Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) continues to impress in Moto2™ this season as the Spaniard ended Day 1 at the top of the timesheets at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Aldeguer set a 2:09.155 in the second Free Practice session to beat Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) by just 0.046s, with Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) beginning his home GP with a P3 overall on Day 1.
FP1
Despite a late crash, Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) topped FP1 with a 2:10.489, a time good enough to beat Beaubier by 0.036s. Arbolino was also fast first time out, rounding out the first top three of the weekend.
Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) completed the top five, the duo were the only other riders to get within half a second of pacesetter Fernandez.
Jake Dixon (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) and Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP) crashed unhurt in the opening session of the weekend.
FP2
It was a closely fought FP2 session, with every rider bar one going quicker than they did in the cooler FP1 conditions. The fastest times of the day came at the end of the session, with Aldeguer eventually pipping Arbolino to P1 on his final flying lap. Beaubier also set his personal best lap on his final time attack effort to climb into the top three.
World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) struggled to P15 after crashing unhurt at Turn 5, rider ok but currently outside the provisional Q2 places.
Provisional Q2 places
Behind Aldeguer, Arbolino and Beaubier, Dixon claimed P4 on Day 1. Second in the Championship, Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), was fifth with FP1 pacesetter Fernandez in P6. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went well to finish P7, with Argentina GP podium finisher Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) picking up P8. A late effort from Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) – despite a crash – and Albert Arenas (Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team) round out the top 10.
Home hero Sean Dylan Kelly (American Racing) headed to the medical centre for a check-up after a crash in FP2, thankfully he was later declared fit, as we also saw a crash for Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) – he too went to the medical centre and will be reviewed before FP3.
That FP3 will be a vital session for Vietti after home favourite Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) knocked the Italian out of the top 14, so make sure you tune into that on Saturday morning before qualifying from 12:35 (GMT -5).
