Marco Bezzecchi set the fastest Moto2 practice time of the Valencia GP this morning after a dramatic conclusion to the 40-minute session saw Enea Bastianini gain entry to Q2 with only his final lap while title-rival Sam Lowes, already secure in fifth, crashed out and tangled nastily with his Marc VDS machine in the closing stages.
The early misting of morning rain now clear, Moto2 got off to a cloudy, cool but dry start to its final practice. Lorenzo Baldassarri was up to speed first, from Bezzecchi and Marcel Schrotter before the times shuffled thanks to the pack’s third laps, Marcos Ramirez and Fabio Di Giannantonio advancing the times as the pair edged close to Friday’s fastest. Bezzecchi rose to the top - of the session and the combined times - with his fourth attempt, the Italian previously sitting on the edge of Q2 promotion was now the man to beat with half an hour still to run.
A confident Ramirez challenged the times once again, shaving a fraction off his Sky rival as the duo both continued to improve. Lowes in touch of the top-two as he wound up his Marc VDS machine, maintained third throughout the opening 15 minutes of action with Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini circulating on the fringes of the top-10.
Midsession saw Joe Roberts flirt with Q2 qualification, rising to 9th in the session before Stefano Manzi’s fifth place FP3 time claimed the all-important P14 overall leaving the American once again searching for improvements.
The closing 10 minutes saw the top-two continue to battle amongst themselves, Lowes edging fractionally closer as he set his repetitively consistent pace. Di Giannantonio, Nicolò Bulega and Schrotter holding the top-six before Bo Bendsneyder joined them in fifth.
A nasty crash for Lowes caught the Brit out at turn nine in the closing stages, his front wheel clattering his helmet as it barrelled through the gravel with concerns over his right wrist as he headed to the medical centre - through X-rays showed no breaks.
End of session crashes also saw Jorge Martin, Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Roberts down, the American lucky to have already secured his Q2 entry on his previous attempt, alongside a late charge from Hector Garzo - to go second - and Bastianini narrowly through in 13th overall.
Bezzecchi claimed the fastest time of the session and the combined times, from Garzo and Ramirez, with Di Giannantonio, Lowes and Navarro heading Marini in the overall standings as final practice concluded. Bendsneyder, Bulega and Schrotter held the top-10 while Manzi, Roberts, Bastianini and Xavi Vierge claimed the final promotion places. Baldassarri, Remy Gardner and Arno Canet losing out and facing the Q1 battle.
