MADRID, 14 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The French rider Johan Zarco (Ducati), the Japanese Ayumi Sasaki (Husqvarna) and the British Jake Dixon (Kalex) were the fastest this Friday on the first day of free practice in the MotoGP, Moto3 and Moto2 categories of the Grand Prix of Australia, antepenultimate round of the Motorcycle World Championship.
The first contact with the Phillip Island track brought Ducati dominance in the ‘queen’ category, although there were even bikes from four different factories among the five best times of the day and separated by almost three tenths. Among them, however, were neither the Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) nor the Spanish Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia).
The great dominator of the day was the Frenchman Johan Zarco, who set the best time in both sessions and showed that he can be a contender again on the Australian circuit with his Pramac Racing ‘Desmosedici’.
The one in Cannes closed on Friday with a best lap of 1:29.475, almost a second faster than in the morning session, which helped him finish by a narrow margin ahead of Italian Marco Bezzecchi, also riding a Ducati, and of a ‘reborn’ Pol Espargaró (Repsol Honda), who stayed at 38 and 52 thousandths respectively.
Behind them were the current world champion and leader of the World Championship, Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), who gathered strength for the weekend with fourth place in the time table just over a tenth, and the Spanish Maverick Viñales (Aprilia), at 270 thousandths.
In addition to Espargaró’s result, the golden wing brand ended the first day at Phillip Island satisfied because the eight-time world champion Marc Márquez showed his improvement and was sixth fastest, three tenths behind Zarco, in a day in the one that premiered aerodynamic innovations, with rear appendages called ‘Stegosaurus’.
Instead, the other candidates for the title were further behind. Bagnaia could only finish eighth, but less than four tenths off the best time and one position behind Aleix Espargaró. The Italian Enea Bastianini (Ducati) was ninth, while the Australian Jack Miller (Ducati) was left out of the ‘Top 10’, thirteenth and already running over 1:30.
GUEVARA STARTS WITH GOOD FEELINGS
On the other hand, in Moto3, the Spanish Izan Guevara (GasGas), who has his first great opportunity to win the world title, won the first moral ‘battle’ against the Italian Dennis Foggia (Honda) on a Friday dominated by the Japanese Ayumi Sasaki.
The Japanese took advantage of the improvement in the conditions of the track compared to those of the first hour to lower the best time by two seconds and dominate with 1:37.797, almost two tenths ahead of his compatriot Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda). Guevara, in his first time at Phillip Island, was already fourth at the 1:38 mark and half a second, just ahead of his teammate Sergio García Dols (GasGas) and Foggia, whom he beat by one tenth.
Finally, in the Moto2 category, the fastest time on Friday went to the British Jake Dixon (Kalex), who was the only rider to be able to break the 1:34 barrier (1.33.687), while the Spanish Fermín Aldeguer (Boscoscuro) was second to almost four tenths.
As for the two contenders for the title, Augusto Fernández (Kalex) and the Japanese Ai Ogura (Kalex), the man from Madrid finished with better feelings, seventh (1:34.619). The Asian was out of the ‘Top 10’, seventeenth, more than a second off the best time.