Frenchman leads with authority on first day of test in windy and cold conditions at Spanish track.

Leaving the rain of Valencia behind, the second Moto2 Official Test of the 2015 preseason started on Tuesday at Jerez Circuit. On this occasion, Johann Zarco and his Kalex had to battle against the cold -with track temperatures down to 12°C- and strong winds of up to 35km/h. However, this proved to be little hinderance for the Frenchman, who was the clear dominant force of the day -finishing atop the timesheets with a time of 1:42.817.

Zarco completed 27 laps in the first of the three sessions available today. Fast from the early going, the Frenchman was able to ride in the 1:42s in every session set aside for the Moto2 class. He and Sam Lowes were the only two riders to go round in under 1:43. With a best lap of 1:42.817 in the last hour, Zarco completed the first day just as he finished the test last week in Valencia: At the head of the standings.

Satisfied with his progress and happy with the results achieved so far, Johann Zarco looks to continue in the same way at Jerez until the end of the test on Thursday.

Results – Combined Standings Day 1
1. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) 1:42.817
2. Sam Lowes (Speed Up) 1:42.929 +0.112
3. Alex Rins (Kalex) 1:43.088 +0.271
4. Luis Salom (Kalex) 1:43.110 +0.293
5. Jonas Folger (Kalex) 1:43.298 +0.481

Johann Zarco

“For a first day, I think it went well. It was very windy and that made it difficult to get on the pace and find confidence on the bike. I pushed hard at first and then I was able to ride more calmly and go faster, so I’m happy. I rode many laps and I felt very comfortable with the team at all times, and that allowed us to find a good balance with the bike. In this test I have to improve my riding style a little, but I’m satisfied for now. We have to stay focused on the remaining days, because if the weather improves we will all go faster and be able to better prepare for the first race. I did not expect these lap times today.”