For the sixth year in succession the MotoGP World Championship got underway beneath the stunning floodlights of the Losail Circuit in Qatar tonight. After five months of relentless winter testing the Moto2 riders finally showed their hand in two official free practice sessions for the opening round of the campaign, with Nakagaami closing in on lap record pace as he clocked the fastest time of the day, closely followed by Rabat and Espargaró. As usual there was minimal difference between the top ten riders and it looks to be another exciting season in the intermediate class.
MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol closed out the top ten tonight, just over a second off the pacesetter but with a good feeling and room for improvement. His team-mate Jordi Torres made his debut at Losail, starting out with a long run as he focused purely on learning the circuit. The Spanish rookie got his references in the second session and slashed two seconds off his best lap.
10th Nico Terol 2.02.121 (31 laps): “This circuit was always a good one for me on the 125 but in the first Moto2 session tonight we had some trouble with the front end that we managed to solve by moving more weight forward. I am happy about that but we still need to find more grip and get more out of the engine because it is normally faster than this. It is only the first day, we're in the top ten and I know there is a lot more to come from us so we'll keep working hard to improve tomorrow.”
19th Jordi Torres 2.03.134 (36 laps): “I knew it was going to be difficult to get my reference points and in the braking zones in the first session but I must admit I found it tough. I did a long run to try and get used to the circuit without focusing on anything else but we worked hard in both sessions and I was able to improve my feeling and my lap times. It is a wide and fast track and I have to learn the right lines so that I don't lose too much time. I had a better feeling in the second session and even though we are a little way down on the timesheets it's only my first night at Losail so I am not concerned.”
Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Press Release
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