the Ducati of their threat for the rest of the weekend.
Both Aleix Espargaró and his teammate Maverick Viñales were at the top of the time table from the beginning of the first free practice and confirmed their good feelings in a ‘Practice’ that was adverse for the World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia and positive for the Spanish Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda ).
The Granollers rider finished on Friday with the best time of the day, a 1:30.474 that only Viñales could get close to, who was 154 thousandths behind, and the Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati), who despite arriving at the event after Fractured his collarbone training and suffered a fall in the first round, he finished third at 170.
From there, more distance with the rest of the riders who made the cut to enter directly into ‘Q2’, with the South African Brad Binder (KTM) already almost three tenths behind Espargaró and with Jorge Martín (Ducati), second classified of the championship and the best at first hour, in fifth place to four.
The Madrid native will try this weekend to take the lead from the current champion, Francesco Bagnaia, who did not start this Grand Prix in the best possible way, where he will have to go through ‘Q1’ for the second time in the season after having to do so in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). A mistake on his last lap sent him to sixteenth place.
Things went better for Marc Márquez. The eight-time world champion, protagonist of his departure after eleven years from Repsol Honda and his signing for a satellite team like Gresini Racing, showed that he wants to finish the remainder of the campaign well with the Japanese factory.
The one from Cervera, despite not being able to be with the best in the morning, did do so in a ‘Practice’ where he achieved an excellent sixth place that put him directly into ‘Q2’ although more than half a second behind Espargaró. His teammate Joan Mir, on the other hand, could only be nineteenth, far from a ‘Top 10’ completed by the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia), the Italian Fabio di Giannantonio (Ducati), the Australian Jack Miller (KTM) and the Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha).
ACOSTA STARTS RIDING MOTO2
On the other hand, in the Moto2 category, the Spanish Pedro Acosta (Kalex), leader of the World Championship, started strongly on the Indonesian track and prepared for the rest of the weekend as the fastest with a time of 1: 34,456.
The young driver from Murcia, who suffered a fall in the first session, was seconded in the time table by his compatriot Arón Canet (Kalex), who was 180 thousandths behind, and by the British Sam Lowes (Kalex), 222. For his part, the Italian Tony Arbolino (Kalex), second in the championship, 50 points behind Mazarrón, was ninth, more than half a second behind.
Finally, in Moto3, the best on Friday was the Turkish Deniz Öncu (KTM), who with his 1:39.855, achieved a new record at the Mandalika circuit, which only the Portuguese Diogo Moreira (KTM), the another driver who was able to break the 1:40 barrier (1:39.987).
Behind them, just over two tenths, was the Spanish Jaume Masiá (Honda), leader of the World Championship and who was positioned in this first contact ahead of his two main rivals, the Japanese Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) , fifth, and the also Spanish Daniel Holgado (KTM), sixth.