The Spanish KTM rider is a candidate to be the great protagonist of the middle class ahead of Canet and Chantra. Arbolino the first of the Italians. Let’s see a quick rundown of the sessions
March 20, 2023
– portimao (portugal)
We know that the times set in the winter tests should always be taken with a grain of salt. Sometimes it is a gamble to define a hierarchy of values based on these rankings. But the three days of Moto2 and Moto3 tests that have just ended in Jerez are sending signals that should not be underestimated: it is particular in that it ended on March 19, one day before the official start of spring and, above all, less than a week from the first round of the World Championship 2023 on 25-26 March on the Portimao circuit. However, three significant days because they allowed all the Moto2 and Moto3 participants not only to get rid of the last shreds of winter rust and to become familiar with their new racing cars, but also to verify the real level of competitiveness compared to the times on lap and race pace and compared to the opponents.
the best times
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In any case, everyone pulled out the maximum and therefore the combined ranking of the times of these three days of testing counts. The news is there and it’s the same for Moto 3 and Moto2: the gap between the riders, at least among the front runners, is really modest and this is good because it predicts high level races and championships, with show races. At the same time, an absolute protagonist emerges from the tests: Pedro Acosta (KTM Ajo) who with his final 1’41″907 dominated ahead by 72 thousandths of a super Aldeguer (1’41.979) gradually faster and faster, with the first pursuers above 1 and 41: the constant Canet ( 1’42.091) in the lead on the first day and then big pace, Chantra (1’42.275), Lowes (1’42.281) and Toni Arbolino 6th time and first of the Italians (1’42.290 +0.383), Bendsneyder (1’42.334 ), Arenas who closes the top ten (1’42.576).Disappointment, for the moment, for the 18-year-old Moto3 2022 world champion Izan Guevara, always bringing up the rear (+2.672) and also for Lopez, 15th time with the gap by almost a second (+0.986). And the other Italians? Few and, according to the chronometer, not very good. The second “Italian flag”, Celestino Vietti is 13th (1’42.871) with rookie Dennis Foggia 21st (1 ‘43.186) who is progressing and Lorenzo Dalla Porta 23rd (1’43.631) at +1.724 from the leader demonstrating that the former Moto3 world champion is still far from having found his best form and feeling with the new mount and the new sq adra Sag.
well Riccardo Rossi
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This three-day test has said what has already been said before: Pedro Acosta is the man to beat. Not only. Pedro is a candidate to win already at the debut of the first round of next weekend in Portugal and to dominate this Moto2 retracing the paths already taken by two champions such as Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez, world champions in both lower categories before making the leap to MotoGP. There, then, we will see. Other music, as far as the Italians are concerned, in Moto3. Here, after three days made as if they were already in the race, the standard bearer of Team SIC58 is at the top Riccardo Rossi. The twenty-year-old Ligurian put everyone in line with a final slap: 1’47.211, taking away the record from Garcia set with pole in 2021. After Rossi, four riders in the handkerchief by two tenths: 51 thousandths away Josè Antonio Rueda: 1’47.262, one tenth round David Munoz: 147,318; Sasaki: 1’47.402 done on the third day, his top day. Then the other good news: the fifth best time of the returning (in Moto3) Romano Fenati less than two tenths from the top (1’47.403) and a thousandth from Ryusei Yamanaka (who fell in the final and was taken to the hospital) deserving the pats on the back from the Sniper team (father and son) who already, this alone, is worth a lot.
the other Italians
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Holgado, Suzuki, Ogden, Moreira are also below the half second mark. Rookie David Alonso closes the top ten. The other Italians are there, but they have to row hard to recover positions in the next Portimao weekend: we are referring to Farioli 16th (+0.753) and Bertelle 18th (+0.837). It must be said that Fenati and his teammate Matteo Bertelle and Lorenzo Fellon (28th) did not lap in the final session of the tests. The leader of the second day, Diogo Moreira, and David Alonso, close the last round of the third day, in the top ten. In trouble, the 26-year-old Ana Carrasco, third from last time: 1’49.195 almost two seconds (+1.984) from Rossi. What to say? Great battles ahead in Moto 3, where the gap between Honda and KTM seems to have disappeared, almost. In the top ten 4 HRC bikes, all in the top 8 and one ahead of all. Fight hard, fight open.
March 20, 2023 – 3:21 pm
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