Takaaki Nakagami dominated Moto2 free practice at Phillip Island’s MotoGP round, ending day one more than half a second clear of the pack.
Second place belonged to Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) despite a crash in FP2 for the Italian veteran, with Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) completing the top three on the Suter.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made it three chassis in the top five as he kept the KTM a frontrunner, with Championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) round out the top five with his laptime from FP1 despite a run off. Rookie of the Year Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) took sixth and shaved half a second off his previous best in the afternoon, ahead of Motegi winner Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).
Championship challenger Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) had a day of ups and downs as he crashed in FP2 and failed to improve his pace, with his FP1 best putting him in P8. Fabio Quartararo (Pons HP 40) ended Day 1 in P9, with Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) completing the top ten despite a crash.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing Team) was eleventh quickest and had quick crash at Turn 1 – rider ok – with Jesko Raffin (Garage Plus Interwetten) taking twelfth as he once again shines at the Island. Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) was P13, with Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) ending Friday in fourteenth after having suffered a highside in FP1; rider ok.
Locking out the fastest fifteen on Friday was reigning Moto3 World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who won at the venue last year in the lightweight class.
