The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo finish second and third, respectively, on the combined FP1 and FP2 standings.

The French Grand Prix at Le Mans began this Friday with the first two Free Practice sessions of the weekend. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 talents were two of the fastest riders of the day: Pedro Acosta was second overall, after leading the afternoon practice, whilst Augusto Fernandez achieved a positive third place. With these results, the two riders are provisionally through to Q2.

FP1 took place in dry conditions and with optimal temperatures. Fernandez started Friday well, topping the timesheets at times. He eventually placed second thanks to a time of 1:36.263, set on his 14th lap of 18. Acosta had his first experience on the French track aboard a Moto2 bike, and made a quick adaptation. The reigning Moto3 World Champion was ninth with a 1:36.754, set on his 17th attempt out of a total of 19.

In the afternoon, the duo carried over their good feeling from the morning. Acosta took a leap forward and was the fastest rider in FP2, with a 1:36.166. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 talent put in 20 further laps, compared to 16 by his teammate. Fernandez once again proved to be one of the strongest riders, finishing third after stopping the clock at 1:36.394.

Fernandez and Acosta will use the last Free Practice session of the weekend to fine-tune the setup of their bikes, before fighting for pole position. In the afternoon, Moto2 Q1 will get underway at 3:15 PM local time, followed by Q2 at 3:35 PM.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)
1. Somkiat Chantra (Kalex) 1:36.108
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:36.166 +0.058
3. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:36.263 +0.155
4. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 1:36.403 +0.295
5. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) 1:36.517 +0.409

#37 AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ

“I’m happy with how the day went. In FP1 I felt good and in the afternoon we made a small change to the bike that allowed us to take another step forward. I’m satisfied with the work we have done today, although we cannot relax and we have to keep on working. Tomorrow we will look to improve our times a little, on both the hard and soft tyres.”

#51 PEDRO ACOSTA

“This first day at Le Mans went quite well. Today we focused on ourselves, on feeling good, and I think we have found the way forward. It will be important to secure a place in Q2 tomorrow, so we will work hard to make that happen. At the same time, we have to be careful because there have been quite a few crashes. We will try to have a great qualifying run and ensure a good position on the grid, which will make it easier for us at the start of the race on Sunday.”