News 19 Jun 2019

Moto2 and Moto3 riders complete one-day test in Barcelona

SAG Racing Team's Gardner samples new Dunlop tyres in Spain.

Image: Supplied.

After the MotoGP riders were on testing duty at Catalunya on Monday, it was the turn of much of the Moto2 grid and four Moto3 riders to spin some important laps on Tuesday in a one-day Official Test of their own.

EG 0,0 Marc VDS’ Alex Marquez is currently the man to beat in the intermediate class after three wins in a row, and the championship leader stayed in Barcelona to confirm his setup, putting a mammoth 97 laps on Tuesday. Teammate Xavi Vierge was also testing setups, in addition to working on improving his riding style for the new era.

Tom Luthi and Dynavolt Intact GP teammate Marcel Schrotter were trying new spec tyres for Dunlop, as well as testing different brake discs, different suspension specifications and working on the geometry of their Kalex bikes.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40) and ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team riders Remy Gardner and Tetsuta Nagashima were also testing the new Dunlop tyres, which include one front and two rear, as well as different chassis configurations.

The bigger news was at KTM as it was another important day for Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Brad Binder and Jorge Martin. The Austrian factory continue to work hard to overcome their more difficult start to the season and on Tuesday, both Binder and Martin were testing parts on the chassis and suspension, as well as settings for the race. Martin crashed unhurt at turn one.

At HDR Heidrun Speed Up, both Jorge Navarro and Fabio Di Giannantonio were out on track to try some different settings. After injuring his ankle away from the circuit on Monday, Di Giannantonio finished his day early although Italian will be fit for Assen as Speed Up aim to continue their strong start to the season. Navarro crashed at turn 10 – rider ok. Nagashima and NTS RW Racing GP’s Steven Odendaal crashed at turns eight and eight respectively – riders ok.

In the Moto3 class, championship leader Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) was joined on track by Honda Team Asia duo Ai Ogura and Kaito Toba, as well as Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Can Öncü. Canet was working on the suspension, as well as geometry and his position on the bike.

The Spaniard crashed at turn four – rider ok. The Moto2 and Moto3 will be on-track at Assen in The Netherlands on 30 June for the eighth round of the series.

Recent