Luca Marini set Friday’s fastest Moto2 time at Portimão this afternoon with a final flourish ahead of a bravely battling Sam Lowes and late-charging Lorenzo Baldassari.
Championship rivals Enea Bastianini and Marco Bezzecchi concluded the opening day of competition fifth and ninth respectively with less than half a second separating the top-11 riders.
The opening extended Moto2 practice got up to speed with Aron Canet and Augusto Fernandez initially leading the way from Marcos Ramirez and Xavi Vierge before Joe Roberts and Remy Gardner took charge. Battling through the pain barrier thanks to a small fracture in his right hand, Lowes claimed the top spot after 10 minutes on track as he re-familiarised himself with one of his favourite tracks and analysed the condition of his injury. Teammate Fernandez followed narrowly behind with Ramirez bettering the Marc VDS pair on his fifth lap as he advanced the times to 1’45.746. Lowes returned to the pits in obvious agony after the opening 15 minutes as Fernandez took the lead, Marcel Schrotter, Marini, Canet, and Fabio Di Giannantonio now in the top-five, Bastianini joining them, for third, moments later.
Lowes returned for his somewhat brief second run with half an hour to go, Fernandez retaining control from Di Giannantonio and Canet as Schrotter and Gardner got the better of Bastianini. The Intact rider crashing out at turn three as the final 20 minutes began.
Canet headed the times with a 1’44.643 as the final 12 minutes got going. Roberts rising to third as Gardner advanced the times again, with Lowes fighting through to sixth on his 14th lap of the opening session. As the clock counted down the times began to heat up, Roberts and Marini battled for fourth before Lowes demoted them both by taking second - just two-tenths shy of the Australian’s benchmark - but the Italian was on a roll, hitting the top with eight to go before bettering his own time on the next revolution.
Gardner was back in charge for the final five minutes as a flurry of activity shuffled the standings once again. The Marc VDS duo split the Sky pair as they locked out the top-five with Bastianini narrowly behind, before Ramirez and Di Giannantonio spoiled the pattern in third and fourth. One last push found Ramirez claim the session honours from Di Giannantonio and Marini as Gardner, Bezzecchi and Fernandez settled for strong positions with less than three-tenths separating the top-seven back to Nicolò Bulega. Newly re-signed Hector Garzo claimed eighth from Vierge and Martin as Lowes finished a challenging practice in 11th with Bastianini 14th.
The afternoon began in dramatic style as Jorge Martin’s KTM expired on the out-lap before the session had even got going, the riders around lucky that no fluid was released as the Spaniard brought the bike back to the pits. Despite the session forfeit as an engine rebuild began, his spirits remained high with his podiums aspirations undiminished.
With the action firing up, it was Marini who took initially charge from Canet and Fernandez, with teammate Lowes sitting just 0.005 behind in fourth. The Brit, however, soared to the top with the fastest time of the day so far - a 1’43.728 - thanks to his fifth lap after just 10 minutes on track as Marini improved again to retain second from an equally advancing Fernandez. Canet, Somkiat Chantra and Di Giannantonio fought amongst themselves for top-six positions as the session continued with the Marc VDS duo now firmly in control of the standings.
Turn 11 claimed Chantra’s Honda with 20 minutes gone as the track calmed and the majority of the field headed for the pits, with the second runs commencing at the half hour mark. Marini, the first to make an impression as the riders returned, advanced the times with two consecutive hot laps, 1’43.513 the new benchmark and 25 minutes remaining on the clock.
The closing 15 saw Gardner making moves on his SAG machine to take fourth with his 16th lap, Fernandez bettering his teammate for second as Di Giannantonio joined the fight in third, before Ramirez demoted the Australian moments later. The end of session battle continued to heat up as Fernandez swept through to lead and Bezzecchi progressed to fifth, the riders above repeatedly swapping positions as every new time registered. Bastianini finally getting involved, in sixth, having spent the majority of the session well outside the Q2 times.
Eight to go and Garzo was now in the lead but red sectors littered the timing screens as the promise of more surprises unfolded. Lowes put on an incredible display as he dug deep, setting another fastest time with a 1’43.197 after 18 painful laps on track, Bastianini and Bezzecchi now sitting narrowly behind in second and third. Another push from Marini saw the Italian briefly hold the times before Lowes hit back once again with four minutes to go, Vierge and Di Giannantonio displacing the second Sky rider to sixth as the fight continued.
As the penultimate minute began Lowes entered the pits, concluding a heroic day currently firmly in command. Gardner promoting himself to third as the flag began to wave. The final flourish of laps saw Marini claim the standings, 1’42.941 the fastest time of the day as Lowes retained second. A last push from Baldassari gifted the Flexbox rider third ahead of Gardner, Bastianini and Vierge with Jorge Navarro, Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi and Garzo concluding the top-10. Fernandez finished Friday in 11th with Bulega, Stefano Manzi and Ramirez taking the final Q2 positions, Tom Luthi the first rider unfortunate to miss out ahead of Saturday’s FP3 final chance.
