Acosta among fastest on opening day of German GP

18/06/2021

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider sets the pace on Friday afternoon and finishes third on the combined FP1 and FP2 timesheets, with Masia 14th.

 

Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 experienced a scorching afternoon to kick off the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring circuit, withstanding the heat for some positive results. Pedro Acosta was able to set a good pace, leading FP2 and finishing third on the combined timesheets for Friday. Jaume Masia was 14th on day one, as both earned provisional places in Q2.

The day started with ideal conditions of sunshine and ambient temperatures of 26ºC for Moto3 FP1. The Red Bull KTM Ajo pair approached the session calmly, gathering data at the German track and working on the setup of their bikes. In the final stages, Acosta took a step up, and laid down a 1:27.336 that put him fifth. The rookie completed a total of 18 attempts. With 19 laps to his name, Masia finished 13th thanks to a 1:27.847.

The temperatures continued to rise, reaching over 50ºC on track during FP2. Despite the heat, the duo were amongst the few riders able to lower their lap times from morning to afternoon. Acosta ended the session top thanks to a time of 1:27.090, on his penultimate attempt of 17. Masia came in 10th after stopping the clock at 1:27.782. The Spaniard completed 17 laps.

Acosta and Masia will have a last Free Practice session tomorrow morning, ahead of the battle for pole position. Moto3 Q1 will start at 12:35 PM, followed by Q2 at 1 PM.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)

1. John McPhee (Honda) 1:26.739
2. Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda) 1:26.852 +0.113
3. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:27.090 +0.351
4. Gabriel Rodrigo (Honda) 1:27.109 +0.370
5. Deniz Öncü (KTM) 1:27.269 +0.530
14. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:27.782 +1.043

5 JAUME MASIA

“We took a step forward from FP1 to FP2, which is important. I’m happy with the work we did together with the team today, and tomorrow we will continue to strive to progress even more. I can’t wait for qualifying for the German Grand Prix, as both the team and I will do our best to get a good place on the grid.”

37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“It was a positive day. The week off that we had before this Grand Prix has helped me to realise some things that I hadn’t seen before. I’m happy with the way things went today, as we were at the front in both practice sessions. We also rode alone, and that is important. Tomorrow we will have to continue working hard, with our focus on a race that will be hard and long. We will give one hundred percent to try to get to the front.”

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