MB Conveyors’ Fermín Aldeguer claimed the opening honours as Moto2 free practice began at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit in Argentina.
Red Bull KTM’s Augusto Fernandez and Honda Team Asia’s Somkiat Chantra secured the top three with Brits Jake Dixon and Sam Lowes running top ten pace as FP1 for the Argentinian GP finally took to the track.
Low temperatures of 16℃ saw the intermediate class action kick off with early crashes for Joe Roberts and Pedro Acosta, the Italtrans and KTM Ajo teams unimpressed with the extra work after a painfully early start for an already intense Saturday schedule.
Out front, Fernandez and Chantra battled for initial honours in the standings as the 50-minute practice began. The Idemitsu Honda rider setting a 1’44.181 time in his tenth lap of the morning with the second KTM machine just 0.025s behind. Pons rider Jorge Navarro made his presence felt in third just a tenth back with Speed Up’s Aldeguer holding off Dixon on the GasGas Aspar in the top five.
Lowes started his Argentine action from 11th in the times, after an empty Marc VDS pitbox for the weekend’s opening days had sent the recovering 31-year-old straight to the golf course! The Brit circulated just under a second adrift of his former teammate out front as he made his way into the FP1 top ten at the halfway stage with a 1’44.883.
The final 15 minutes found Fernandez back in charge with a 1’43.641, Aldeguer the only other rider under the 1’44 barrier as Chantra circulated half a second adrift in third. American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier claimed fifth with his 16th lap of the Termas track demoting Dixon by a mere 0.011s as two-tenths covered the second half of the top ten down to Lowes’ 1.44.777 effort.
Roberts was able to head back on track, albeit from the back of the pack, as the session neared conclusion after his earlier off, Acosta forced to sit out of the duration as he looked ahead to FP2.
Three minutes to go and Fernandez increased the pace with a 1’43.539. Chantra and Aldeguer still battling for the remaining top three positions as Lowes and Arbolino locked out fourth and fifth respectively on the bubble of 1’44. Celestino Vietti and Aron Canet were quick to deny the Marc VDS duo next time around before the pair hit back. Arbolino climbing third with his penultimate effort before a final shuffle found Aldeguer’s 1’43.356 on top.
The chequered flag secured the Speed Up rider’s dominance as Fernandez and Chantra rounded out the top three. Arbolino, Canet, Vietti, Dixon and Lowes sat fourth to eighth with Navarro and Bo Bendsneyder completing the top ten.
