Submitted by David Emmett on
Pol Espargaro was the fastest Moto2 rider out of the box on the first of three days of testing for the Moto2 class at Valencia. The Spaniard, who has switched to join Sito Pons' team for 2012, was two tenths faster than his new teammate Tito Rabat, who rode for the BQR team in 2011. Scott Redding was 3rd fastest, matching the time of Rabat and very pleased with the new bike, the Marc VDS team having switched to Kalex for 2012. Andrea Iannone was the first non-Kalex rider on the timesheets, the Italian also switching chassis, going back to use an FTR chassis for next season. Aleix Espargaro was the first of the Suter riders, the older of the Espargaro brothers having vacated the bike taken by his younger brother Pol to join Aspar, while Gino Rea was the fastest man on a Moriwaki, the British rider close to a deal with the Gresini team to bring his Russian sponsor into Moto2 for 2012.
Unofficial times at the end of day 1, courtesy of the Valencia Circuit Twitter Feed:
Pos. | Rider | Team | Bike | Time | Diff | Previous |
1 | Pol Espargaró | Team Pons | Kalex | 1:36.0 | ||
2 | Tito Rabat | Team Pons | Kalex | 1:36.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
3 | Scott Redding | Marc VDS | Kalex | 1:36.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
4 | Andrea Iannone | Speed Master | FTR | 1:36.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
5 | Aleix Espargaró | Team Aspar | Suter | 1:37.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 |
6 | Gino Rea | Gresini | Moriwaki | 1:37.3 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
7 | Mika Kallio | Marc VDS | Kalex | 1:37.6 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
8 | Johann Zarco | JiR | Motobi | 1:37.7 | 1.7 | 0.1 |
9 | Claudio Corti | Italtrans | Suter | 1:37.8 | 1.8 | 0.1 |
10 | Angel Rodriguez | Team SAG | FTR | 1:37.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
11 | Ratthapark Wilairot | Team SAG | FTR | 1:38.2 | 2.2 | 0.4 |
12 | Alessandro Andreozzi | FTR | 1:38.2 | 2.2 | 0.0 | |
13 | Takaaki Nakagami | Italtrans | Suter | 1:38.3 | 2.3 | 0.1 |
14 | Nico Terol | Team Aspar | Suter | 1:40.4 | 4.4 | 2.1 |
15 | Jonas Folger | MZ | FTR | 1:40.6 | 4.6 | 0.2 |
16 | Eric Granado | JiR | Motobi | 1:41.2 | 5.2 | 0.6 |
Circuit Record Lap: Karel ABRAHAM 1'36.611 - 2010
Circuit Best Lap: Toni ELIAS 1'36.141 - 2010
Comments
Gino Rea on a Moriwaki
Now there is some interesting news...
I agree
The Kid is crazy fast!
Marc Marquez
Is Marc still not fit to ride?
Gino
Regarding Gino Rea: if you mean 'Crimea' sponsorship. That must be depending on/related to Vladimir Ivanov. Since he was in Gresini Moto2 before, and in 2011 with Step racing in SS600 as team mate of Gino.
Hofmann
Any lap times of Hofmann testing the Aprilia with Bridgestones and carbon brakes?
I wouldn't read too much into
I wouldn't read too much into these times. I think Marc Marquez is the red-hot favourite for the 2012 Moto2 World Championship, almost a near certainty to win it. I think he is capable of giving Casey Stoner a great challenge in MotoGP from 2013 onwards.
Suter
might have to drop his prices a bit for next year then.
Moto2 Suter discounts
>> Suter might have to drop his prices a bit for next year then. <<
hehe... some discounts sure make sense these days! :-)
I think Suter created their own problem by favoring some teams with the 2012 chassis later in this season, leaving other Suter teams without such option, even when there was demand.
That was not the best customer service as those teams said...