A rainy second day of Moto2 testing at Portimao found Pedro Acosta in charge for Red Bull KTM Ajo.
Overnight rain left the track empty as Saturday got off to a much slower than anticipated start. The pack eventually ventured out for the second of three sessions as conditions brightened while the majority of hot laps came in the mid-afternoon climax.
The former Moto3 champion had bided his time, waiting until the third and final action to hit the track before setting a 1’42.234 benchmark with his 27th of 29 laps. Wet weather specialists Somkiat Chantra and Jake Dixon had set the pace in the earlier session with the Idemitsu Honda rider dipping to seventh in the day’s combined efforts while the Aspar man rounded out the top ten.
Fellow Brit Sam Lowes completed Saturday’s running third overall on the Elf Marc VDS, with Friday hero Aron Canet sitting second on the Pons Kalex. Two and three tenths respectively split the leading trio, with Speed Up’s Fermin Aldeguer up to fourth while the second Elf Marc VDS of Tony Arbolino completed the top five as the only riders under the 1’43 barrier.
Fieten Olie Racing’s Barry Baltus, KTM Ajo new recruit Albert Arenas - who suffered a second day crash - and Pertamina Mandalika SAG’s Bo Bendsneyder maintained their top ten running from the opening day, in sixth, eighth and ninth respectively with Fantic’s Celestino Vietti - a fellow faller - Italtrans’ Joe Roberts and Husqvarna rookie Darryn Binder just adrift.
Rory Skinner completed day two neatly behind his American Racing teammate Sean Dylan Kelly in 26th with a 1’44.851 best.
Portimao Moto2 test Saturday combined times
1 37 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo KALEX 1’42.234
2 40 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 KALEX 1’42.451 0.217
3 22 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team KALEX 1’42.780 0.546
4 54 Fermín Aldeguer SPA CAG SpeedUp BOSCOSCURO 1’42.858 0.624
5 14 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team KALEX 1’42.865 0.631
6 7 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP KALEX 1’43.009 0.775
7 35 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia KALEX 1’43.042 0.808
8 75 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo KALEX 1’43.091 0.857
9 64 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team KALEX 1’43.092 0.858
10 96 Jake Dixon GBR GASGAS Aspar Team KALEX 1’43.144 0.910
11 13 Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing KALEX 1’43.348 1.114
12 16 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team KALEX 1’43.530 1.296
13 15 Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP KALEX 1’43.643 1.409
14 12 Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 KALEX 1’43.650 1.416
15 21 Alonso Lopez SPA CAG SpeedUp BOSCOSCURO 1’43.724 1.490
16 11 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 KALEX 1’43.871 1.637
17 24 Marcos Ramirez SPA Forward Team FORWARD 1’43.887 1.653
18 71 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team KALEX 1’43.889 1.655
19 52 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 KALEX 1’43.924 1.690
20 84 Zonta VD Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP KALEX 1’44.004 1.770
21 19 Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team KALEX 1’44.068 1.834
22 72 Borja Gomez SPA Fantic Racing KALEX 1’44.209 1.975
23 3 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP KALEX 1’44.350 2.116
24 18 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team KALEX 1’44.457 2.223
25 4 Sean Dylan Kelly USA American Racing KALEX 1’44.826 2.592
26 33 Rory Skinner GBR American Racing KALEX 1’44.851 2.617
27 98 David Sanchis SPA Forward Team FORWARD 1’45.290 3.056
28 28 Izan Guevara SPA GASGAS Aspar Team KALEX 1’45.988 3.754
29 5 Kohta Nozane JPN Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team KALEX 1’46.362 4.128
