Friday, October 27, 2023, 7:11 p.m.
This Thai GP looks good for Pedro Acosta, who this weekend can lift the title in Moto2. He needs to score 19 more points on Tony Arbolino to be champion this Sunday, which means a victory for the Mazarron native and a tenth at most for the Italian, just the result that occurred on the opening day on Friday. The truth is that Acosta has started like a shot in Thailand, leading both training sessions in the intermediate category.
The one from Puerto de Mazarrón, who will have his first title ball tomorrow, started the grand prix in the best possible way. Furthermore, he saw how his only rival, Tony Arbolino, arrived with more doubts and concluded on Friday with the tenth record. Transferring these results to Sunday’s race, the Mazarron native would be given the numbers to be world champion, since two combinations are worth it: winning and Arbolino being tenth or worse; or be second with your rival 15th or worse. Although at this point in the grand prix, Acosta still preferred to be cautious. «Let’s start by having a good qualy tomorrow [por este sábado] “And we’ll see what happens on Sunday.”
El Tiburón de Mazarrón led the free practice sessions both in the morning and in the afternoon and, although he only had a lead of 14 thousandths over the second place finisher, a surprising and extraordinary Marcos Ramírez, he looked very comfortable. This is demonstrated by the fact that Acosta took the lead on the time table with 3:08 left in P2 and his lap was canceled for not cutting enough under the yellow flag, which did not discourage him and he set an even better lap. to the next attempt. That’s called control and superiority.
Brilliant Aldeguer
Dixon, Guevara and Arenas started very well, but their performances took a backseat when Acosta put on his overalls and set several fast laps to finish the morning session in front, with the Murcian Fermín Aldeguer less than one tenth of him, to continue extending his great form. A surprising Dennis Foggia took third position, ahead of Ai Ogura and Tony Arbolino.
The afternoon session of Moto2 free practice left another pair of saves by Alonso López and Arón Canet – who would later crash – and, once again, an outstanding Pedro Acosta who improved his morning time by almost three tenths for beat Marcos Ramírez by 14 thousandths and Fermín Aldeguer by 20. The one from La Ñora is finishing the course in the best way and is beginning to look like the one who stood out so much since his first steps in the intermediate category. Somkiat Chantra was the only non-Spanish in a top 5 that Aron Canet closed.
Jorge Martín squeezes
Meanwhile, in MotoGP, Jorge Martín dominated the two practice sessions on Friday. And that, despite a fall without consequences in the final moments of the second session, which he did not fully understand. «I feel that here I also have that plus, but a little less in the previous circuits. For Saturday’s qualifying I see myself very fair with respect to the Aprilias, who started very quickly, so tomorrow [por este sábado] “We will have to get something more to fight for the first line.”
And in both sessions the Aprilias were in the wake of Martín in the time table, with Maverick Viñales especially plugged in from the beginning of the grand prix. The difference between the two was just 98 thousandths, and with Aleix Espargaró, third, being the only three drivers to lap under 1:30.
The Aprilia are presented as the alternative to the Ducati, on a track where the Bolognese brand has never won. Behind the three Spaniards finished Italian bikes: Johann Zarco, Marco Bezzecchi, Luca Marini and the championship leader, Pecco Bagnaia. Marc Márquez was eleventh.
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