Red Bull KTM’s Raul Fernandez put on a stunning showing in the Southern States after securing the Moto2 standings in Friday practice at Austin.
It was an Ajo lockout at the top of the times once again as Remy Gardner joined his teammate in second, Sam Lowes completing the top three with Jake Dixon running eighth after the day’s two 40-minute sessions.
Blue skies but a still damp track sent the Moto2 riders out on wet tyres as Friday practice got underway. The intermediate class expected to swap for dry Dunlop rubber after the initial exploratory laps as the Texas heat kicked up. Stefano Manzi forced to sit out of the entirety of Friday’s running after being deemed to have exceeded testing rules by replacing Andy Verdoïa at GMT94 Yamaha for the Jerez WorldSSP round last weekend.
Tony Arbolino headed the times as the session began, Marco Bezzecchi and local man Cameron Beaubier sitting second and third before Speed Up’s new signing Fermín Aldeguer arrived at the top with a 2’26.982. The Liqui Moly Intact rider bettered once again, by 0.064s, with Augusto Fernandez going the fun in third next time around.
Joe Roberts waited for his home track to be suitable for slicks before setting out for his FP1 laps, the American hitting the track with 25 minutes to go on the Italtrans Kalex - his future now confirmed with the team through the 2022 season alongside Lorenzo Dalla Porta, while Tetsuta Nagashima sees out the remainder of 2021 for the injured Italian.
Lowes entered the top three at the halfway stage, the Brit setting a 2’22.397 to sit two-seconds ahead of the next best effort, before Hafizh Syahrin and Roberts joined him on either side in the top five. Out front Marcos Ramirez and Somkiat Chantra battled for the lead with the American Racing rider winning out with 17 minutes to go.
The closing 10 minutes found the pace improved to a 2’16.777, Syahrin in charge from Ramirez, Chantra, Marcel Schrotter and Lowes with Roberts and Dixon circulating sixth and seventh. Lowes challenged for the lead with his 10th effort of the morning before Syahrin hit back once again, the NTS rider setting the first 2’15 of the day.
Ramirez was back in control at his team’s home round with five minutes to go, the Spaniard’s 2’14.8 being bettered next time around by Schrotter as Fernandez and Gardner finally arrived, to second and third, after an unusually subdued opening session for the Red Bull riders.
Late charges from Dixon and Aron Canet saw the pair take their shots at the top of the times as the standings began to shuffle. The penultimate minute demoting Gardner to seventh while Jorge Navarro retired his Speed Up at the final corner.
The times were ablaze as the flag came out, Fernandez denying Ramirez in the dying seconds with a 2’13.589 before Bo Bendsneyder brought further demotion as he claimed second. Schrotter headed Augusto Fernandez, Dixon and Beaubier in the top seven with the final Marc VDS of Lowes completing the morning in 14th.
The afternoon brought blue skies and southern heat, with air temperatures hitting 30℃ as the track heated into the 40’s.
Gardner took charge from the outset, 2’12.424 the new time to beat, and with the screens flashing red across the board that wouldn’t be too far away.
Lowes challenged Bezzecchi at the top next time around before the second KTM of Fernandez bettered them both. Navarro suffering his third stoppage of the day in the third sector on his fourth lap before returning to the pits.
Fernandez fine-tuned his time on his fourth effort of FP2, setting a stunning 2’10.876 to sit seven-tenths clear of Arbolino and Lowes on only his second visit to the Texan track while still navigating his fractured hand.
Dixon was back inside the top 10 as the session continued, the Brit running just over a second shy of the KTM’s best and in contention for promotion by the halfway stage. Roberts in a similar position from 13th while Gardner found himself just adrift, in 15th after battling with the challenging circuit and his Ajo machine needing in-depth repairs.
Ramirez returned to his morning prowess with second as the afternoon counted down, Bendsneyder taking third with 11 minutes left on the clock and half a second separating the top four, back to Lowes, in the closing stages.
Augusto Fernandez was circulating in sixth before the second Marc VDS machine, and Bezzecchi, improved to leapfrog the Brit and claim third and fourth. Lowes, however, was far from done. Hitting the top with a 2’10.534 from Canet, before the KTM rookie improved once again. Dixon was the next to shine, in fourth, before he too was shuffled down to seventh with five minutes to go.
The KTM charge was back in force as the session neared its climax, Fernandez dominating with a 2’09.880 with Gardner two-tenths back for second and Lowes returning to third.
American Racing enjoyed a strong showing at home as Ramirez and Beaubier ran in 10th and 12th while Roberts completed the session in 20th.
