Moto2: Vierge fastest as action gets underway

Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) topped the Moto2 timesheets after the opening day’s track action at the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland in what was an incredibly tight FP2 session. The Spaniard beat second quickest Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) by a slender 0.025 seconds, with fellow Dynavolt Intact GP rider and home favourite Marcel Schroetter 0.004 back from Marquez in third.

Vierge ended FP1 down in 20th position, but improved his time by over a second in the afternoon to head into qualifying day as the fastest man in the intermediate class. Marquez was sixth this morning, with Schroetter also vastly improving from FP1 – the German jumps from P16 to P3 in FP2.

Another rider to improve his time from the morning session was Khairul Idham Pawi (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), who ends the day a fantastic fourth after finishing FP1 down in 26th place. And despite a crash at Turn 3 during the afternoon session, Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) was fifth quickest on the opening day – a 20 place leap from his P25 in FP1 and just 0.086 back from Vierge.

Behind him was FP1’s third fastest rider Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40), who ends the day sixth quickest despite being only 0.093 back from the top spot. Compatriot Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) ends Friday in seventh, improving from P15 in the morning, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finishing as the leading KTM rider on the opening day at the Sachsenring in eighth.

0.051 back from the South African was Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), dropping two spots from his FP1 position despite leading FP2 for a considerable amount of time, with Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) rounding out a top ten that was split by just 0.202 seconds.

Second in the Championship Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended Friday in 13th on a track he claimed P2 at last season, with double podium finisher Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up Racing) down in P17 – 0.407 off the pace.

The Red Flag had to be shown with 11 minutes remaining as Federico Fuligni (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) crashed at Turn 2 after contact with Stefano Manzi (Forward Racing Team). The Italian’s Kalex machine damaged the air fence, which forced the session to be halted for a short while as it was being re-deployed – rider ok.