Joe Roberts was out to showcase his dominance at the Portimao track on Friday as the American secured the standings in both first and second free practice sessions. 

Concluding the day with the fastest overall lap - a 1’43.144 - Roberts topped the Moto2 times three-tenths clear of the advancing KTM’s of Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner, with Aron Canet splitting the orange machines in the closing stages. 

Having won the opening two races of 2021, Lowes was back in charge as Portimao’s morning free practice got fully up to speed - the Brit heading the times from Canet and Fernandez, as the only rider so far inside the 1’44’s after eight laps on track. Roberts made his presence known at the half-way stage as he advanced to second, just 0.146 shy of the current championship leader with Stefano Manzi heading last-year’s race winner, Gardner, just half a second back, for fifth and sixth. 

As the final 10 minutes fired up, Fernandez rose to the top, three-hundredths clear of Lowes as the Spaniard continued his impressive rookie showing. Stealing his thunder two laps later, his Ajo teammate Gardner was the next to advance, 1’44.433 now the time to beat but it wouldn’t take long. A KTM battle ensued over the coming laps as the pair repeatedly improved the pace while they vied for position, Roberts sitting narrowly behind for third. 

Four minutes to go and Canet was back on the move, finding second as the Australian once again moved the goal posts but Lowes too was looking to set the screens alight for his final run. 

The penultimate minute saw Roberts head the times with a ’43.9 as his compatriot Cameron Beaubier claimed eighth, Marcel Schrotter now up to third as Lowes sat fifth. The American retaining the lead as the flag came out from Gardner and Fernandez with Schrotter, Canet, Lowes and Jorge Navarro rounding out the top-seven. Manzi finished his morning practice eighth from Nicolò Bulega and Beaubier with Hector Garzo and Marco Bezzecchi heading a returning Marcos Ramirez in 13th. Xavi Vierge sat 14th after the opening 40-minutes from Fabio Di Giannantonio, Augusto Fernandez, Somkiat Chantra and Jake Dixon while Fraser Rogers began his debut Moto2 FP1 - as he stands in for the injured Barry Baltus - 4.8s off the pace in 30th. 

The afternoon began in a similar vein to the morning, with Lowes at the front from a hard-charging Gardner. Chantra and Garzo headed Roberts in the initial top-five with Ai Ogura and Beaubier advancing to sixth and seventh respectively at the half-way stage while Dixon continued his introduction to the rollercoaster layout - after missing last year’s inaugural race due to injury - in 18th.

The mid-session once again saw the majority of the field in the pits, with the exception of KTM’s Fernandez. The Spaniard, looking to improve his pace while he circulated the Algarve circuit alone, rose to second before ultimately taking the lead with a 1’43.872 on his 11th lap. 

The closing stages saw Bezzecchi on a charge as the VR46 rider advanced to fourth before Roberts returned to his earlier form, setting the pace once again with a stunning 1’43.144, seven-tenths ahead of the KTM’s, as Gardner joined his teammate for third. Lowes sat fourth from Yari Montella and Bezzecchi with Vierge heading Chantra, Schrotter and Di Giannantonio in the top-10 before the times shuffled again in the final five minutes. 

Canet was making moves as the session neared its conclusion, initially to sixth before claiming third with three minutes to go, as Garzo looked to do likewise, fighting Bezzecchi for fifth as Albert Arenas swept through to seventh moments later. Improvements for Dixon saw the Brit neatly behind his Petronas team-mate on the edge of the top-10 before late-charges from Bulega and Schrotter demoted the pair, although the Italian’s time would later be deleted. 

FP2 concluded with Roberts firmly in charge, from Fernandez, Canet and Gardner. Bezzecchi bettered Garzo in the top-six while a final push from Lowes saw the Marc VDS man find seventh at the flag. Arenas finished eighth from Schrotter, Vierge and Dixon with Montella, Augusto Fernandez, Chantra and Tom Luthi completing the top-15.