New challenge for Fernandez and Acosta at Indonesian Grand Prix

16/03/2022

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo will race at the Mandalika International Circuit for the first time this week, at Round 2 of the 2022 season.

 

After a brief break, the Red Bull KTM Ajo team head to Lombok for the Indonesian Grand Prix. Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta will ride at the recently opened Mandalika International Circuit for the first time, as the track makes its maiden appearance on the Moto2 World Championship calendar. Highly motivated as the season picks up pace, the Spanish duo feel prepared for this new challenge at the second round of the year.

Fernandez put in a solid performance at the inaugural race of the 2022 campaign in Qatar, finishing in 4th position and fighting for the podium until the end. Strong throughout the weekend, he headed the combined timesheets for Free Practice. Now the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider arrives in Indonesia looking to continue in the same way, at a circuit where he hopes to adapt quickly.

At the Qatar Grand Prix, Acosta made his debut in the intermediate class with a fightback through the field, making up 16 places in the race to finish in 12th. The reigning Moto3 World Champion accumulated kilometres and significant experience over a weekend in which he was also among the fastest riders. Acosta is adjusting to life in the Moto2 series and will now have the added difficulty of never having ridden at the Indonesian track.

The Mandalika International Circuit will host a Moto2 race for the first time on Sunday, March 20th, at 1:20 PM local time, scheduled for 25 laps.

 

Circuit information – Mandalika International Circuit

Length: 4.3 kilometres / 2.68 miles
Width: 15 metres / 49.21 ft
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 11
Longest straight: 507 metres / 1663.39 ft.
Constructed: 2021

 

#37 AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ

“I am happy with how the first race of the year went. We were fighting for the podium and, although in the end we didn’t get there because of the incident in the last corner, we did a great job throughout the weekend. We set a good pace and picked up some important points. I am really looking forward to continuing to work with the team at Mandalika. It’s a new circuit for everyone, so before travelling I’ve been watching videos of contests that have been held there in other series, and of the MotoGP tests. It’s a unique track; it seems very fast, and the weather will be an important factor. It will certainly be an interesting Grand Prix. The goal will be to get back to the front, like we were in Qatar, and fight to win on Sunday.”

#51 PEDRO ACOSTA

“At the Qatar Grand Prix we put in a lot of kilometres and gained important experience that is sure to help us this weekend. Now we head to a new circuit, and we’ll see how we do, although it seems that this could be a track that suits our style quite well. Once again, we face the GP without any set target in mind. The only thing we will look for is to continue taking steps forward, learning and enjoying ourselves every time we get on the bike.”

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