MADRID, 24 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Australian rider Jack Miller (KTM) was the fastest this Friday after the first two practice sessions in the MotoGP category of the Portuguese Grand Prix, the first round of the Motorcycle World Championship, while the Spanish Pedro Acosta (Kalex) and Daniel Holgado ( KTM)) set the best times in Moto2 and Moto3, respectively.
The first contact with the layout of the Portimao International Autodrome left the scare of the Catalan Pol Espargaró (KTM), transferred to the hospital in the town of Faro after a hard fall in the second training session. It was a rough start to a day where the rain also played a role, even if it was not shot in the wet.
In the ‘queen’ category, there was a surprise with the best time of the day for Jack Miller and his KTM after a second session that, in addition to the red flag due to the incident on the one from Granollers, had another one at the start due to electronic problems.
The Australian set a great lap in the second resumption of training and went to rest with the best time, 1:37.709, barely 37 thousandths better than that of the Spanish Maverick Viñales (Aprilia), while the third time went to the current world champion, the Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), just over a tenth behind his former teammate.
The bikes from the Borgo Panigale brand did not overwhelm as expected and proved to be beatable for the moment in one lap, although another five (Luca Marini, Jorge Martín, Johan Zarco, Marco Bezzecchi and Enea Bastianiani) were among the ten that went to the ‘Q2’, something that Álex Márquez resisted, despite the fact that he was the best in the first round and dominated the second round at times.
The French Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), sixth, and the Spanish Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia), were the other two riders who will not have to go through a ‘Q1’ this Saturday, something that the two Repsol Honda riders could not avoid.
The eight-time world champion Marc Márquez could not be with the best and finished fourteenth with a best lap of 1:38.419, with a crash on his last attempt, while Joan Mir, despite leaving better feelings after being third in the first training session, he finished twelfth (1:38.419).
On the other hand, in Moto2, Pedro Acosta confirmed his initial favoritism and after being the fastest in the tests held on the Portuguese circuit, he extended his dominance in the first two practices this Friday, although by a narrow margin with the British Jake Dixon (Kalex).
The Murcian set a better time of 1:42.391, but only 98 thousandths better than the Englishman, while the provisional ‘podium’ was completed by the Czech Filip Salac (Kalex), already more than three tenths away.
The Valencian Aron Canet (Kalex) was ninth, just over half a second behind Manuel González (Kalex) and Alonso López (Boscoscuro).
In Moto3 there was also initial Spanish dominance thanks to Daniel Holgado, who led the time table after the first two sessions with a record of 1:47.320, beating the Portuguese Diogo Moreira and the also Spanish David Muñoz by 150 and 190 thousandths, both at also backs of a KTM.