Moto2 Japan FP: Salac the fastest, Ogura in the running

Moto2 heads to the Motegi track this week to compete in the Japanese Grand Prix. The championship leader, Ai Ogura, will defend his interests at home, to try to increase an advantage which is starting to weigh. We will therefore have to watch number 79, while the weather will be uncertain this weekend. For now, it is time for the drivers to compete in the FP, the first session of the event, which does not yet count for Qualifications.

Moto2 general classification before Motegi:

As is often the case in the morning, the sky is clear and the temperatures are already 29° in the air and 41° on the asphalt.

Before starting this 35-minute free practice session, here is a table that summarizes the known facts:

When the red lights go out, the sky is partially clear, but it does not take long for the drops to return on a track that is still wet in certain places. However, these will not disrupt the times, which remain quite correct, as their passage was brief.

Tony Arbolino was the first to set a benchmark in Motegi, with an attempt completed in 1:51.102. Shortly after, the No. 14 brilliantly caught up with his bike at turn 5, before experiencing another delicate braking at the end of which he suffered a fall at turn 7, which resulted in damaging his bike. Jake Dixon will take over in 1:51.083 to beat his opponent by 19 thousandths.

Shortly after the mid-session, local hero Ai Ogura entered the scene, and set the best time in 1:50.463. The Japanese then puts six tenths within sight of his rivals.

Things accelerate in the last five times on the track, and Ogura’s opponents make it more difficult for him to defend a reference mark which continues to drop by thousandths. The fast laps were interrupted for a while by a crash by Fermin Aldeguer at turn 7.

In front of the checkered flag, Filip Salac claims the best time with a time of 1:50.287

2024 Moto2 Japanese Grand Prix FP result at Motegi:

Ranking credit: MotoGP.com