Acosta well under Moto2 lap record during Portimao Testing

2022 Moto2/3 Test Portimao Report Day Three

If anyone had doubts about the hype surrounding Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the time to surrender them is now. It’s a new year, new class, new number but the same sensation as the Moto2 rookie smashed the lap record in testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, putting in a 1m41.552.

The previous Moto2 benchmark at Portimao was Remy Gardner’s 1m42.447 set in 2021. Gardner also holds the race lap record at 1m42.504 along with the pole record of 1m42.592, both of those times coming on the 2020 race weekend.

In some further 2021 deja vu, Augusto Fernandez made sure it was a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 as he ended Monday 0.154 off his team-mate, with Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) completing the top three.

Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) put the Boscocuro in fourth, 0.563 off the top, with Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team) for close company.

There were a couple more tenths back to Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with Joe Roberts just 0.011 back as his second season with Italtrans Racing Team gets off to a solid start.

Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) and Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) were next up, with Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40) completing the top ten.

However on combined times across all three days Jake Dixon would have placed fourth.

Jake Dixon

“We close the Portimao test with a good pace, an average 1m42, although when I was looking for time attack, I crashed. In the last run I was coming in 1m41 but in the last two corners I had my foot resting on the brake lever and that has prevented me from achieving it. The positive thing is that we have a good set-up for the first race, I am already looking forward to competing in Qatar.”

There were a number of crashes including one for Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) that saw the Dutch rider break his collarbone and another for Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) that led the German to leave early for a medical check on his hand.

The first session is when Schrötter crashed, as did team-mate Jeremy Alcoba, Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW Racing GP) and Arenas. Canet crashed twice. In the second session, Canet, Alcoba and van den Goorbergh crashed again, and Bendsneyder suffered his tumble. Dixon also fell, as did Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2), Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Aldeguer. Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2) took two tumbles.

Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) also remained sidelined as he aims to recover from tendonitis in his wrist ahead of the Qatar GP.

After three interesting days on the Algarve, it’s now time to look ahead to racing and the Qatar GP. The lights go out in less than two weeks.

Portimao Moto2 Test Day Three Times

Moto3

Dennis Foggia lost the top spot to new team-mate Tatsuki Suzuki on Sunday, but by the end of Day 3 the Italian was back on top and with a new lap record no less. Foggia’s 1m46.990 makes him the only rider under the 1m47 barrier as testing concluded in Portugal.

The previous best Moto3 lap of Portimao was set in 2020 by Jaume Masia at 1m47.398 while Gabriel Rodrigo holds the race lap record at 1m47.610, and Andrea Migno hold the pole record at 1m47.423. both of those times being set on the 2021 race weekend.

It was close though as Foggia was only 0.052 ahead of Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) to take that top spot.

Sophomore Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team) completed the top three, 0.334 off the top, with the first session bearing the most speed for the majority of the field, top three included.

Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) was fourth quickest, around half a second off the searing new lap record, with rookie David Muñoz (BOE SKX) for close company in fifth as the Spaniard continued to impress and the timesheets tightened.

Day 1 and 2’s fastest rider, Tatsuki Suzuki, ended Monday in P6 but on combined times across the three days would have been fourth quickest ovall.

In seventh on the final day was Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ahead of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Aspar Team) and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power).

Deniz Öncü

“We finished three days of testing here in Portimao before the first race in Qatar. We have tried a lot of different things on the bike with the team, and have found some really good set-ups to fit my riding style. However, these last three days have been tough for me but my injury is not so bad. I will now go home to recover in order to get ready for Qatar next week.”

The biggest gap between fifth and tenth was just 0.037, and the tiny deficits continued throughout the field.

Joel Kelso found another quarter-of-a-second on the final day to end the third day of testing P25 which equated to 1.617-seconds off Foggia’s P1 benchmark.

Suzuki and Migno crashed in the first session, with Garcia and rookie Brit Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) taking tumbles in the second session. There were no fallers in the final outing of the day for Moto3.

That’s a wrap on official testing for the lightweight class, now all there’s left to do is race.

Portimao Moto3 Test Day Three Times

2022 Moto2 Entry List

2022 Moto3 Entry List

2022 Provisional MotoGP Calendar

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