It was another stunning Moto2 performance for Raul Fernandez aboard his KTM this morning, setting Mugello’s new all-time lap record in the closing minutes of FP3.
Marc VDS rider Sam Lowes had dominated the majority of the final practice after obliterating the previous lap record on only his fourth lap of the morning session before the KTM duo of Remy Gardner and Fernandez denied his celebrations and demoted him to third.
Lowes was straight down to business as FP3 fired up, immediately improving on his leading Friday pace with a 1’51.333 on his first hot lap of the morning. Fernandez and Marcos Ramirez sat second and third as the intermediate class got into their groove, Augusto Fernandez and Aron Canet claiming the remaining top-five places as the opening 10-minutes concluded.
Lowes continued to fine-tune his blistering pace with a 1’50.793 on his fourth lap, celebrating the third new all-time lap record of the day as he led the field, over six-tenths clear of the rest.
A double dose of Fernandez, followed the Brit, with the KTM narrowly winning out over the second Marc VDS machine. Tony Arbolino, Marcel Schrotter and Joe Roberts sitting fourth to sixth before Marco Bezzecchi joined the party, in fifth. Canet, Xavi Vierge and Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out the top-10 from Gardner, Ramirez and Lorenzo Baldassarri with Hector Garzo holding 14th in the session but still outside of the combined Q2 spots thanks to Jorge Navarro’s Friday time.
Gardner was on a charge as the session hit the halfway point, the KTM rider joining his teammate for third on his 10th lap as the pair were sandwiched between the Marc VDS duo. While Albert Arenas found the limit at turn four with 15-minutes to go, Nicolò Bulega doing likewise one corner later.
The closing 10-minutes saw the final push for promotion as Baldassarri sat on the edge of the top-14 - 1’52.065 the gateway to Q2. Roberts was the first to improve, placing his Italtrans machine up to third with Fernandez ahead already firing up his own charge. The Spaniard enhanced his time to within 0.088s of Lowes’ record pace, with another hot-lap seemingly within his grasp. The rookie hitting the top to deny Lowes on his next revolution, thanks to a stunning 1’50.616.
Arbolino was up to fourth with five minutes left to play, Vierge moving to sixth before Canet bettered them both to steal fourth from the Italian. The KTM charge continued at the top as Gardner joined Fernandez in second, Di Giannantonio and Schrotter taking fifth and sixth with Ai Ogura joining the top-14 in 12th with two to go.
A nasty late fall for Simone Corsi and Canet saw both riders down at turn 12 as the chequered flag came out, Fernandez securing the session from Gardner and Lowes with the fallen Aspar rider taking fourth. Di Giannantonio and Schrotter remained in fifth and sixth with Arbolino, Roberts, Vierge and Fernandez completing the top-10. Bezzecchi, Ogura, Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Bo Bendsneyder finished the session in the top-14 with Bendsneyder denied Q2 entry due to Navarro’s Friday flyer. Jake Dixon concluded the morning in 26th.
