MADRID, 31 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish rider Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) dominated this Friday the first practice day of the MotoGP category of the Argentine Grand Prix, the second round of the Motorcycle World Championship, while the Italian Tony Arbolino (Kalex) and the Japanese Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna ) commanded in Moto2 and Moto3, respectively.
It was a Friday where the threat of rain did not end and allowed the riders to work more calmly on a day where in the ‘queen’ category the good rhythm of the Desmosedici and Aprilias was confirmed, which seem to be the best placed to take the ‘pole’ on Saturday, and also the bad moment of the Repsol Honda and Yamaha.
The motorcycles of the Noale and Borgo Panigale brands experienced a beautiful duel in the final stretch of the second practice session at the Termas de Río Hondo Autodrome, exchanging at the top of the time table, but in the end the former stayed with that honor.
Already in the first round, Aprilia, who won at this circuit last year adding his first victory in MotoGP with Aleix Espargaró, warned of his potential and his desire to try to treat the Ducatis on a first-name basis. Maverick Viñales set the best morning time ahead of his teammate, with the also Spanish Jorge Martín as the best Desmosedici, third.
And in the last practice session of the day, they did not let up and knew how to counteract their rivals, although on this occasion the best time was for the man from Granollers, with a best lap of 1:38.518, 162 thousandths better than that of Viñales. Behind, five Ducati, led by the Italian Marco Bezzecchi, third last Sunday in Portimao (Portugal) and with the current champion, Francesco Bagnaia, sixth at almost half a second.
The Italian Luca Marini (fourth), the Frenchman Johan Zarco (fifth) and Jorge Martín (seventh) completed the other Desmosedici in the ‘Top 10’, where the Hondas of Takaaki Nakagami (eighth) and Alex Rins (tenth), and the Yamaha of Franco Morbidelli (ninth).
The Japanese and the Spanish made the day somewhat brighter for the brand with the golden wing that saw its only official driver in this Grand Prix, the Balearic Joan Mir (Repsol Honda), did not enter ‘Q2’ (thirteenth), while the Italian was the best news for the ‘M1’ since the Frenchman Fabio Quartararo was far from the best (fourteenth).
On the other hand, in the Moto2 category, the best time was for the Italian Tony Arbolino (Kalex), third last Sunday in Portimao, although he was closely followed by the Czech Filip Salac (Kalex) and the Spanish Pedro Acosta (Kalex).
Arbolino set a best lap of 1:43.172, but he could not mark excessive differences with the rest of the pilots. Salac stayed at 66 thousandths of a second, while the one from Mazarrón, winner of the first race, at 80. The ‘Top 5’ was completed by the British Jake Dixon (Kalex) and the Thai Somkiat Chantra (Kalex), just over one tenth from the best time, with the Valencian Arón Canet (Kalex), sixth, also very close.
Finally, in Moto3, the best time on Friday went to the Japanese Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna), who was the great dominator of the day as he dominated the two sessions, leading the combined table with a time of 1:48.597. Behind, at 186 thousandths of a second, the Portuguese Diogo Moreira, third in Portugal, and the Spanish Jaume Masiá (Honda), at 243, while Daniel Holgado, winner in Portimao, was tenth by almost a second.