Pedro Acosta finishes Friday in fifth position, while Albert Arenas is tenth.

The Malaysian Grand Prix started this Friday with a good feeling for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders. Pedro Acosta and Albert Arenas made progress and improved their times despite the high temperatures, finishing in fifth and tenth position, respectively, meaning both are provisionally into Q2.

In the first practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix. Acosta worked to adapt to the difficult layout of the Sepang International Circuit, and after the first few minutes he moved into first position. The current World Championship leader focused on his setup and pace. Acosta, who completed a total of 15 laps, finished in third position, with a time of 2:06.638 from his eleventh lap. Arenas suffered a small crash during the morning session, but thanks to the work from his team he was able to get back out on track and take advantage of the closing minutes to continue improving. With 13 laps completed, Arenas finished 19th with a time of 2:07.991.

The afternoon session saw an increase in temperatures, which meant extra effort was required from the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders. Both improved their feelings and were able to lower their morning times. Acosta took another step forward with his setting and worked intensely with the team to remain among the frontrunners. After 15 laps, Acosta used his final attempt to clock his best time, finishing in fourth position with a 2:06.289. Arenas was once again very consistent throughout Practice, which allowed him to climb positions quickly. He went on to set the eighth best time, with a 2:06.785 which put him in eighth place. The results meant that the pair finished fifth and tenth on the combined timesheets, respectively.

The Moto2 qualifying sessions will be held on Saturday, 11th November, from 1:45 PM, at the Sepang International Circuit.
 

Results (Combined practice sessions P1-P2)
1. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 2:06.093
2. Fermin Aldeguer (Boscoscuro) 2:06.183 +0.090
3. Aron Canet (Kalex) 2:06.193 +0.100
4. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 2:06.243 +0.150
5. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:06.289 +0.196
10. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:06.785+0.692

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“We are working on adapting and improving my riding in some points, but we have to be happy because we are only two tenths behind, which is not that much at a long circuit like Sepang. We managed to improve the setup this afternoon and our objective for qualifying is the front row to be competitive. Over one lap, we are better than on other weekends, so we have to be calm, because the times at the front are very tight.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“It has been an intense day in Malaysia, with a lot of humidity, but I think we did a good job. We focused on going lap-by-lap and we have a lot of information to improve tomorrow, so this afternoon we have work to try to take another step forward tomorrow. I feel that we can get more in terms of the setup, to be higher up. We have started with speed and concentration, so we are going to continue like this and keep pushing.”