Bendsneyder satisfied with first day on Tech 3

Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) went quickest as the 2018 Moto2™ season began to get underway, with many on the grid headed for Jerez in southern Spain – and joined by some runners from Moto3™. The test is notable as it marks the first run out on a Moto2™ machine for the rookie contingent, including 2017 Moto3™ Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and runner up Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) – as well as letting teams and chassis manufacturers begin work for next season. A ‘private’ test with no official timing, the majority of the field were nevertheless on site. Bagnaia, 2017 Rookie of the Year, went top – with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) taking second as Kalex made it a 1-2 on the timesheets. KTM, winner of the final three races of the year, took third with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – who also tested a new chassis. Luca Marini, moving to partner Bagnaia at Sky Racing Team VR46, was fourth fastest as the second KTM of Brad Binder closed out the top five. Isaac Viñales (SAG Team) was P6, ahead of Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), Lorenzo Baldassarri on his new Pons HP 40 machine and Fabio Quartararo on the Speed Up for the first time. It was all eyes on the rookies, however, and Joan Mir was the fastest as he moves to EG 0,0 Marc VDS. The 2017 Moto3™ Champion was fourteenth quickest on Day 1 – 1.4 seconds off the front. Fenati, meanwhile, began his intermediate class career 2.1 seconds off in P24 – just behind fellow graduate Bo Bendsneyder (Tech 3 Racing). Sam Lowes (CGBM Evolution) went tenth quickest on his first day back in Moto2™, this time riding a KTM in the class after previous experience on a Kalex and Speed Up. Fellow former premier class rider Hector Barbera (Pons HP 40) was fifteenth quickest, and Danny Kent (Speed Up Racing) was P16 as he gets back on track and switches to Speed Up.

Bo Bendsneyder after his first day on the Tech 3 moto2 bike:

“I’m very happy, and if I’m honest, it wasn’t that bad at all this first day. We started real slow and I planned to first see how the bike was reacting, and how the tyres would behave. The first couple of hours we didn’t change anything on the setup, just do as many laps as possible. I did 45 laps on the first set of tyres, but they were completely finished after that. Then we took a set of new rubber, and I managed to constantly ride 1.44’s even two laps 1.43. Those times are not telling anything, there’s nothing to compare yet, but I had some tips from Brad (Binder) before, and I wanted to do the same times as he did last year in his first test on the Moto2 bike( 1.44,3). Before I was a little scared that riding a moto2 bike would be more physical demanding, but that was not the case. in the last season I had to “shrink” myself on the Moto3 bike and that was quite hard. On this bike I can ride much more relaxed and that is a plus. I think I even have a little advantage being used to fold myself behind the fairing that much: You can see it in the topspeeds on the list. I could go on for hours, but I am really pleased how this first day went. ”

Results day 1 Jerez test: