Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider tops the combined FP1 and FP2 standings on Friday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Remy Gardner in fourth place.

Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 started the Catalan Grand Prix in top form on Friday, thanks to two very positive Free Practices at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Raul Fernandez finished as the fastest rider on Friday, after placing first in the afternoon session. Teammate Remy Gardner was 4th on the FP1 and FP2 combined timesheets. Thanks to these results, the duo earn provisional spots in tomorrow’s Q2.

The day began well for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo, a constant presence at the sharp end of the timesheets. Gardner took a noticeable step forward in the final part of the session, setting the third best time of FP1: a 1:43.856, one tenth off the top spot. The Australian completed a total of 17 laps of the Spanish track. Fernandez put in 18 laps, and once again showed that he is one of the form riders in the class, placing fourth with a 1:43.904.

In the afternoon, Fernandez lowered his times in style, as the Spaniard clocked the quickest lap of FP2. On his 11th attempts of 19, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 put in a 1:43.687 to head the combined timesheets. Gardner took second with a 1:43.902 and completing 17 laps.

Gardner and Fernandez will have a final Free Practice on Saturday morning before moving on to the fight for pole position. Q1 will start at 3:10 PM local time, followed by Q2 at 3:35 PM.

Results (Combined practice times FP1-FP2)
1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:43.687
2. Augusto Fernandez (Kalex) 1:43.703 +0.016
3. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 1:43.853 +0.166
4.Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:43.856 +0.169
5. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) 1:44.077 +0.390

87 REMY GARDNER

“Today was a good day. I’m happy with the work we did. However, there is still a lot to do and tomorrow we have to push if we want to be fully prepared for Sunday’s race. For now, things are going ahead of schedule, so let’s hope it stays that way. I can’t wait to get back on track on Saturday.”

25 RAUL FERNANDEZ

“I’m happy with how the day went, as we had two productive sessions in which we were able to work on the setup of the bike. It’s good to start in the Top 5 in the first few practices and be at the front, but more importantly, we have a strong pace. This Friday we focused, above all, on solving the issues that we had at Mugello, and we are on the right track. Tomorrow we will give one hundred percent to continue progressing.”