GasGas Aspar’s Izan Guevara became the first Moto3 rider to set a 1’25 lap of the Sachsenring on Saturday morning.
Having dominated for the majority of Friday practice, the 17-year-old Spaniard was on a charge for FP3 securing a new all-time lap record - 1’25.925 - while riding solo on an empty track to control proceedings once again. Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki showcased his determination on returning from injury to claim second with rookies David Muñoz and Scott Ogden impressing in third and fourth.
With the European heatwave in full swing, the lightweight class was greeted by 26℃ temperatures at 9am in the morning with the track already hitting 30℃ ahead of a day of blistering sun.
Guevara was back in the hot seat as the session geared up, running 1’26.686 pace, two-tenths down on his Friday best with Carlos Tatay sitting second. The PruestelGP rider suffering a mammoth turn eight off on the opening day but managing to improve his time from the outset of Saturday. Taiyo Furusato and Friday’s outright pacesetter Tatsuki Suzuki sat third and fourth as the morning action began with returning Sasaki completing the top five.
BOE’s standout rookie Muñoz continued to shine from inside Q2 contention as the season unfolded. Rivacold Snipers’ Andrea Migno and Dennis Foggia heading his Leopard teammate in the top four after ten minutes on track. Guevara continuing to refine the pace out front as the only rider so far under the 1’27 barrier.
The second half saw the first time attacks fire up as Deniz Öncü ran within 0.03s of the leading GasGas, Sasaki bettering overall with a 1’26.101 for the fastest lap of the weekend so far and half a tenth shy of the current circuit record.
Only three riders in the top 14 had improved on their Friday best with quarter of an hour left to run. Red Bull KTM’s Jaume Masia holding the gateway spot to promotion with a 1’26.902 with teammate Daniel Holgado narrowly ahead and Migno the first in the drop zone. Sterilgarda Husqvarna’s John McPhee eighth overall thanks to his 1’26.691 set during FP1.
Sergio Garcia was the next to improve, finding 11th in the combined times and dropping Masia out of contention. MT Helmets’ Diogo Moreira 0.009s ahead in the top ten as the increasingly tight session continued.
Ten to go and the track fell silent as the pack prepared for their final runs. Guevara the only rider cutting a solitary figure as he continued to improve his own pace. 1’26.260 consolidating his second position in the overall standings before striking for the lead with a stunning new lap record and the first to break the 1’26 barrier thanks to a 1’25.925.
Ivan Ortola entered the top ten with his 18th lap of the morning on the Angeluss MTA, denying the second KTM promotion in the process as the pack began to jostle for positions in the closing stages.
Muñoz and Garcia found improvements in third and fifth respectively with Ryusei Yamanaka and Foggia staking their claims on the top seven. VisionTrack’s Ogden arrived with an impressive 1’26.314 to take fourth, the Brit trailing McPhee on track as the Scot improved his time to consolidate eighth, half a second adrift of the outright record. Foggia and Masia now completing the top ten with Joel Kelso, Migno, Holgado and Öncü in the final danger zone.
Chequered flag flying and Tatay made a late move to 14th, denying the Turk, with further attacks fading in the final sectors. SIC 58’s Riccardo Rossi and Lorenzo Fellon going the Tech3 rider for the Q1 fight later this afternoon.
