Sam Lowes put on another stunner in Spain this morning as Moto2 free practice three got underway at Barcelona, claiming the lead with an impressive 1’43.523 on his 15th of 18 trips around the Catalunya circuit to edge out an equally rapid Marcos Ramirez and Luca Marini.
Jake Dixon concluded the session just 0.8 shy of his countryman but with times incredibly tight, the Petronas rider missed out on automatic promotion, finishing 17th.
The final Moto2 practice began in dramatic style with a turn two crash for Aron Canet, the dejected Aspar rider down in the opening minutes before even setting a time and losing half the session before a return to action was possible.
On track, Marco Bezzecchi took the early lead ahead of Martin and Marcel Schrotter. Lowes in fifth with Dixon 11th before the times reshuffled, Marini and Schrotter again proving their speed as Lowes advanced to third.
Eight minutes in and Jorge Martin, Remy Gardner and Marini all broke through into the 1’43 margin, the returning Spaniard in control of the times as the clock ticked down, while Lowes matched the pace to sit second on his seventh lap behind new leader, and old adversary, Marini.
As the clock hit 20 to go, Bezzecchi hit the gravel, turn two claiming another casualty as the Italian looked to protect his Q2 place from a potentially precarious 11th, just one behind Dixon.
The final 10 minutes saw Thomas Luthi finally return to track after an earlier turn five spill and enter the top-14 safe zone, the Swiss rider now confirmed to take up Gardner’s position at SAG after the Australian moves to KTM with Tony Arbolino set as Luthi’s replacement at Intact GP in the latest instalment of Moto2 musical chairs.
Looking to impress in the final five minutes Lowes improved the pace, taking the lead with a dominant 1’43.595 before setting the timing screens alight yet again with his next attempt. Ramirez followed the Brit with an impressive effort, just 0.2 off and narrowly ahead of Marini in third while Enea Bastianini and Tetsuta Nagashima both found the limit at turn two, ending their session early.
The top-three secure, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Martin maintained fourth and fifth with Schrotter, Bezzecchi, Gardner, Xavi Vierge and Augusto Fernandez in the top-10. Bastianini, Edgar Pons, Luthi and Nagashima claimed the last Q2 places, despite crashes for three of the last four, as Joe Roberts, Nicolò Bulega and Dixon lost out by mere fractions in the incredibly tight times and will have to face this afternoon’s Q1.
