News 10 Feb 2017

Red Bull KTM teammates shine in Valencia testing

Moto2 and Moto3 riders on-track for the first time in 2017.

Source: Supplied.

Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Miguel Oliveira topped both days of private Moto2 and Moto3 testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo this week, in a typically strong showing for the Austrian newcomers.

Oliveira was the only one below the 1m36s barrier on a 1m35.887s, with Fabio Quartararo (Paginas Amarillas HP40) less than two-tenths behind in P2. The French rookie put in more than 100 laps at the track with a best of 1m36.057s, after already breaking the century barrier late last year in testing.

Edgar Pons, on the other side of the Paginas Amarillas HP40 box, completed just over half the laps of his French teammate. Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) was another two-tenths back from Quartararo with a 1m36.260s, and the German completed a good amount of laps as the Intact team switch to a Suter chassis for 2017.

Ricky Cardus once again stood in for injured 2016 Moto3 World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to test his Moto2 machine, as the South African was forced to have a second operation on the arm he injured in testing in November. Binder expects to be back on track at the next test.

Also present on track was local rider and fellow Moto2 rookie Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), although the Valencian was using the time as training on a Yamaha R6 ahead of his next taste of his new Moto2 machine.

In Moto3 it was Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Bo Bendsneyder who topped the timesheets with a best of 1m39.756s. Niccolo Antonelli, on the other side of the garage, did 10 laps less than his Dutch teammate to end the day with a best of 1m40.280s.

EG0,0 pairing Enea Bastianini and Aron Canet both did over 60 laps, with ex-rookie Canet just besting his new Italian teammate as the ‘Beast’ focused on rhythm more than one-lap pace. The Spaniard’s best was a 1m39.807s to go second quickest, with the Italian setting a 1m40.826s.

Romano Fenati had minimal tracktime on day one as the Italian settles back into life in Moto3, but the Marinelli Rivacold Snipers rider got back in business on day two as he starts gearing up for a title charge, putting in more than half a century of laps with a best of 1m40.106s late in the day to go third.

Recent