MotoGP Aragon: Lopez leads Moto2 FP3 as Vietti and Ogura face Q1

CAG Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez continued his stellar mid-season showing by leading Moto2’s FP3 at Motorland Aragon.

The intermediate class’ late addition commanded the times with a 1’52.180 on his penultimate lap of the final 40-minute practice trailed by soon-to-be MotoGP rider Augusto Fernandez and Flexbox’s Aron Canet.

Moto2 final practice kicked off with news that Sergio Garcia will join the Pons HP40 team alongside Canet for 2023 as Elf Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino headed the times above the Spaniard with a 1’52.831.

Championship challenger Ai Ogura was the first to crash, from 16th in the overall times, as Albert Arenas advanced the GasGas Aspar into the top fifth. Italtrans’ Joe Roberts the next to improve in the opening stages as the American claimed his place in the top five.

Current class leader Fernandez returned to the top of the timesheets with a 1’52.818 as the halfway point approached. Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Pedro Acosta joining him in the top five as the pair ran in tandem on track.

Arenas took over with his tenth lap as Canet crashed out at turn two. The number 40 the first of the big hitters yet to improve on his Friday times as Lopez sat narrowly ahead in fourth.

The closing quarter of an hour found American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier in the danger zone on 1’53.636 pace as the pack sat in the pits awaiting the final runs. Lopez continued his climb to second overall with Flexbox’s outgoing Jorge Navarro consolidating his promotion position from eighth ahead of Jake Dixon, before the Brit moved the Aspar up the times to sixth.

Idemitsu Honda’s Ogura was back in the action as he joined teammate Somkiat Chantra in 11th and 12th, at the expense of Beaubier, with eight minutes to go. Acosta and Dixon chasing