MotoGP Valencia: Acosta heads Fernandez for Friday’s Moto2

Red Bull KTM Ajo were on top of the pile in Moto2 as Pedro Acosta led Augusto Fernandez in Friday’s practice times.

Challenged solely by each other across the majority of the day, the rookie outpaced his title-challenging teammate by 0.031s as Acosta set the 1’34.948 pace. Beta Tools Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez completed the top three with Inde GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon behind in fourth.

Lopez led the way as Moto2 practice fired up at Valencia on Friday morning. The Speed Up rider setting a 1’36.908 lap to head Acosta and Elf Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino before Dixon arrived to better the trio on the GasGas Aspar.

Senna Agius returned to intermediate class action as he continued to sub for the injured Sam Lowes while Masia Pasini picked up the RW Racing machine in place of Barry Baltus. The pair circulating in the top eighth after ten minutes on track with championship leader Fernandez narrowly behind.

Acosta took charge on his sixth effort of FP1, just 0.092s ahead of the Brit before Dixon responded 0.011s shy two laps later. Fermin Aldeguer joined his own Speed Up teammate in the top four while Arbolino led Idemitsu Honda’s Somkiat Chantra, American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, Agius and Flex Box HP40’s Aron Canet in the top ten with 25 minutes left on the clock and Ai Ogura kicked off his own title challenge from 18th.

Fernandez set the target at the halfway stage as Ogura advanced to seventh. The Spaniard continuing to refine the goal as the second half counted down with a 1’35.578 benchmark and ten minutes remaining before Acosta bettered by a quarter of a second.

Dixon picked up pace as he continued to challenge from third. The leading trio maintaining control until Canet slid his way into third. Niccolo Antonelli crashed the