Autosolar GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon completed a stellar Friday in Jerez having topped both Moto2 free practice sessions.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez sat a quarter of a second behind the Brit’s late 1’41.646 effort with Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura and Elf Marc VDS duo Sam Lowes and Tony Arbolino completing the top five.
A somewhat battered and bruised intermediate class took to the track as Friday practice began after the dramatic conclusions to Sunday’s race day in Portugal. Aron Canet undergoing surgery on his left hand at the start of the week before returning to action on the Flexbox HP40 just four days later.
Dixon took charge of FP1 as the initial laps fired in with Portimao race winner Joe Roberts and Arbolino in the top three. Mooney VR46’s Celestino Vietti and Fernandez challenged moments later before Arbolino and Schrotter bettered overall on lap four. Lowes joined his countrymen in the leading group next time around as the two Brits sat third and fourth before the championship leader dropped them back and the standings began to shuffle again.
Marc VDS came out on top as Arbolino headed Lowes out front with a 1’42.763, Dixon and Schrotter sitting third and fourth from the second Aspar of Albert Arenas and Vietti. The American duo of Roberts and Cameron Beaubier held seventh and eight with Fernandez and KTM Ajo teammate Pedro Acosta completing the top ten with a third of the session done.
The orange bikes were soon on the move as the pair found the top five, Vietti splitting the purple pair in charge until Lowes improved to move the Italian back to third. Arenas getting a mouthful from his own teammate after cruising on the racing line as Dixon fired up a personal best at turn one.
The second half found Fernandez in charge by 0.006s with Dixon up to third. The leading trio covered by a mere 0.04s from Schrotter, Acosta and Lowes with Vietti and Beaubier three-tenths off the top at the back of the top eight.
The closing ten minutes began with Fernandez consolidating his leading position with consistent pace before a 1’42.2 refined the target. Acosta securing an Ajo one-two with six minutes left to run and 0.222s back as Filip Salac arrived on the Gresini machine to hold third.
Beaubier struck for second next time around as the action continued before the American crashed out. Ogura joined the fight from fourth with first Arenas then Dixon improving on the GasGas as the Brit took charge overall with the first 1’41 of the day.
Lowes looked to celebrate a British one-two as he claimed second with three minutes on the clock. Fernandez, Arenas and Beaubier completing the top five from Acosta and Vietti with a late push from Ogura finding fourth at the flag. The injured Canet sitting 16th and just a second off the top after the opening 40 minutes.
Canet was the first improver as the afternoon action began, the Spaniard’s 1’42.5 placing him eighth in the combined times as Ogura took charge of the session, two-tenths ahead. Acosta, Arbolino and Fernandez heading Fermin Aldeguer in the top six as FP2 warmed up with Roberts and the two Brits towards the back of the top ten.
Ten minutes down and Dixon was running second, with Lowes fifth - neatly behind his teammate - as Ogura continued to up the session target. Arenas joining his Aspar partner in the top three next time around with Canet splitting the pairings from fourth. KTM continued the pattern as Acosta led Fernandez in seventh and eighth from Roberts and Aldeguer with Somkiat Chantra joining the top five fight at the halfway stage.
A quiet second half saw improvements from Fernandez as the KTM rose to second on his ninth lap while the pace remained down on the morning’s benchmark. Dixon and Lowes sitting third and fourth in the individual session while maintaining their lead overall until the Spaniard split the pair with a P2 worthy effort in the combined times and seven minutes on the clock.
The final push saw Lowes drop to fifth as Ogura and Arenas improved overall with Fernandez advancing the pace thanks to a 1’41.989 on his 13th lap. Lowes fine tuning back to fourth as Dixon returned to the lead, three-tenths clear and with three minutes left to run.
Acosta and Roberts jumped to sixth and seventh with Canet behind before Arbolino entered the top five. Arenas crashing out at turn 13 and bringing out the yellow flag with Beaubier down at turn two shortly after.
Dixon claimed the day with a 1’41.646, Fernandez and Ogura splitting him from the Marc VDS duo of Lowes and Arbolino with Aspar teammate Arenas sixth despite the late fall. Acosta, Roberts, Canet and Chantra completed the top ten with Beaubier, Aldeguer, Bo Bendsneyder and Vietti holding provisional promotion as Friday’s action drew to a close.
