Michael Scott | October 19, 2018
2018 Motegi Moto2 and Moto3 Friday Results
Everything was the other way round in Moto2. The morning session was damp, and the afternoon dry.
Title leader Pecco Bagnaia (SKY VR46 Kalex) didn’t even go out in the morning, and nor did Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Kalex); with title challenger Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) only doing three laps.
2018 Motegi Moto2 and Moto3 Friday Results
The value of their prudence was underlined when Alex Marquez had a huge crash when he strayed off the asphalt onto a wet white line. He was lucky not to be hit by his bike as the EG-VDS Kalex somersaulted down the track alongside him; and though stretchered away was fit enough to set ninth-best time in the afternoon.
The top slot went to SII KTM rider Iker Lecuona, heading a group of 11 within one second … a wider spread than usual.
Bagnaia was second, just over a tenth down; Oliveira sixth.
Pons HP40 Kalex rider Augusto Fernandez was third, with Fabio Quartararo (Speed Up) next; then Brad Binder less than a tenth ahead of his team-mate.
The Kalexes of Tetsuta Nagashima, Marcel Schrotter and Alex Marquez filled the next three places, with Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Kalex) tenth, ahead of second EG-VDS rider Joan Mir.
Schrotter and Marquez had been quickest in the morning.
American Joe Roberts (NTS) was 17th in the wet, 21st in the dry, one down on Remy Gardner (Tech 3).
Moto 3
With light rain keeping slick tyres on the racks in the afternoon, Moto3’s top times came from the morning session, with veteran Jakub Kornfeil (Redox KTM) topping the sheets, and title leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Honda) only 16th-fastest, more than a second down.
Martin took the same position in the afternoon, when erstwhile championship rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox KTM) took to the top, lap times eight seconds slower than in the dry.
Aron Canet (EG Honda) was second-fastest on combined times, from two more Hondas, Leopard team-mates Enea Bastianini and Lorenzo Dalla Porta; with Bezzecchi sixth in the dry.
The Italian is now disputing second overall with compatriot Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Honda); 18th in the morning but second in the dry.
2018 Motegi Moto2 and Moto3 Friday Results
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