The Championship leader opens the weekend on top, but Ogura is close in P4.
Moto2™ World Championship leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got his Motul Grand Prix of Japan off to the right start as he went fastest in FP1, putting in a 1:50.493 to finish just 0.084 ahead of Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as light rain disrupted the day for the intermediate class. Their teammates were next up: Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Aragon winner Pedro Acosta was P3 and Fernandez’ key title rival Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) took P4 on home turf.
Ogura was first to get into the 1:51s and at one point he and Fernandez had identical fastest laps, before Fernandez was first into the 1:50s with less than eight minutes to go – except he wasn’t. That lap was outside of track limits, and it was instead Ogura who put in a 1:50.885. Chantra then set a 1:50.577 before Fernandez hit back with the 1:50.493, and that remained the fastest lap of the session. Acosta earned third with a late 1:50.783, and Filip Salac (Gresini Racing Moto2™) also joined the party with a 1:50.967 before more rain meant the pace dropped again.
Despite rain spitting, conditions improving and then worsening again over the course of the session, there wasn’t too much drama for the intermediate class. Sean Dylan Kelly (American Racing) crashed twice, Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) slid out and Keminth Kubo (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) was the first off, riders all ok.
Two key headlines heading into Saturday see Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) in 15th and former World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) in 21st on a 1:52.573, putting them both outside the top 14. They’ll have a nervous wait to find out whether there will be more rain on Saturday morning as Moto2™ head back out for FP2 from 9:55 (GMT +9), before qualifying from 13:30!
FRIDAY: TOP 3
1 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 1’50.493
2 Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – +0.084
3 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +0.290
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