Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta complete the first two Free Practice sessions of the weekend, amidst rain and strong winds.

Due to heavy rain and wind that hit the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve today, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders had their track time reduced on the opening day of the Portuguese Grand Prix. Both did not go out on track in the first Free Practice session, avoiding taking unnecessary risks due to the tricky track conditions. In the afternoon, in the rain, Augusto Fernandez achieved the sixth best lap on the combined timesheets. Pedro Acosta finished Friday in 20th place.

Due to the heavy rain that fell during Moto2 FP1, Fernandez and Acosta, together with their respective crews, made the decision not to go out on track. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo remained in the box for forty minutes waiting for conditions to improve, but with the track flooded with water, both preferred not to take the risk of a crash.

In the afternoon, further heavy rain at the start of Moto2 FP2 left the track in a very delicate state. Fernandez finished a difficult session in sixth position with a time of 2:01.457, despite suffering a crash in the final moments at Turn 13. The Spaniard completed 14 laps, while teammate Acosta racked up seven. The current Moto3 World Champion was 20th with a 2:04.376 lap, experiencing a run-off in the 21st minute at Turn 1.

Saturday morning sees a final Free Practice session of the weekend, which is also expected to be wet. Moto2 Q1 will start at 3:10 PM local time, followed by Q2 at 3:35 PM.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)
1. Marcel Schrotter (Kalex) 2:00.678
2. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 2:01.179 +0.501
3. Cameron Beaubier (Kalex) 2:01.391 +0.713
4. Joe Roberts (Kalex) 2:01.409 +0.731
5. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 2:01.413 +0.735
6. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:01.457 +0.779
20. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:04.376 +3.698

#37 AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ

“It was a strange day due to track conditions, but we were able to ride in the afternoon. We were lucky that it didn’t rain so much while we were on track. Even so, the asphalt was very wet, and with such an uneven surface it left puddles. We had to be careful because of the aquaplaning. Despite the crash in FP2, I’m happy with our work, since at least we ended Friday having done a few laps. We are ready for tomorrow and hopefully things will be better.”

#51 PEDRO ACOSTA

“Despite the crash we had in FP2, it was a good day. We have to be happy considering today’s track conditions. Tomorrow will be another day and we’ll continue working on the bike. Hopefully the conditions will be better and we can go directly into Q2; this would help our goal of being able to qualify as well as possible for the race.”