The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo contest the first two Free Practice sessions for the San Marino Grand Prix, in wet conditions and with heavy rain.

The opening day of the San Marino Grand Prix was affected by heavy rain that fell intermittently at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Faced with tricky track conditions, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rode the first two Free Practice sessions of the weekend with calm and serenity. Remy Gardner was eventually 22nd and Raul Fernandez 25th.

The first Free Practice of the weekend was held in wet conditions due to rain that fell before the start of the session. Gardner approached FP1 with caution, testing his feel for the track, and would place 22nd with a time of 1:52.200. The Australian completed 16 laps of the Misano track, compared to 10 for his teammate. Fernandez avoided unnecessary risks and he finished in 29th position, with a 1:53.844.

In the afternoon, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo had to face rain once again, which intensified in the second half of the session. They were nevertheless able to ride quicker than their morning times. Gardner continued to gather information in the wet and finished 22nd with a personal best of 1:51.616 from 16 laps. Fernandez clocked a 1:51.883 after his 13 attempts to take 24th.

FP3, held tomorrow morning, will be the last chance for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 to make final setup adjustments for qualifying. Moto2 Q1 will start at 3:10 PM, followed by Q2 at 3:35 PM.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)
1. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 1:50.140
2. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) 1:50.168 +0.028
3. Augusto Fernandez (Kalex) 1:50.317 +0.177
4. Somkiat Chantra (Kalex) 1:50.426 +0.286
5. Nicolo Bulega (Kalex) 1:50.578 +0.438
22. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:51.616 +1.476
25. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:51.883 +1.743

87 REMY GARDNER

“It was a tough day, since the two Free Practice sessions that we had today were both in the wet. We expected to be a little further up the order, but it is not a big problem, since it is only Friday. In the afternoon, in FP2, I felt better. Even so, we have to keep working to take a step forward. We will have to see what weather conditions we’ll encounter tomorrow and Sunday.”

25 RAUL FERNANDEZ

“Today was a tough Friday. I really wanted to go out and ride but, with the condition the track was in, the smartest thing was to save ourselves and take care of my right hand. Beyond that, in general the day was positive. Looking ahead to the next few days, we have to remain calm and avoid unnecessary risks, since I am not yet one hundred percent fit.”