Elf Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes led the final Moto2 free practice at Qatar on Saturday with 1’59 pace to secure his place in the fight for pole.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta locked out the top three after the latter recovered from an early fall, with the pair maintaining their grip on the standings overall.
Friday’s fastest led the way as Saturday’s action got going in FP3, as KTM Ajo’s Fernandez set the pace with a 2’00.431, just over a second away from his best overall.
Manuel Gonzales, Joe Roberts and Jorge Navarro were the next to shine as the session fired up and the times began to tumble. Marcos Ramirez and Lorenzo Dalla Porta tumbling their way out at in quick succession as the yellow flags began to fly across the circuit. Acosta the next to fall, at turn one having already saved a moment at the final corner.
Inde Aspar’s Jake Dixon was back to his best at the top of the times after ten minutes on track, the Brit’s 2’00.013 immediately challenged by Fernandez as the Spaniard set the first 1’59 of the day, with Lowes arriving to fourth on his fifth lap.
Speed Up’s Romano Fenati became the next rider down, at turn five, as Roberts returned to the top three, just 0.07s adrift of Dixon and the only combined top 14 rider to have improved on their Friday times so far.
The action and accidents kept coming across the mid session as Lowes bettered Dixon for second and Gresini’s Alessandro Zaccone crashed out. Fernandez continuing to fine-tune his pace out front, albeit had a second down on his overall target time.
The final ten minutes brought a flurry of activity after the usual lull, Lowes openly in pain with his left wrist as tendonitis continues to plague the Elf Marc VDS man.
Dixon suffered his second crash of the weekend after a highside caught him out at turn five as the session neared its conclusion. The Aspar rider left with a tense wait as the clock counted down from tenth overall in the combined times. VR46 Master Camp’s Gonzales also collecting his second crash at the same corner, in dramatic style.
Albert Arenas improved the second Aspar to fourth in the session but with a time down on Friday’s efforts. Lowes racing to the top of the standings moments later thanks to a 1’59.594, placing the Brit sixth overall and comfortably into the afternoon’s Q2 battle.
As the flag came out Acosta pushed to sit alongside his Red Bull KTM teammate for third, Aron Canet securing fourth ahead of Roberts and Navarro with Arenas, Somkiat Chantra, Dixon and Tony Arbolino rounding out the top ten in final practice. Navarro bettering Arenas on the edge of the top 14 with the Aspar rider forced to face Q1.
