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Tag: Aron Canet

  • Moto2: Canet Capitalises Once More with Pole in the USA

    Moto2: Canet Capitalises Once More with Pole in the USA

    Aron Canet takes his second pole in three races, beating out Fermin Aldeguer and Sergio Garcia for the best spot on the grid for tomorrow’s race. Local rider Joe Roberts was able to qualify in fifth.

    Some riders who would have go to through qualifying one were Celestino Vietti, 2023 Moto3 Champion Jaume Masia and FIlip Salac. After the first fast laps, Vietti was the fastest rider on the circuit, even when he had to make his way around other riders who were slow on the track.

    Darryn Binder caused a yellow flag at the end of the session and was unable to set a lap time. Because of the yellow flag, Zonta van der Goorbergh’s fastest lap time was deleted. The Dutch rider the fastest through sector one and without the yellow flag could have made it through to the second qualifying session.

    The four riders who went through to Q2 were Vietti, Masia, Albert Arenas and Diogo Moreira.

    The second qualifying session started, and all the riders went out within the first few minutes except Ai Ogura and Garcia. This was Jake Dixon’s first qualifying session of the season after the injury he sustained earlier in the season.

    Canet’s first lap was cancelled due to exceeding track limits at turn one.

    The early pace setter was Alonso Lopez who set a 2:08.231 on his Speed Up Racing Boscoscuro motorbike. This was slower than the time set by Vietti to progress from Q1 to Q2.

    After the success of progressing to Q2, unfortunately Vietti crashed at turn four causing a yellow flag. Due to this, he was unable to set a lap time. There was also gravel on the track which the riders would need to avoid.

    At the halfway point of the session, Canet was at the top of the timesheet from Barry Baltus, Marcos Ramirez and Dennis Foggia.

    After finishing first in the second practice session, Arbolino was a lot of people’s choice for pole position, but he crashed at turn 15 causing a yellow flag in the third and fourth sectors. This led to some riders losing their lap times.

    Garcia and Aldeguer were going quick following the removal of the yellow flag and at the end of the second sector, both were around two tenths under Canet’s time and went up to the top of the timesheets.

    As the only American racer in the field, all eyes were on Roberts also and he set his fastest lap which put him in fourth place but was bumped down by a few riders. He improved on his following lap and jumped up to third place, eclipsing his American Racing teammate, Ramirez.

    The checkered flag came out and Canet was on another fast lap that looked as though it would be good enough for pole position and it was. He set a 2:07.631 that was unable to be beaten by any of the other riders, namely Lopez and Ramirez who looked close to setting the fastest time of the session.

    For tomorrow’s race, Canet will head up the field from Aldeguer and Garcia. Arenas, Roberts and Ramirez populate the second row ahead of Foggia, Lopez and Gonzalez. Bo Bendsneyder rounded out the top ten.

    2024 Moto2 COTA  – Qualifying Results
    Pos Rider Nat Team Time
    1 Aron Canet SPA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 2m 07.631s
    2 Fermin Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools Speed Up (Boscoscuro) 0.109s
    3 Sergio Garcia SPA MT Helmets – MSI (Boscoscuro) 0.188s
    4 Albert Arenas SPA QJMOTOR Gresini (Kalex) 0.234s
    5 Joe Roberts USA OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) 0.237s
    6 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing Team (Kalex) 0.280s
    7 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 0.400s
    8 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools Speed Up (Boscoscuro) 0.432s
    9 Manuel Gonzalez SPA QJMOTOR Gresini (Kalex) 0.443s
    10 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika GAS UP Team (Kalex) 0.481s
    11 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing (Kalex) 0.496s
    12 Barry Baltus BEL RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP (Kalex) 0.511s
    13 Jeremy Alcoba SPA Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team (Kalex) 0.516s
    14 Jake Dixon GBR CFMoto Inde Aspar Team (Kalex) 0.650s
    15 Celestino Vietti ITA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 0.680s
    16 Diogo Moreira BRA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 0.734s
    17 Ai Ogura JPN MT Helmets – MSI (Boscoscuro) 0.830s
    18 Jaume Masia SPA Pertamina Mandalika GAS UP Team (Kalex) 0.881s
    Q1
    19 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 2m 08.479s
    20 Filip Salac CZE Elf Marc VDS Racing (Kalex) 2m 08.599s
    21 Deniz Oncu TUR Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 2m 08.601s
    22 Senna Agius AUS Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 2m 08.617s
    23 Izan Guevara SPA CFMoto Inde Aspar Team (Kalex) 2m 08.870s
    24 Zonta van den Goorbergh NED RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP (Kalex) 2m 08.930s
    25 Mario Aji INA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 2m 09.419s
    26 Xavier Artigas SPA KLINT Forward Factory Team (Forward) 2m 10.408s
    27 Xavi Cardelus AND Fantic Racing (Kalex) 2m 10.735s
    28 Alex Escrig SPA KLINT Forward Factory Team (Forward) 2m 11.109s
    29 Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) No Time

    Feature Image Credit: Fantic Racing

  • Moto2: Wild Weather Suits Winner Arbolino

    Moto2: Wild Weather Suits Winner Arbolino

    A drama-filled weekend on Phillip Island resulted in a change in time for the Moto2 race due to the strong winds and heavy rain predicted.

    After being the pacesetter for all the qualifying sessions, Fermin Aldeguer set the Moto2 lap record in the second qualifying session, after breaking it in practice three. His time of a 1:31.888 was 0.4s ahead of his countryman Aron Canet. He was joined by Alonso Lopez on the front row.

    Joe Roberts had a brilliant qualifying session, putting his Italtrans Racing Team bike at the head of the second row alongside championship leader, Pedro Acosta, and Jake Dixon. Tony Arbolino, second in the championship, qualified in eighth place.

    The weather on Phillip Island was cold, rainy, and windy and this resulted in the riders struggling to keep warm on the grid. That was, if the riders made it to the grid.

    Acosta crashed on the sighting lap at turn four and even with the help of the marshals was unable to get the bike restarted. Due to this, he had to start the formation lap from the pit lane and the race from the back of the grid.

    Canet got a good start from the middle of the front row and was able to take the lead from Aldeguer however the Beta Tools SpeedUp rider took the lead back at the southern loop. Arbolino was able to get past almost all the riders in front of him to end up in second place at the turn three.

    Lopez was able to recover from his poor start and was leading the race until he had a big crash at turn four which meant that the riders had to weave around him. Following this, Sergio Garcia was at the front of the field.

    Acosta improved from 31st place to 26th after the first lap.

    Arbolino passed Dixon for third place on the second lap and Sam Lowes was sitting patiently behind his countryman, looking to get past. On the second lap, the Italian rider was the fastest rider on the circuit.

    At turn one on lap three, Darryn Binder crashed and Zonta vd Goorbergh also crashed on the same lap at turn four. His teammate, Barry Baltus also crashed at the same corner on the same lap.

    After leading for a few laps, Garcia crashed at turn eight on lap four. Lowes crashed at turn ten on the same lap.

    By lap five, there were yellow flags out at all sectors due to all the crashes that had occurred. Dixon went down at the southern loop, keeping the yellow flags out in the first sector.

    Arbolino had extended his lead to 11.380s from Aldeguer due to setting laps three seconds faster than the rest of the field. He was unstoppable at the front of the pack.

    Mattia Casadei crashed at Miller Corner, causing another yellow flag.

    By lap six, Acosta had made it into the top ten following his back of the grid start and Izan Guevara made a double overtake on Alcoba and Chantra.

    On the ninth lap, Celestino Vietti crashed out of thirteenth place and following this, a red flag was called due to the weather conditions. The race was not restarted, and half points were awarded because two-thirds race distance was not completed.

    This meant that Arbolino took the win in the horrific weather in Australia from Aron Canet and Fermin Aldeguer. Pedro Acosta was able to improve from his back of the grid start to finish in ninth place.

    Feature Image Credit: Tony Arbolino on X (@TonyArbolino)

    AUSTRALIAN MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, PHILLIP ISLAND – RACE RESULTS
    POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
    1 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 16m 22.970s
    2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 16m 38.058s
    3 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 16m 38.584s
    4 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 14m 58.401s
    5 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 14m 59.122s
    6 Izan Guevara SPA Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 14m 59.124s
    7 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 14m 59.908s
    8 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 15m 3.659s
    9 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 15m 8.067s
    10 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 15m 9.110s
    11 Taiga Hada JPN Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 15m 9.263s
    12 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 15m 14.974s
    13 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 15m 17.292s
    14 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 15m 17.379s
    15 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 15m 18.900s
    16 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 15m 29.599s
    17 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 15m 38.590s
    18 Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) 15m 42.647s
    19 Alex Escrig SPA Forward Team (Forward) 15m 42.945s
    20 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 16m 3.249s
      Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) DNF
      Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) DNF
      Mattia Casadei ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) DNF
      Jake Dixon GBR Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) DNF
      Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) DNF
      Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) DNF
      Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) DNF
      Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
      Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
      Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) DNF

     

     

  • Moto2: Lucky Win Number Seven for Acosta

    Moto2: Lucky Win Number Seven for Acosta

    It was lucky race win number seven for Pedro Acosta in Mandalika as he stood on the top step once again. He was joined by polesitter Aron Canet and Fermin Aldeguer on the podium. Tony Arbolino, who is second in the championship, finished this race in sixth place.

    Acosta got a brilliant start from the head of the second row and was up to second place before the first corner. At turn one, he was able to get past Canet and take the lead of the race.

    Towards the back of the pack, there was an incident involving Alonso Lopez and Alberto Surrra. The Spanish rider was able to rejoin the pack but was unable to make up any places.

    Canet and Acosta continued to trade the lead until the middle of the second lap when the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was able to settle into the lead and started to increase the gap to the rest of the field.

    Manuel Gonzalez was sat in behind the battling front pair with the harder tyres strapped to his Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 bike. He knew that his tyres would improve towards the end of the race and with the riders in front of him battling for the lead, he was hoping they would continue to lose grip on their softer option tyres.

    Further down the field, Arbolino had made his way into fourth place and set the fastest lap on the second lap.

    Also on the second lap, Filip Salac and Ai Ogura made contact and this meant that Salac went down at turn 17. Ogura was given a long-lap penalty because of this.

    Aldeguer continued his rise up the field by getting past Somkiat Chantra for fifth place on lap three, then two laps later squeezed past Gonzalez for fourth.

    Jeremy Alcoba received a double-long lap penalty for irresponsible riding.

    On lap seven, Japanese rider Kohta Nozane crashed at turn 16.

    Aldeguer and Gonzalez got past Arbolino for third place on lap six but on the following lap, the Italian rider was able to make up one spot before running wide. This allowed Gonzalez to make his way back through.

    Zonta van der Goorbergh crashed out of eleventh place on lap ten at turn sixteen and was unable to rejoin.

    Arbolino and Dixon had a good battle during the fourteenth lap trading fifth place until Dixon ran wide at turn sixteen and rejoined just in front of Chantra.

    By lap 16 Acosta had brought out his lead to two seconds ahead of Canet.

    On the penultimate lap, Arbolino made a mistake, and this allowed Dixon to get past him.

    Over the finish line it was Acosta, Canet and Aldeguer who stood on the podium. Dixon passed Gonzalez at the final corner for fourth place. Arbolino crossed the line ahead of Chantra, Sergio Garcia, Joe Roberts and Sam Lowes rounded out the top ten.

    Feature Image Credit: Pedro Acosta (@37_pedroacosta) on X

    INDONESIAN MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, MANDALIKA – RACE RESULTS
    POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
    1 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 34m 51.641s
    2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 34m 53.685s
    3 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 34m 56.357s
    4 Jake Dixon GBR Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 35m 0.723s
    5 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 35m 0.950s
    6 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 3.362s
    7 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 35m 4.822s
    8 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 35m 6.736s
    9 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 9.937s
    10 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 10.806s
    11 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 11.230s
    12 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 35m 11.494s
    13 Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 35m 11.627s
    14 Taiga Hada JPN Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 35m 13.545s
    15 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 35m 14.673s
    16 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 35m 18.770s
    17 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 35m 20.916s
    18 Alex Escrig SPA Forward Team (Forward) 35m 23.218s
    19 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 35m 24.510s
    20 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 35m 26.254s
    21 Izan Guevara SPA Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 35m 28.498s
    22 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 35m 34.189s
    23 Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 35m 36.287s
    24 Mattia Casadei ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 35m 42.547s
    25 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) +1 lap
      Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
      Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
      Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) DNF
      Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) DNF
      Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) DNF

     

     

  • Moto2: Canet takes Second Pole of Season

    Moto2: Canet takes Second Pole of Season

    Aron Canet starts from pole position in tomorrow’s Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, for his second pole position of the year. The Spanish rider is joined by his countryman Manuel Gonzales and Czechia’s Filip Salac on the front row.

    Third third-placed man in the championship, Jake Dixon, had to go through the first qualifying session after not setting fast enough time in the combined practice times.  He set the fastest time in the first part of the session, a 1:34.406, and this was fast enough for him to feel comfortable enough to come into the pits before the end of the session.

    And he was right to do so as that time was enough for him to finish the session in first place. He was joined in Q2 by Alonso Lopez, Jeremy Alcoba, and Bo Bendsneyder.

    The green light went out for Q2 a few minutes later and all the riders left their pit boxes to get a feel of the circuit once more.

    Following the first timed runs, Gonzalez was at the top of the timesheets with a 1:34.282, from Somkitat Chantra who was fresh off a win in Japan, and Canet. The Pons Wegow Los40 rider then took over the top spot with a 1:34.155 at the halfway point.

    No rider was able to beat this time set by Canet, even though many riders were finding time in sectors towards the end of the session, they could not string them together.

    Championship leader Pedro Acosta starts in fourth place, ahead of Fermin Aldeguer and Chantra who join him on row two. Dixon heads up row three ahead of Sam Lowes and Zonta van der Goorbergh.  The rider in second place in the championship, Tony Arbolino, starts tomorrow’s race in tenth place.

    Feature image credit: SoloMoto.es

    2023 INDONESIAN MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, MANDALIKA – QUALIFYING RESULTS
    POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
    1 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 34.155s
    2 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 34.158s
    3 Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 34.174s
    4 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 34.198s
    5 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 34.226s
    6 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 34.316s
    7 Jake Dixon GBR Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 34.344s
    8 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.382s
    9 Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 34.388s
    10 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.411s
    11 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.529s
    12 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 34.573s
    13 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 34.604s
    14 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 34.613s
    15 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 34.774s
    16 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.788s
    17 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 34.983s
    18 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 35.084s
    19 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 34.732s
    20 Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 34.762s
    21 Alex Escrig SPA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 34.781s
    22 Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 34.795s
    23 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 34.984s
    24 Taiga Hada JPN Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 35.105s
    25 Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 35.163s
    26 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 35.293s
    27 Izan Guevara SPA Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 35.352s
    28 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 35.412s
    29 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 35.437s
    30 Mattia Casadei ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 35.839s

     

  • Moto2: Dixon Takes Second Win of the Season

    Moto2: Dixon Takes Second Win of the Season

    Jake Dixon takes his second win of the season following a number of battles with second place finisher Aron Canet and championship leader Pedro Acosta. The podium was completed by the local racer, Albert Arenas. Acosta’s closest rival, Tony Arbolino, finished down the order in 17th place.

    Both Dixon and Ai Ogura made good starts when the lights went out, but it was the Brit who retained the lead into the first corner. Manuel Gonzalez improved to second place at turn two and immediately began looking to make a move on the race leader. Acosta gained one position on the first lap to sit in eighth place.

    Gonzalez was able to make a move on Dixon during the second lap, but the pair swapped back and forth and by the third lap Gonzalez, Dixon and third placed rider Canet began to break away from the main pack.

    A successful move for the lead was made by Gonzalez on the fifth lap into turn one. Dixon continued to drop down the order following a move from Canet on the Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team rider. Acosta continued his charge up the field and by lap 9 he was on the tail of Dixon.

    The lead changed hands on lap 10 when Canet made a move into the first corner on his fellow countryman and Acosta made the same move but on Dixon. The following lap, Acosta was able to take second place from Gonzalez but this fighting behind Canet allowed the Pons Wegow Los40 rider to start to extend his lead at the front of the field.

    Fermin Aldeguer was having a strong race in the chasing pack before he was given a long lap penalty on lap 12 for exceeding track limits. He took the penalty, but race control determined that he did not take it correctly, so he had to do it again. This dropped him down the order and took him out of contention for the higher points.

    Gonzalez began to struggle around lap thirteen and Dixon was able to take the inside line at turn one and get past him. The British rider was able to join Acosta and Canet to form a small breakaway from the fourth placed rider.

    It only took a few laps for Acosta to begin to shape up a move on Canet and the move was completed at turn 12 on lap 14. Canet immediately began looking to take the lead back and as Acosta had a wobble on lap fifteen, he hoped he could make a move.

    But Dixon was able to make the move on Canet down the start-finish straight on lap 16 and took the inside line into turn one. Canet immediately repaid the favour by making a block pass at turn three and retook the lead at turn thirteen.

    Acosta made the move on Canet on lap 17 to regain the lead and Dixon almost followed him through but was unable to. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider made a mistake following that overtake and dropped down the order to fifth place after being passed by Dixon, Canet, Arenas, and Gonzalez.

    The lead swapped hands once again with Dixon taking the lead at turn ten on lap 18. But the drama began slightly further down the field with Acosta having contact with Alonso Lopez and both went off the track, dropping them down to sixth and seventh respectively.

    Canet continued to look at making a move on Dixon into the final lap at turns one, three and twelve but could not do so allowing Dixon to come across the line in first place, taking his second win of the season.

    Arenas took his first podium of the season by finishing in third place. He was followed by Sergio Garcia, Gonzalez and Acosta who extended his championship lead. Ogura finished the race in seventh followed by Lopez who may be on the receiving end of a penalty due to cutting a corner when he rejoined the racetrack. Sam Lowes finished the race in ninth place with Celestino Vietti following just behind in tenth.

    Feature image credit: MotoGP on TNT Sports on X (https://twitter.com/motogpontnt/status/1698257387352678879/photo/1)

    CATALUNYA MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, BARCELONA – RACE RESULTS
    POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
    1 Jake Dixon GBR Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 36m 51.330s
    2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 36m 51.535s
    3 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 36m 52.357s
    4 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 36m 53.588s
    5 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 36m 53.992s
    6 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 36m 54.994s
    7 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 36m 55.569s
    8 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 36m 55.644s
    9 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 36m 55.937s
    10 Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 37m 0.059s
    11 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 37m 0.806s
    12 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 37m 0.926s
    13 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 37m 1.151s
    14 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 37m 2.300s
    15 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 37m 2.513s
    16 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 37m 2.645s
    17 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 37m 8.189s
    18 Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 37m 9.677s
    19 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 37m 16.867s
    20 Borja Gomez SPA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 37m 17.118s
    21 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 37m 17.518s
    22 Mattia Rato ITA Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 37m 20.773s
    23 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 37m 26.538s
    24 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 37m 30.693s
    25 Izan Guevara SPA Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 37m 43.416s
    26 Yeray Ruiz SPA Forward Team (Forward) 37m 44.538s
      Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) DNF
      Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) DNF
      Senna Agius AUS Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) DNF
      Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) DNF

     

  • Moto2: Dixon Takes First Pole of the Season

    Moto2: Dixon Takes First Pole of the Season

    Jake Dixon takes his first pole of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from Aron Canet and Ai Ogura. Championship leader Pedro Acosta was only able to manage ninth place for tomorrow’s grid and his closest challenger in Tony Arbolino was unable to get himself out of the first qualifying session.

    The first qualifying session was uneventful with Somkiat Chantra, Sergio Garcia, Filip Salac and Barry Baltus occupying the top four positions for at the end of the session. The early pace setter in this session was Bo Bendsneyder but dropped down to fifth, meaning he will start tomorrow’s race from 19th.

    Arbolino was unable to set a time fast enough to progress due to the bike looking unstable on his last lap, meaning he needed to come into the pits and bail out of the lap.

    The four riders who came up through Q1 set the initial pace at the start of the second qualifying session with Salac topping the times after the first runs. Following the second set of fast laps Ogura had set the fastest time followed by Albert Arenas and rookie Sergio Garcia.

    With over half the session to go, Joe Roberts and Alonso Lopez had not set a representative lap time.

    Acosta and Dixon circulated around the track together towards the end of the session, offering each other a tow on alternating fast laps. With the Brit following the Spaniard, Dixon set the fastest time during the qualifying session, a 1:43.983. After swapping places, Acosta was being led around by Dixon, but the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider exceeded track limits, meaning that his lap was deleted.

    Canet was also riding around the circuit with a partner, Manuel Gonzalez. This pair helped each other to achieve second and fourth place respectively. On the other hand, Ogura spent most of his time on the track alone but was still able to achieve third place.

    That quick time from Arenas set earlier in the session was the quickest time he was able to achieve, and this was good enough to place him in fifth place on tomorrow’s grid.

    The highest-placed non-Kalex rider was Fermin Aldeguer in sixth place, followed by his teammate Lopez. Garcia was the highest qualifying rookie in eighth place, being the only rookie to make it through to the second round of qualifying,

    Due to having a fast time deleted due to track limits, Acosta only starts in ninth place on the grid tomorrow. Baltus rounds out the top ten on the grid tomorrow.

    Sam Lowes was unable to set a lap time fast enough to break into the top ten and is joined by Chantra on the fourth row of the grid. The fifth row of the grid contains Salac, Roberts and Celestino Vietti, who struggled to set fast times around the Spanish circuit.

    Tomorrow’s race is shaping up to be an exciting 21 laps with Acosta having to work his way through the field to continue extending his championship lead.

    Feature Image Credit: @AsparTeam on X (https://twitter.com/AsparTeam)

    2023 CATALUNYA MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, BARCELONA – QUALIFYING RESULTS
    POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
    1 Jake Dixon GBR Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 44.089s
    2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 44.184s
    3 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 44.214s
    4 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 44.215s
    5 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 44.270s
    6 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 44.276s
    7 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 44.344s
    8 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 44.374s
    9 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 44.374s
    10 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 44.419s
    11 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 44.458s
    12 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 44.470s
    13 Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 44.490s
    14 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 44.682s
    15 Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 44.838s
    16 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 44.906s
    17 Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 44.983s
    18 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 45.202s
    19 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 44.930s
    20 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 45.021s
    21 Senna Agius AUS Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 45.104s
    22 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 45.220s
    23 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 45.248s
    24 Borja Gomez SPA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 45.314s
    25 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 45.607s
    26 Mattia Rato ITA Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 45.784s
    27 Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 45.905s
    28 Izan Guevara SPA Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 45.950s
    29 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 45.983s
    30 Yeray Ruiz SPA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 46.321s

     

  • Moto2: Canet Takes Pole After Crash

    Moto2: Canet Takes Pole After Crash

    Following two pole positions in a row, Sam Lowes was hoping to have a successful qualifying at Mugello this weekend but the best he could do was third place. Aron Canet crashed out in the second qualifying session but the time he set in the first half of the session, a 1:50.796, was too good for any rider to beat and he will line up on pole position tomorrow, dependent on the medical review he will have before the race starts tomorrow.

    The top four spots in the first qualifying session were constantly changing but it seemed to be the same four riders who seemed most comfortable on the Italian asphalt.

    Darryn Binder was so confident that he did not need to go out for a second time in the session with the time he set to take second place, behind Ai Ogura, at the halfway point. Even with all the other riders out on track, he was safe and finished the session in fourth place. Jeremy Alcoba and Joe Roberts both set faster times than Binder, dropping him down to fourth fastest.

    The riders who made it through to Q2 from Q1 were Roberts, Ogura, Alcoba and Binder.

    All riders went out at the start of Q2 to set some banker laps. After the first few tours of the circuit, Canet topped the timesheet with a 1:15.089, followed by Lowes and Manuel Gonzalez.

    With nine and half minutes remaining on the clock, Pedro Acosta took the top spot away from Canet, but the Pons Wegow Los40 rider was able to take the position back almost immediately.

    At the halfway point of the session, all riders except for Mattia Pasini had set a representative lap time.

    With six minutes to go, provisional pole sitter Canet crashed out at the exit of turn three and he lost his visor through the crash. He was taken to the medical centre and following a review, a small bone infraction was found on the ring and little fingers of his right hand. The doctors have decided to review him tomorrow before the race before they make the decision on whether he is fit to race.

    Ogura also crashed during the session at turn 12.

    At the end of the session, no rider was able to put together a good lap. Alonso Lopez and Celestino Vietti both set fast sectors 1 and 2 but were not able to improve in the third and fourth sectors.

    Lining up on the front row alongside Canet will be Acosta and Lowes, who continues his streak of starting on the front row. Roberts, Filip Salac and Jake Dixon fill up the second row. Vietti, Fermin Aldeguer and Lopez are the riders who will start on the third row.

    Championship leader Tony Arbolino will start tomorrow’s race from tenth on the grid.

    Rory Skinner was injured in the morning practice session due to a collision with Alcoba, forcing him to withdraw from the race and move his focus onto the next round in Sachsenring.

    2023 ITALIAN MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, MUGELLO – QUALIFYING RESULTS
    POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
    1 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 50.796s
    2 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 50.955s
    3 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 50.958s
    4 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 51.008s
    5 Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 51.026s
    6 Jake Dixon GBR Autosolar GASGAS Aspar M2 (Kalex) 1m 51.038s
    7 Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 51.097s
    8 Fermín Aldeguer SPA MB Conveyors SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 51.129s
    9 Alonso Lopez SPA MB Conveyors SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 51.145s
    10 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 51.245s
    11 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 51.325s
    12 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 51.519s
    13 Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 51.582s
    14 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 51.696s
    15 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 51.737s
    16 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 51.748s
    17 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 51.824s
    18 Mattia Pasini ITA Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 52.237s
    19 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 51.741s
    20 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 51.975s
    21 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 51.979s
    22 Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 51.983s
    23 Sean Dylan Kelly USA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 52.202s
    24 Izan Guevara SPA Autosolar GASGAS Aspar M2 (Kalex) 1m 52.280s
    25 Borja Gomez SPA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 52.334s
    26 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 52.356s
    27 Marcos Ramirez SPA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 52.722s
    28 Taiga Hada JPN Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 53.172s
    29 Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 53.489s
    30 Kasma Daniel MAL Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 M (Kalex) 1m 54.277s

    Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

  • Moto2: Argentinian GP Preview

    Moto2: Argentinian GP Preview

    After last weekend’s curtain raiser in Portugal, the MotoGP circus heads to the Americas for the second round of the 2023 season.

    The Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo, located in northern Argentina, will host what promises to be an exciting weekend of two-wheeled action. The 4.8km circuit will demand nothing but the the best from the riders. The circuit is seldom used outside of MotoGP and is expected to be extremely dirty. With teams still adapting to the new weekend schedule, the tricky conditions will only add to the unpredictability.

    After cruising to victory in the first round, Pedro Acosta is being tipped by almost everyone to top the podium again. The former Moto3 champion has hit the ground running and will be looking to make amends after missing multiple races last season through injury. The 18-year-old threw down the gauntlet with a dominating ride in Portugal, he will be the man to beat this weekend.

    Aron Canet was the only rider capable of matching Acosta’s pace in Portimão. The Spaniard finished 2nd for the 10th time in Moto2 and remains in search of his first win in the intermediate class. After finishing 4th in Argentina last season, it is certainly worth keeping an eye on him this weekend.

    Last year’s winner, Celestino Vietti, will be hoping to replicate his success on Sunday. After a promising start to his 2022 campaign, the Italian rider had a tough time keeping his VR46 machinery upright. He crashed out of a number of races and his hopes of winning the Moto2 Championship faded quickly. After joining the newly formed Fantic Racing during the offseason, the 21-year-old will be hoping to build on his solid points finish last weekend in Portimão.

    Vietti was joined on the podium last season by the Honda Team Asia duo of Somkiat Chantra and Ai Ogura. The latter missed the opening round in Portugal after injuring his wrist during the winter. The Japanese rider has been declared fit and will kickstart his campaign this weekend.

    Another rider who impressed last time out in Argentina is 17-year-old Fermin Aldeguer. He stunned the field in qualifying, taking his maiden pole position at just 16 years of age. Unfortunately, the Spaniard crashed out whilst challenging Vietti for the lead, so there’s no doubt he’ll be chomping at the bit to get out on track.

    The hopes of British fans will once again rest on the shoulders of Jake Dixon and Sam Lowes. The pair finished 6th and 7th respectively last weekend and both finished inside the top 10 on their last visit to Argentina.

    According to the forecast, weather could play a key role throughout the weekend. Rain is likely to be a factor on Friday which will keep teams on their toes with showers a possibility on Sunday. Temperature’s are expected to be in the low-to-mid-20s. The race is scheduled to start at 12:15pm local time (4:15pm GMT).

    Feature Image: MotoGP

  • Moto2: Acosta Dominates Season Opener

    Moto2: Acosta Dominates Season Opener

    Pedro Acosta, labelled by many as the favourite to become the 2023 Moto2 World Champion, vindicated those predictions with a flawless ride in the Algarve.

    The Red Bull KTM Team Ajo rider barely broke a sweat enroute to the first of what is likely to be many race wins this season.

    After a solid performance on Saturday, Czech rider Filip Salac earned his first pole position in Moto2. He was joined on the front row by Aron Canet, starting 2nd, and the aforementioned Acosta, starting 3rd.

    It was Canet who led the field down to turn one on the back of a great launch, with Salac hot on his heels. The polesitter briefly recovered the lead at the start of lap two, before he was shuffled backwards by Canet and Acosta.

    There were frantic scenes behind the leaders too, as Bo Bendsneyder was taken out by Alonso Lopez. The Spaniard was given a long lap penalty for his troubles. Moments later Acosta assumed the lead of the race – He would now hold it until the chequered flag was waved.

    After joining the newly formed Fantic Racing over the winter, Celestino Vietti made some early progress before serving his double long lap penalty which was carried over from last season’s final race in Valencia.

    With the lead pair pulling away from the rest of the field, Marc VDS rider Tony Arbolino muscled his way into third. He then set about the impossible task of reeling in both Acosta and Canet.

    After a disappointing qualifying session, Britain’s Jake Dixon had made steady progress through the field. At the halfway stage he was enjoying a good battle with Moto2 rookie, Darryn Binder. The pair exchanged positions before leapfrogging Jeremy Alcoba. Moments later, a mistake from Binder caused him to slide off the asphalt. The South African was able to re-join the race.

    Despite Canet’s best efforts, he wasn’t able to challenge Acosta and by the end of the race, the gap between the two was well over a second. The former Moto3 champion looked unstoppable, kickstarting his campaign in style with a flawless ride.

    Canet, still in search of his first Moto2 win, finished 2nd for the tenth time in the intermediate class. It was an impressive performance from Arbolino who brought his Kalex home in 3rd.

    The British riders had a good day. Dixon managed to claim 6th after making good progress from the fourth row on the grid. Sam Lowes finished just behind him in 7th. Rory Skinner built on his wildcard appearances last season. The Scotsman, now a fulltime rider in the class, finished in 22nd.

    After his lap 15 fall, Binder recovered to finish 16th, just missing out on the points in his first Moto2 start. Moto3 graduates Sergio Garcia and Dennis Foggia looked impressive, finishing 15th and 18th respectively.

    Feature Image: MotoGP

  • Moto2: Canet Masters Difficult Conditions to Take Pole for Japanese GP

    Moto2: Canet Masters Difficult Conditions to Take Pole for Japanese GP

    Aron Canet takes a brilliant pole position ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix in Montegi. Fermin Aldeguer will line up just behind him in 2nd with Jake Dixon in 3rd.

    Aron Canet is the Master of Montegi today – he not only had to make his way through Q1 but also had to contend with red flags and poor weather conditions on his way to securing pole position. The Flexbox HP40 rider set a time of 2:04.939 in the late stages of the session but found himself at the top of the timing sheets for much of Q1 and Q2, showing his dominance on this track and in these changeable conditions.

    Fermin Aldeguer was lucky to keep hold of 2nd place after his lap time was deleted due to a yellow flag infringement. A manual check after the session showed that there was, in fact, no infringement and Aldeguer was given back his lap time of 2:05.272.

    Jake Dixon is known to love these wet conditions and has often enjoyed good results during previous rain-soaked sessions. That was true today as he spent much of Q2 towards the top of the timing sheets, eventually ending the session in a decent 3rd place.

    Our two championship contenders faced a difficult day with Augusto Fernandez qualifying in 11th and Ai Ogura qualifying in 13th. Our winner from last time out, Pedro Acosta was stuck down in 18th, unable to find the pace on any of his 8 flying laps in Q2.

    Image Credit: MotoGP
    QUALIFYING 1

    In this session, some of the big names included Canet, Sam Lowes, Marcel Schrotter and previous championship contender, Celestino Vietti. The rain fell on and off throughout the session, with poor visibility caused by both the spray and the dark conditions. Whilst getting used to these conditions, there were early moments for Lowes and Canet. Everyone started Q1 by tiptoeing around the track and avoiding the kerbs as much as possible.

    The early leader in the session was Barry Baltus, the Dutch rider, who laid down his intentions with 10 minutes left on the clock. Canet soon joined him at the top and they were both swapping between first and second throughout the early stages of the session.

    With just over 7 minutes left on the clock, Jeremy Alcoba went down at the outside of Turn 4, bringing out our first yellow flags.

    Shortly after, Lowes leaped up to third, setting a time of 2:07.4, and pushing Vietti out of the top 4. However, shortly after, Lowes also went down at Turn 4 – a highside threw him over the front of the bike in a nasty looking accident. He will be frustrated with this incident on his return to Moto2 after recently dislocating his shoulder and working hard to get back on the grid.

    The next rider to go down, with 3.5 minutes left in the session, was Niccolo Antonelli. He went down at Turn 11 as the bike slipped from under him, without having been able to set a timed lap in the session. He eventually rejoined the action and ended the session in 12th.

    The resulting yellow flags seemed to hinder most of the grid with Baltus and Canet still at the top with 2 minutes to go. Vietti then leapfrogs Lowes for 4th, with a 2.07.1.

    Despite Baltus improving on his own lap time, he is beaten shortly after by Canet who lays down a 2.05.5 – no one is able to improve on that time and this keeps Canet at the top for the rest of the session.

    The checkered flag falls with Canet, Baltus, Schrotter and Vietti in the top four. On their final flying laps, Keminth Kubo propels himself up to 3rd, bringing Lorenzo Dalla Porta and home hero Taiga Hada with him. Schrotter had already met the checkered flag and was unable to fight back as this group shuffled him down to 6th.

    Cameron Beaubier, the final rider to set a flying lap, sneakily steals the final Q2 position as he shuffles Dalla Porta, Haga and Schrotter down to 5th, 6th and 7th.

    That meant that the session ended with Canet on top, thanks to a time of 2:05.543, just ahead of Baltus in 2nd, Kubo in 3rd and Beaubier in 4th, all of whom progress to Q2.

    QUALIFYING 2

    Thunder and lightning was in the air for our second qualifying session, causing issues for the timing systems and on-screen graphics. Given how hard the rain was falling, it was important for riders to get out on the track quickly and lay down a timed lap – conditions this unpredictable can lead to anything!

    With just over 9 minutes remaining, the conditions became too tricky to contend with and the red flag was quickly brought out. Standing water on the track and heavy rain fall meant that the track simply wasn’t safe enough to finish the session.

    At that point, Canet was leading the pack with a time of 2:07.503, which was miles away from his fastest time in Q1. Just behind him was Somkiat Chantra and Dixon.

    The session restarts some hours later, but with much better conditions. However, with a shorter session to contend with, getting on to the pace early was going to be key. As the lights went green, everyone was quickly out on the track.

    The first flying laps highlighted the improving conditions as every rider was able to improve on their previous lap times. Canet’s previous fastest lap was quickly beaten by Dixon, before Canet regained his place at the top of the timings with a 2:05.875. Slotting in just behind them was Aldguer in third.

    With 3 minutes on the clock, the first yellow flag of the Q2 session was waved as Albert Arenas went down at the end of Sector 2. Shortly after, Alonso Lopez went down at Turn 11 to bring out yet another yellow flag. At that point, both riders were stuck in 15th and 8th respectively but you eventually end the session in 17th and 12th respectively.

    With less than a minute to go, Aldeguer propels himself to the top of the timings sheet, as he sets a time of 2:05.272. However, Dixon and Canet are both on personal best laps. Dixon slots himself into third whilst Canet regains provisional pole, leaving Aldeguer in second.

    With just 30 seconds left on the clock, the rain starts to fall once again. Navarro then crashes at Turn 4, bringing out a yellow flag in Sector 1. The worsening conditions and the yellow flag seem to hinder anyone from improving.

    As the checkered flag falls, the only rider to improve is Tony Arbolino, who leaps from 12th up to 4th, as other improvers have their lap times deleted thanks to that yellow flag.

    Aldeguer also has his lap time temporarily deleted – this was initially due to a yellow flag infringement but a manual review found this to be incorrect and he was allowed to keep hold of second place.

    Feature Image Credit: MotoGP