Pedro Acosta finishes second on Friday, while Albert Arenas is seventh.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders started the Catalan Grand Prix well, as Pedro Acosta enjoyed a consistent Friday that saw him run a fast pace and finish in second position. Albert Arenas took a big step forward and placed seventh.

Acosta was once again one of the pacesetters in the intermediate class during Friday’s opening session. He worked on his race pace and tried to find a good feeling from the start. After a pit stop, Acosta continued to improve his lap times despite fierce competition, and his 1:44.806 put him in second position, just 0.002s behind the leader. Arenas faced his home round with extra motivation and was very consistent from the beginning. After completing a total of 15 laps, he was in seventh thanks to a 1:45.176 on his last lap.

The second and final session of the day allowed the Moto2 duo to fine-tune their setups and continue working ahead of Saturday’s qualifying sessions. The increase in temperatures posed an extra challenge for them, although both managed to handle the situation. Acosta remained at the sharp end of the timesheets and continued to work on his pace. Although he would not lower his times from P1, he finished in an outstanding fourth position with a time of 1:45.067 achieved on his penultimate lap, one tenth off the top spot. Arenas made much improvement and would even lead the way at one stage, eventually concluding in third with a time of 1:45.010, 0.054s off the leader. Acosta finished the day second overall, with Arenas seventh.

Moto2 qualifying will begin on Saturday at 1:45 PM at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya.

Results (Combined practice times P1 – P2)
1. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 1:44.804
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:44.806 + 0.002
3. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 1:44.822 +0.018
4. Aron Canet (Kalex) 1:44.862 +0.058
5. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) 1:44.956 +0.152
7. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:45.010 +0.206

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“The day has been positive, although we know that it is not as easy to go fast as at other circuits. We worked on the bike and on solving some problems to feel more comfortable. It has not prevented us from improving and we have been able to take one more step forward compared to last year. We are more of a complete package and tomorrow it will be time to take another step forward in qualifying.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“It has been a very positive day. We have worked hard and pushed the pace for Sunday’s race. I felt good on the bike and I ended the day very happy to be competitive. Tomorrow we will continue pushing to stay at the front and to qualify well.”