MotoGP Argentina: Aldeguer heads Moto2 FP1

MB Conveyors’ Fermín Aldeguer claimed the opening honours as Moto2 free practice began at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit in Argentina.

Red Bull KTM’s Augusto Fernandez and Honda Team Asia’s Somkiat Chantra secured the top three with Brits Jake Dixon and Sam Lowes running top ten pace as FP1 for the Argentinian GP finally took to the track.

Low temperatures of 12℃ saw the intermediate class action kick off with early crashes for Joe Roberts and Pedro Acosta, the Italtrans and KTM Ajo teams unimpressed with the extra work after a painfully early start for an already intense Saturday schedule.

Out front, Fernandez and Chantra battled for initial honours in the standings as the 50-minute practice began. The Idemitsu Honda rider setting a 1’44.181 time in his tenth lap of the morning with the second KTM machine just 0.025s behind. Pons rider Jorge Navarro made his presence felt in third just a tenth back with Speed Up’s Aldeguer holding off Dixon on the GasGas Aspar in the top five.

Lowes started his Argentine action from 11th in the times, after an empty Marc VDS pitbox for the weekend’s opening days had sent the recovering 31-year-old straight to the golf course! The Brit circulated just under a second adrift of his former teammate out front as he made his way into the FP1 top ten at the halfway stage with a 1’44.883.

The final 15 minutes found Fernandez back in charge with a 1’43.641, Aldeguer the only other rider under the 1’44 barrier as Chantra circulated half a second adrift in third. American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier claimed fifth with his 16th lap of the Termas track demoting Dixon by a mere 0.011s as two-tenths covered the second half of the top ten down to Lowes’ 1.44.777 effort.

Roberts was able to head back on