Thirty-five Moto2 riders took to a cold and windy Valencia track yesterday for one day of official testing alloted to the teams.
Several rider have yet to be officially confirmed, and were more or less auditioning for a ride in next season’s championship.
Unofficial test times confirmed this year’s Moto2 championship runner-up Julian Simon as fastest on track with his Suter, together with Stefan Bradl of Viesmann Kiefer Racing who tested a Kalex chassis.
Third best time went to British youngster Scott Redding who tested a revised Suter chassis, followed by Yuki Takahashi who got his first taste of Gresini’s Moriwaki machine after spending the season with Poncharal’s Tech3 squad.
Alex de Angelis was back on board JiR’s bike with a fifth spot and will be likely to confirm his contract with the team by the end of the week.
Interwetten Racing’s Thomas Luthi tested a Suter after switching from this year’s Moriwaki, while the impressive Kenan Sofuoglu was seventh.
Former Pramac Ducati rider and Moto2 newbie Aleix Espargaro was 8th with Pons Kalex, while his former team mate Mika Kallio also tried out the new Moto2 category for the first time putting in 77 laps on a Suter MMX machine fitted with a standard CBR600 engine and gearbox.
Kallio will be getting more test time on Thursday, always at the Valencia track.
Michele Pirro picked up by Gresini Racing, was ninth followed by Technomag CIP’s Dominique Aegerter.
Colin Edwards helped out with his expertise Tech3’s Moto2 team by putting in 20 laps on the team’s new 2011 bike and he set the same time as newcomer to the series and Tech3 new rider Bradley Smith, while team mate Mike di Meglio was 16th.
Andrea Iannone with his new team and Suter chassis was down in 17th.
Former WSBK rider Max Neukirchner debuted 28th with the MZ bike with Alex Baldolini testing both the MZ and the MotoBI.
While Gabor Talmacsi, Lukas Pesek and Anthony West tested the Bimota.
Moto2 Valencia unofficial test times:01- Julian Simon – Mapfre Aspar Team – Suter MMX – 1’36.
7002- Stefan Bradl – Viessmann Kiefer Racing – KALEX Moto2 – 1’36.
7003- Scott Redding – Marc VDS Racing Team – Suter MMX – 1’36.
9004- Yuki Takahashi – Gresini Racing Moto2 – Moriwaki MD600 – 1’37.
0205- Alex De Angelis – JiR Moto2 – MotoBI – 1’37.
1006- Thomas Luthi – Interwetten Racing – Suter MMX – 1’37.
2007- Kenan Sofuoglu – Technomag CIP – Suter MMX – 1’37.
2808- Aleix Espargaro – Tenerife 40 Pons – KALEX Moto2 – 1’37.
4009- Michele Pirro – Gresini Racing Moto2 – Moriwaki MD600 – 1’37.
6810- Dominique Aegerter – Technomag CIP – Suter MMX – 1’37.
8011- Jules Cluzel – Forward Racing – Suter MMX – 1’37.
8012- Yonny Hernandez – Blusens STX – BQR Moto2 – 1’37.
8013- Xavier Simeon – Holiday Gym Racing – Moriwaki MD600 – 1’37.
9014- Tito Rabat – Blusens STX – BQR Moto2 – 1’38.
0015- Kenny Noyes – Jack & Jones by Banderas – Suter MMX – 1’38.
2016- Mike Di Meglio – Tech 3 Racing – Tech 3 Mistral 610 – 1’38.
3017- Andrea Iannone – WTR Speed Master Team – Suter MMX – 1’38.
3018- Raffaele De Rosa – Holiday Gym G22 – Moriwaki MD600 – 1’38.
5019- Lukas Pesek – SAG Team – Bimota HB4 – 1’38.
5020- Colin Edwards – Tech 3 Racing – Tech 3 Mistral 610 – 1’38.
7021- Bradley Smith – Tech 3 Racing – Tech 3 Mistral 610 – 1’38.
7022- Max Neukirchner – MZ Racing Team – MZ RE Honda – 1’38.
8023- Anthony West – SAG Team – Bimota HB4 – 1’39.
0024- Andrea Boscoscuro – Tuenti Speed Up – Speed Up S-10 – 1’39.
1025- Gabor Talmacsi – Bimota – Bimota HB4 – 1’39.
2026- Arne Tode – MZ Racing Team – MZ RE Honda – 1’39.
3027- Mika Kallio – Marc VDS Racing Team – Suter MMX – 1’39.
9028- Pol Espargaro – Tuenti Speed Up – Speed Up S-10 – 1’40.
1929- Yannick Guerra – Holiday Gym G22 – Moriwaki MD600 – 1’40.
3030- Alex Baldolini – MZ Racing Team – MZ RE Honda – 1’40.
5031- Jonas Folger – MZ Racing Team – MZ RE Honda – 1’41.
50
