A day after the MotoGP™ teams and riders were busy running through their testing agendas at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, it was the turn of some Moto2™ and Moto3™ outfits to do the same. Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) set the quickest times in their respective classes, with each category enjoying three sessions on Tuesday.
It was a great day for the Pons Wegow Los40 team as they locked out the top two positions, with impressive rookie Sergio Garcia joining Canet at the summit. And it was close between their pair as just 0.018s split the two Spaniards in Andalucia.
Saying it was close inside the top 10 doesn’t really cut the mustard thereafter, either. The top five of Canet, Garcia, Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar M2), Sunday’s race winner Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) were covered by less than a tenth. Sixth place Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was only 0.102s off, while Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – who was unhurt in a crash – and Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) were two tenths adrift in P7 and P8.
World Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) didn’t take part in the Jerez Test, with 20 of the full-time Moto2™ field lapping on Tuesday.
Moto2 Top 4 – Official Test – Jerez – 2nd May 2023
1. Aron CANET – SPA – Pons Wegow Los40 – 1’41.264
2. Sergio GARCIA – SPA – Pons Wegow Los40 – 0.018
3. Jake DIXON – GBR – Inde GASGAS Aspar M2 – +0.054
4. Sam LOWES – GBR – Elf Marc VDS Racing – +0.093
18. Rory SKINNER – GBR – American Racing – +1.538
In the Moto3™ class, Spanish GP polesitter Öncü set the pace by well over half a second on Tuesday. The top five fastest riders completed their best laps in the opening session of the Test, with Jerez podium finisher David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar M3) sitting as Öncü’s closest challenger – 0.642s adrift.
Xavier Artigas (CFMOTO Racing PrüstelGP) rounded out the top three and was the only other rider in the 1:45 bracket, as reigning JuniorGP™ and Red Bull MotoGP™ Rookies Cup Champion Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) pipped Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) to round out the top five. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was the other rider within a second of Öncü’s time in P6. World Championship leader Dani Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was in P11 just behind Sunday’s back-to-back winner Ivan Ortola (MTA Angeluss).
All in all, a busy day all in all for the intermediate and lightweight classes! Next up: the 1000th Grand Prix at the world-famous Le Mans.
Moto3 Top 4 – Official Test – Jerez – 2nd May 2023
1. Deniz ÖNCÜ – TUR – Red Bull KTM Ajo – +1’45.263
2. David ALONSO – COL – Autosolar GASGAS Aspar M3 – +0.642
3. Xavier ARTIGAS – SPA – CFMOTO Racing – +0.710
4. José Antonio RUEDA – SPA – Red Bull KTM Ajo – +0.776
15. Scott OGDEN – GBR – VisionTrack Racing Team – No time
26. Joshua WHATLEY – GBR – VisionTrack Racing Team – No Time
