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Acosta well under Moto2 lap record during Portimao Testing
2022 Moto2/3 Test Portimao Report Day Three
If anyone had doubts about the hype surrounding Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the time to surrender them is now. It’s a new year, new class, new number but the same sensation as the Moto2 rookie smashed the lap record in testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, putting in a 1m41.552.
The previous Moto2 benchmark at Portimao was Remy Gardner’s 1m42.447 set in 2021. Gardner also holds the race lap record at 1m42.504 along with the pole record of 1m42.592, both of those times coming on the 2020 race weekend.
In some further 2021 deja vu, Augusto Fernandez made sure it was a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 as he ended Monday 0.154 off his team-mate, with Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) completing the top three.
Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) put the Boscocuro in fourth, 0.563 off the top, with Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team) for close company.
There were a couple more tenths back to Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with Joe Roberts just 0.011 back as his second season with Italtrans Racing Team gets off to a solid start.
Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) and Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) were next up, with Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40) completing the top ten.
However on combined times across all three days Jake Dixon would have placed fourth.
Jake Dixon
“We close the Portimao test with a good pace, an average 1m42, although when I was looking for time attack, I crashed. In the last run I was coming in 1m41 but in the last two corners I had my foot resting on the brake lever and that has prevented me from achieving it. The positive thing is that we have a good set-up for the first race, I am already looking forward to competing in Qatar.”
There were a number of crashes including one for Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) that saw the Dutch rider break his collarbone and another for Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) that led the German to leave early for a medical check on his hand.
The first session is when Schrötter crashed, as did team-mate Jeremy Alcoba, Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW Racing GP) and Arenas. Canet crashed twice. In the second session, Canet, Alcoba and van den Goorbergh crashed again, and Bendsneyder suffered his tumble. Dixon also fell, as did Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2), Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Aldeguer. Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2) took two tumbles.
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) also remained sidelined as he aims to recover from tendonitis in his wrist ahead of the Qatar GP.
After three interesting days on the Algarve, it’s now time to look ahead to racing and the Qatar GP. The lights go out in less than two weeks.
Portimao Moto2 Test Day Three Times
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | P.Acosta | KALEX | 1m41.552 |
| 2 | A.Fernandez | KALEX | +0.154 |
| 3 | A.Canet | KALEX | +0.267 |
| 4 | F.Aldeguer | BOSCOSCURO | +0.563 |
| 5 | A.Arenas | KALEX | +0.625 |
| 6 | A.Ogura | KALEX | +0.889 |
| 7 | J.Roberts | KALEX | +0.900 |
| 8 | J.Dixon | KALEX | +0.943 |
| 9 | C.Vietti | KALEX | +0.960 |
| 10 | J.Navarro | KALEX | +1.038 |
| 11 | T.Arbolino | KALEX | +1.066 |
| 12 | B.Bendsneyde | KALEX | +1.078 |
| 13 | M.Ramirez | MV AGUSTA | +1.183 |
| 14 | L.Dalla Porta | KALEX | +1.239 |
| 15 | S.Chantra | KALEX | +1.255 |
| 16 | B.Baltus | KALEX | +1.346 |
| 17 | F.Salac | KALEX | +1.471 |
| 18 | Z.Van Den Goo | KALEX | +1.795 |
| 19 | C.Beaubier | KALEX | +1.845 |
| 20 | J.Alcoba | KALEX | +1.936 |
| 21 | A.Zaccone | KALEX | +1.941 |
| 22 | R.Fenati | BOSCOSCURO | +1.953 |
| 23 | N.Antonelli | KALEX | +1.955 |
| 24 | G.Rodrigo | KALEX | +2.005 |
| 25 | M.Gonzalez | KALEX | +2.041 |
| 26 | K.Kubo | KALEX | +2.154 |
| 27 | S.Kelly | KALEX | +2.566 |
| 28 | S.Corsi | MV AGUSTA | +2.590 |
Moto3
Dennis Foggia lost the top spot to new team-mate Tatsuki Suzuki on Sunday, but by the end of Day 3 the Italian was back on top and with a new lap record no less. Foggia’s 1m46.990 makes him the only rider under the 1m47 barrier as testing concluded in Portugal.
The previous best Moto3 lap of Portimao was set in 2020 by Jaume Masia at 1m47.398 while Gabriel Rodrigo holds the race lap record at 1m47.610, and Andrea Migno hold the pole record at 1m47.423. both of those times being set on the 2021 race weekend.
It was close though as Foggia was only 0.052 ahead of Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) to take that top spot.
Sophomore Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team) completed the top three, 0.334 off the top, with the first session bearing the most speed for the majority of the field, top three included.
Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) was fourth quickest, around half a second off the searing new lap record, with rookie David Muñoz (BOE SKX) for close company in fifth as the Spaniard continued to impress and the timesheets tightened.
Day 1 and 2’s fastest rider, Tatsuki Suzuki, ended Monday in P6 but on combined times across the three days would have been fourth quickest ovall.
In seventh on the final day was Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ahead of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Aspar Team) and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power).
Deniz Öncü
“We finished three days of testing here in Portimao before the first race in Qatar. We have tried a lot of different things on the bike with the team, and have found some really good set-ups to fit my riding style. However, these last three days have been tough for me but my injury is not so bad. I will now go home to recover in order to get ready for Qatar next week.”
The biggest gap between fifth and tenth was just 0.037, and the tiny deficits continued throughout the field.
Joel Kelso found another quarter-of-a-second on the final day to end the third day of testing P25 which equated to 1.617-seconds off Foggia’s P1 benchmark.
Suzuki and Migno crashed in the first session, with Garcia and rookie Brit Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) taking tumbles in the second session. There were no fallers in the final outing of the day for Moto3.
That’s a wrap on official testing for the lightweight class, now all there’s left to do is race.
Portimao Moto3 Test Day Three Times
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | D.Foggia | HONDA | 1m46.990 |
| 2 | A.Migno | HONDA | +0.052 |
| 3 | I.Guevara | GASGAS | +0.334 |
| 4 | A.Sasaki | HUSQVARNA | +0.563 |
| 5 | D.Muñoz | KTM | +0.628 |
| 6 | T.Suzuki | HONDA | +0.635 |
| 7 | J.Masia | KTM | +0.664 |
| 8 | D.Öncü | KTM | +0.669 |
| 9 | S.Garcia | GASGAS | +0.706 |
| 10 | K.Toba | KTM | +0.709 |
| 11 | R.Rossi | HONDA | +0.769 |
| 12 | J.Mcphee | HUSQVARNA | +0.804 |
| 13 | A.Surra | HONDA | +0.847 |
| 14 | L.Fellon | HONDA | +0.861 |
| 15 | R.Yamanaka | KTM | +0.953 |
| 16 | C.Tatay | CFMOTO | +0.962 |
| 17 | D.Holgado | KTM | +0.994 |
| 18 | S.Ogden | HONDA | +0.998 |
| 19 | A.Fernandez | KTM | +1.084 |
| 20 | S.Nepa | KTM | +1.183 |
| 21 | X.Artigas | CFMOTO | +1.184 |
| 22 | E.Bartolini | KTM | +1.392 |
| 23 | I.Ortolá | KTM | +1.466 |
| 24 | M.Bertelle | KTM | +1.587 |
| 25 | J.Kelso | KTM | +1.617 |
| 26 | D.Moreira | KTM | +1.790 |
| 27 | J.Whatley | HONDA | +2.051 |
| 28 | M.Aji | HONDA | +2.236 |
| 29 | A.Carrasco | KTM | +2.303 |
2022 Moto2 Entry List
| 2022 Moto2 Entry List | ||||
| N° | Rider……………………….. | Nat | Team………………………………………… | Bike |
| 2 | Gabriel Rodrigo | ARGENTINA | PERTAMINA MANDALIKA SAG TEAM | KALEX |
| 4 | Sean Dylan Kelly | USA | AMERICAN RACING | KALEX |
| 5 | Romano Fenati | ITALIAN | SPEEDUP RACING | BOSCOSCURO |
| 6 | Cameron Beaubier | USA | AMERICAN RACING | KALEX |
| 7 | Barry Baltus | BELGIAN | RW RACING GP | KALEX |
| 9 | Jorge Navarro | SPANISH | FLEXBOX HP40 | KALEX |
| 12 | Filip Salac | CZECH | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | KALEX |
| 13 | Celestino Vietti | ITALIAN | VR46 RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 14 | Tony Arbolino | ITALIAN | ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 16 | Joe Roberts | USA | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 18 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPANISH | YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP TEAM | KALEX |
| 19 | Lorenzo Dalla Porta | ITALIAN | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 22 | Sam Lowes | BRITISH | ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 23 | Marcel Schrotter | GERMAN | LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP | KALEX |
| 24 | Simone Corsi | ITALIAN | MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING | MV AGUSTA |
| 28 | Niccolo Antonelli | ITALIAN | VR46 RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 35 | Somkiat Chantra | THAI | IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA | KALEX |
| 37 | Augusto Fernandez | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KALEX |
| 40 | Aron Canet | SPANISH | FLEXBOX HP40 | KALEX |
| 42 | Marcos Ramirez | SPANISH | MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING | MV AGUSTA |
| 51 | Pedro Acosta | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KALEX |
| 52 | Jeremy Alcoba | SPANISH | LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP | KALEX |
| 54 | Fermin Aldeguer | SPANISH | SPEEDUP RACING | BOSCOSCURO |
| 61 | Alessandro Zaccone | ITALIAN | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | KALEX |
| 64 | Bo Bendsneyder | DUTCH | PERTAMINA MANDALIKA SAG TEAM | KALEX |
| 75 | Albert Arenas | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto2) | GASGAS |
| 79 | Ai Ogura | JAPANESE | IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA | KALEX |
| 81 | Keminth Kubo | THAI | YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP TEAM | KALEX |
| 84 | Zonta Van Den Goorbergh | DUTCH | RW RACING GP | KALEX |
| 96 | Jake Dixon | BRITISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto2) | GASGAS |
2022 Moto3 Entry List
| 2022 Moto3 Entry List | ||||
| N° | Rider……………………….. | Nat | Team………………………………….. | Bike |
| 5 | Jaume Masia | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
| 6 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JAPANESE | MT HELMETS – MSI | KTM |
| 7 | Dennis Foggia | ITALIAN | LEOPARD RACING | HONDA |
| 10 | Diogo Moreira | BRAZILIAN | MT HELMETS – MSI | KTM |
| 11 | Sergio Garcia | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto3) | GASGAS |
| 16 | Andrea Migno | ITALIAN | RIVACOLD SNIPERS TEAM | HONDA |
| 17 | JOHN Mcphee | BRITISH | STERILGARDA HUSQVARNA MAX | HUSQVARNA |
| 18 | Matteo Bertelle | ITALIAN | AVINTIA ESPONSORAMA Moto3 | KTM |
| 20 | Lorenzo Fellon | FRENCH | SIC 58 SQUADRA CORSE | HONDA |
| 23 | Elia Bartolini | ITALIAN | AVINTIA ESPONSORAMA Moto3 | KTM |
| 24 | Tatsuki Suzuki | JAPANESE | LEOPARD RACING | HONDA |
| 26 | Scott Ogden | BRITISH | VISIONTRACK RACING TEAM | HONDA |
| 27 | Kaito Toba | JAPANESE | CIP GREEN POWER | KTM |
| 28 | Izan Guevara | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto3) | GASGAS |
| 31 | Adrian Fernandez | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM TECH3 | KTM |
| 38 | David Salvador | SPANISH | BOE SKX | KTM |
| 43 | Xavier Artigas | SPANISH | CFMOTO RACING PRUESTELGP | CFMOTO |
| 44 | David Munoz | SPANISH | BOE SKX | KTM |
| 48 | Ivan Ortola | SPANISH | TEAM MTA | KTM |
| 53 | Deniz Oncu | TURKISH | RED BULL KTM TECH3 | KTM |
| 54 | Riccardo Rossi | ITALIAN | SIC 58 SQUADRA CORSE | HONDA |
| 64 | Mario Suryo Aji | INDONESIAN | HONDA TEAM ASIA | HONDA |
| 66 | Joel Kelso | AUSTRALIAN | CIP GREEN POWER | KTM |
| 67 | Alberto Surra | ITALIAN | RIVACOLD SNIPERS TEAM | HONDA |
| 70 | Joshua Whatley | BRITISH | VISIONTRACK RACING TEAM | HONDA |
| 71 | Ayumu Sasaki | JAPANESE | STERILGARDA HUSQVARNA MAX | HUSQVARNA |
| 72 | Taiyo Furusato | JAPANESE | HONDA TEAM ASIA | HONDA |
| 82 | Stefano Nepa | ITALIAN | TEAM MTA | KTM |
| 96 | Daniel Holgado | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
| 99 | Carlos Tatay | SPANISH | CFMOTO RACING PRUESTELGP | CFMOTO |
2022 Provisional MotoGP Calendar
| Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
| 06 March | Qatar | Losail International Circuit |
| 20 March | Indonesia | Mandalika International Street Circuit |
| 03 April | Argentina | Termas de Rio Hondo |
| 10 April | Americas | Circuit of The Americas |
| 24 April | Portugal | Algarve International Circuit |
| 01 May | Spain | Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto |
| 15 May | France | Le Mans |
| 29 May | Italy | Autodromo del Mugello |
| 05 June | Catalunya | Barcelona-Catalunya |
| 19 June | Germany | Sachsenring |
| 26 June | Netherlands | TT Circuit Assen |
| 10 July | Finland | KymiRing |
| 07 August | Great Britain | Silverstone Circuit |
| 21 August | Austria | Red Bull Ring-Spielberg |
| 04 September | San Marino | Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli |
| 18 September | Aragón | MotorLand Aragón |
| 25 September | Japan | Twin Ring Motegi |
| 02 October | Thailand | Chang International Circuit |
| 16 October | Australia | Philip Island |
| 23 October | Malaysia | Sepang International Circuit |
| 06 November | Comunitat Valenciana | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |
Source: MCNews.com.au
2022 Moto2/3 Test Portimao Day Two Report/Times/Images
2022 Moto2/3 Test Portimao Day Two
Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) underlined his speed with some style on Sunday by ending the day fastest and with a new Moto2 lap record at Portimao – a 1’41.892.
The rider on the chase was none other than rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the debutant just 0.037 in arrears.
His team-mate Augusto Fernandez was third, 0.111 off the top, with Day 1’s fastest, Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team), fourth on Sunday and the final rider to break the old lap record.
Jake Dixon 1:42.040 – P4
“Day 2 done. It has been a positive day, just riding: I haven’t changed anything. I’m just trying to get the flow, feeling good on the bike and around the track. I have been running on old tires, I was fast in old and new. I’m looking forward to day 3, to see what we can do, continuing in this way, doing a lot of laps in the last day before Qatar.”
Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) had a little fresh air in fifth, the American 0.147 off Dixon but two and a half tenths clear of Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in P6.
Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) put his Boscoscuro in seventh, ahead of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the two sophomores continue to show good pace. So too does Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) as he slotted into ninth. Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team) was only 0.017 off the American, completing the top ten.
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) once again sat out the final session of the day, and the Brit is suffering from tendonitis that will also see him miss Day 3 entirely.
Lowes crashed in the second session too, as did Ogura, Acosta, Keminth Kubo (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) and Sean Dylan Kelly (American Racing). Kelly also crashed in session one, as did Schrötter and Aldeguer. The final session saw the most tumbles as Beaubier, Arenas, MV Agusta Forward Racing’s Simone Corsi and Marcos Ramirez, Niccolo Antonelli (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Jorge Navarro (Flexox HP 40) crashed, all riders ok.
Portimao Moto2 Test Day Two Times
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | A.Canet | KALEX | 1m41.892 |
| 2 | P.Acosta | KALEX | +0.037 |
| 3 | A.Fernandez | KALEX | +0.111 |
| 4 | J.Dixon | KALEX | +0.148 |
| 5 | J.Roberts | KALEX | +0.295 |
| 6 | M.Schrotter | KALEX | +0.561 |
| 7 | F.Aldeguer | BOSCOSCURO | +0.657 |
| 8 | A.Ogura | KALEX | +0.796 |
| 9 | C.Beaubier | KALEX | +0.909 |
| 10 | A.Arenas | KALEX | +0.926 |
| 11 | T.Arbolino | KALEX | +0.971 |
| 12 | S.Chantra | KALEX | +1.075 |
| 13 | L.Dalla Porta | KALEX | +1.100 |
| 14 | J.Navarro | KALEX | +1.112 |
| 15 | F.Salac | KALEX | +1.119 |
| 16 | C.Vietti | KALEX | +1.139 |
| 17 | M.Ramirez | MV AGUSTA | +1.141 |
| 18 | B.Bendsneyde | KALEX | +1.239 |
| 19 | J.Alcoba | KALEX | +1.364 |
| 20 | S.Lowes | KALEX | +1.438 |
| 21 | B.Baltus | KALEX | +1.517 |
| 22 | S.Corsi | MV AGUSTA | +1.572 |
| 23 | R.Fenati | BOSCOSCURO | +1.689 |
| 24 | G.Rodrigo | KALEX | +1.767 |
| 25 | A.Zaccone | KALEX | +1.878 |
| 26 | M.Gonzalez | KALEX | +1.938 |
| 27 | N.Antonelli | KALEX | +2.254 |
| 28 | S.Kelly | KALEX | +2.342 |
| 29 | Z.Van Den Goo | KALEX | +2.464 |
| 30 | K.Kubo | KALEX | +2.589 |
Moto3
Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) retained his grip on top of the charts in Portugal, with the Japanese rider leaving it late but denying new team-mate Dennis Foggia by just 0.019.
Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) made it a Honda 1-2-3, exactly a tenth in further arrears.
There was a bigger gap of a couple of tenths back to Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), with the Spaniard, in turn, 0.297 ahead of Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse).
John McPhee was sixth as the Scot gets to grips with his Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max machine, with Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Aspar Team) 0.003 further back and Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Team) 0.077.
David Muñoz (BOE SKX) followed up a top three on Day 1 with ninth on Day 2, and the Spaniard was top rookie as he slotted in 0.144 behind Surra. Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team) completed the top ten.
Joel Kelso dropped more than a second off the time he recorded on day one, his quickest time of the test thus far coming in the morning session, a 1m48.851 placing him 20th on combined times at the end of Sunday’s proceedings.
There were some crashes on Day 2, most notably a tumble for Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) as the Turk crashed and collected his new team-mate, Adrian Fernandez. Fernandez was ok and Öncü headed for the Medical Centre, given the all-clear for fractures but suffering with pain in his foot.
Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) was the sole crasher in the first session. The Öncü incident was in the second session, in which Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Guevara also fell. McPhee crashed in session three, riders all ok.
Portimao Moto3 Test Day Two Times
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | T.Suzuki | HONDA | 1m47.390 |
| 2 | D.Foggia | HONDA | +0.019 |
| 3 | A.Migno | HONDA | +0.119 |
| 4 | C.Tatay | CFMOTO | +0.344 |
| 5 | R.Rossi | HONDA | +0.641 |
| 6 | J.Mcphee | HUSQVARNA | +0.719 |
| 7 | S.Garcia | GASGAS | +0.722 |
| 8 | A.Surra | HONDA | +0.799 |
| 9 | D.Muñoz | KTM | +0.943 |
| 10 | I.Guevara | GASGAS | +0.961 |
| 11 | I.Ortolá | KTM | +0.987 |
| 12 | S.Ogden | HONDA | +1.118 |
| 13 | A.Sasaki | HUSQVARNA | +1.122 |
| 14 | J.Masia | KTM | +1.145 |
| 15 | R.Yamanaka | KTM | +1.246 |
| 16 | X.Artigas | CFMOTO | +1.282 |
| 17 | L.Fellon | HONDA | +1.295 |
| 18 | M.Aji | HONDA | +1.302 |
| 19 | D.Holgado | KTM | +1.334 |
| 20 | J.Kelso | KTM | +1.461 |
| 21 | S.Nepa | KTM | +1.474 |
| 22 | D.Moreira | KTM | +1.549 |
| 23 | D.Öncü | KTM | +1.646 |
| 24 | M.Bertelle | KTM | +1.881 |
| 25 | A.Fernandez | KTM | +1.947 |
| 26 | K.Toba | KTM | +1.981 |
| 27 | J.Whatley | HONDA | +2.403 |
| 28 | E.Bartolini | KTM | +2.679 |
| 29 | A.Carrasco | KTM | +2.823 |
2022 Moto2 Entry List
| 2022 Moto2 Entry List | ||||
| N° | Rider……………………….. | Nat | Team………………………………………… | Bike |
| 2 | Gabriel Rodrigo | ARGENTINA | PERTAMINA MANDALIKA SAG TEAM | KALEX |
| 4 | Sean Dylan Kelly | USA | AMERICAN RACING | KALEX |
| 5 | Romano Fenati | ITALIAN | SPEEDUP RACING | BOSCOSCURO |
| 6 | Cameron Beaubier | USA | AMERICAN RACING | KALEX |
| 7 | Barry Baltus | BELGIAN | RW RACING GP | KALEX |
| 9 | Jorge Navarro | SPANISH | FLEXBOX HP40 | KALEX |
| 12 | Filip Salac | CZECH | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | KALEX |
| 13 | Celestino Vietti | ITALIAN | VR46 RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 14 | Tony Arbolino | ITALIAN | ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 16 | Joe Roberts | USA | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 18 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPANISH | YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP TEAM | KALEX |
| 19 | Lorenzo Dalla Porta | ITALIAN | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 22 | Sam Lowes | BRITISH | ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 23 | Marcel Schrotter | GERMAN | LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP | KALEX |
| 24 | Simone Corsi | ITALIAN | MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING | MV AGUSTA |
| 28 | Niccolo Antonelli | ITALIAN | VR46 RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 35 | Somkiat Chantra | THAI | IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA | KALEX |
| 37 | Augusto Fernandez | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KALEX |
| 40 | Aron Canet | SPANISH | FLEXBOX HP40 | KALEX |
| 42 | Marcos Ramirez | SPANISH | MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING | MV AGUSTA |
| 51 | Pedro Acosta | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KALEX |
| 52 | Jeremy Alcoba | SPANISH | LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP | KALEX |
| 54 | Fermin Aldeguer | SPANISH | SPEEDUP RACING | BOSCOSCURO |
| 61 | Alessandro Zaccone | ITALIAN | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | KALEX |
| 64 | Bo Bendsneyder | DUTCH | PERTAMINA MANDALIKA SAG TEAM | KALEX |
| 75 | Albert Arenas | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto2) | GASGAS |
| 79 | Ai Ogura | JAPANESE | IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA | KALEX |
| 81 | Keminth Kubo | THAI | YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP TEAM | KALEX |
| 84 | Zonta Van Den Goorbergh | DUTCH | RW RACING GP | KALEX |
| 96 | Jake Dixon | BRITISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto2) | GASGAS |
2022 Moto3 Entry List
| 2022 Moto3 Entry List | ||||
| N° | Rider……………………….. | Nat | Team………………………………….. | Bike |
| 5 | Jaume Masia | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
| 6 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JAPANESE | MT HELMETS – MSI | KTM |
| 7 | Dennis Foggia | ITALIAN | LEOPARD RACING | HONDA |
| 10 | Diogo Moreira | BRAZILIAN | MT HELMETS – MSI | KTM |
| 11 | Sergio Garcia | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto3) | GASGAS |
| 16 | Andrea Migno | ITALIAN | RIVACOLD SNIPERS TEAM | HONDA |
| 17 | JOHN Mcphee | BRITISH | STERILGARDA HUSQVARNA MAX | HUSQVARNA |
| 18 | Matteo Bertelle | ITALIAN | AVINTIA ESPONSORAMA Moto3 | KTM |
| 20 | Lorenzo Fellon | FRENCH | SIC 58 SQUADRA CORSE | HONDA |
| 23 | Elia Bartolini | ITALIAN | AVINTIA ESPONSORAMA Moto3 | KTM |
| 24 | Tatsuki Suzuki | JAPANESE | LEOPARD RACING | HONDA |
| 26 | Scott Ogden | BRITISH | VISIONTRACK RACING TEAM | HONDA |
| 27 | Kaito Toba | JAPANESE | CIP GREEN POWER | KTM |
| 28 | Izan Guevara | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto3) | GASGAS |
| 31 | Adrian Fernandez | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM TECH3 | KTM |
| 38 | David Salvador | SPANISH | BOE SKX | KTM |
| 43 | Xavier Artigas | SPANISH | CFMOTO RACING PRUESTELGP | CFMOTO |
| 44 | David Munoz | SPANISH | BOE SKX | KTM |
| 48 | Ivan Ortola | SPANISH | TEAM MTA | KTM |
| 53 | Deniz Oncu | TURKISH | RED BULL KTM TECH3 | KTM |
| 54 | Riccardo Rossi | ITALIAN | SIC 58 SQUADRA CORSE | HONDA |
| 64 | Mario Suryo Aji | INDONESIAN | HONDA TEAM ASIA | HONDA |
| 66 | Joel Kelso | AUSTRALIAN | CIP GREEN POWER | KTM |
| 67 | Alberto Surra | ITALIAN | RIVACOLD SNIPERS TEAM | HONDA |
| 70 | Joshua Whatley | BRITISH | VISIONTRACK RACING TEAM | HONDA |
| 71 | Ayumu Sasaki | JAPANESE | STERILGARDA HUSQVARNA MAX | HUSQVARNA |
| 72 | Taiyo Furusato | JAPANESE | HONDA TEAM ASIA | HONDA |
| 82 | Stefano Nepa | ITALIAN | TEAM MTA | KTM |
| 96 | Daniel Holgado | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
| 99 | Carlos Tatay | SPANISH | CFMOTO RACING PRUESTELGP | CFMOTO |
2022 Provisional MotoGP Calendar
| Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
| 06 March | Qatar | Losail International Circuit |
| 20 March | Indonesia | Mandalika International Street Circuit |
| 03 April | Argentina | Termas de Rio Hondo |
| 10 April | Americas | Circuit of The Americas |
| 24 April | Portugal | Algarve International Circuit |
| 01 May | Spain | Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto |
| 15 May | France | Le Mans |
| 29 May | Italy | Autodromo del Mugello |
| 05 June | Catalunya | Barcelona-Catalunya |
| 19 June | Germany | Sachsenring |
| 26 June | Netherlands | TT Circuit Assen |
| 10 July | Finland | KymiRing |
| 07 August | Great Britain | Silverstone Circuit |
| 21 August | Austria | Red Bull Ring-Spielberg |
| 04 September | San Marino | Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli |
| 18 September | Aragón | MotorLand Aragón |
| 25 September | Japan | Twin Ring Motegi |
| 02 October | Thailand | Chang International Circuit |
| 16 October | Australia | Philip Island |
| 23 October | Malaysia | Sepang International Circuit |
| 06 November | Comunitat Valenciana | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |
Source: MCNews.com.au
2022 Moto2/3 Test Portimao Day One Report/Times/Images
2022 Moto2/3 Test Portimao Day One
With just two-weeks until season start in Qatar on March 6, the riders that will form up the grids in the 2022 Moto2 and Moto3 Championships are in Portugal for the Official Portimao Test with the aim to allow riders to get up to speed after the winter break.
Many teams and riders have already held their own private test sessions previously, with testing being conducted at other tracks such as Valencia and Jerez already this month. All riders now have three days at the Algarve International Circuit for the final adjustments before heading to Qatar.
As it would be expected at this time of the year in the south of Portugal, the first session of the day started under very windy conditions.
The opening day of the official Moto2 and Moto3 test at Portimao saw Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) make a late lunge to the top in the intermediate class, the Brit ending the day 0.075 ahead of Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40).
Jake Dixon – P1
“Overall I’m very happy with how today went. I have achieved my fastest lap on this circuit. It’s business as usual, when you’re not focused on getting a lap time, it comes alone. I am also very happy with the team; we continue to work hard and we have found small improvements between the second and third sessions that have allowed us to ride better. I have to try to make fewer mistakes to continue improving.”
Almost as close was Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), only another four-thousandths in arrears. Only a few more thousandths behind came his team-mate, reigning Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta, with last year’s rookie sensation maintaining that moniker as he moves into the intermediate class…
Then came a small gap back to Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) as the American ended the day 0.265 off Acosta, heading up another group of incredibly tight lap-times.
Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team) were up next, with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) just 0.002 off Arenas. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) took P9, with Fermin Aldeguer (Speed Up Racing) taking tenth.
The likes of Fernandez, Acosta, Ogura, Beaubier and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing) didn’t head out in the final session and with lap-times only a second off the pole record already, it will be interesting to see how the pace progresses on Sunday.
Portimao Moto2 Test Day One Times
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | J.Dixon | KALEX | 1m43.169 |
| 2 | A.Canet | KALEX | +0.075 |
| 3 | A.Fernandez | KALEX | +0.089 |
| 4 | P.Acosta | KALEX | +0.095 |
| 5 | C.Beaubier | KALEX | +0.360 |
| 6 | A.Ogura | KALEX | +0.386 |
| 7 | A.Arenas | KALEX | +0.412 |
| 8 | M.Schrotter | KALEX | +0.414 |
| 9 | J.Roberts | KALEX | +0.451 |
| 10 | F.Aldeguer | BOSCOSCURO | +0.486 |
| 11 | C.Vietti | KALEX | +0.585 |
| 12 | J.Navarro | KALEX | +0.702 |
| 13 | T.Arbolino | KALEX | +0.770 |
| 14 | B.Bendsneyde | KALEX | +0.968 |
| 15 | M.Ramirez | MV AGUSTA | +1.067 |
| 16 | A.Zaccone | KALEX | +1.528 |
| 17 | L.Dalla Porta | KALEX | +1.553 |
| 18 | M.Gonzalez | KALEX | +1.577 |
| 19 | R.Fenati | BOSCOSCURO | +1.667 |
| 20 | F.Salac | KALEX | +1.668 |
| 21 | J.Alcoba | KALEX | +1.727 |
| 22 | S.Lowes | KALEX | +1.810 |
| 23 | B.Baltus | KALEX | +1.850 |
| 24 | S.Chantra | KALEX | +1.865 |
| 25 | S.Corsi | MV AGUSTA | +1.888 |
| 26 | S.Kelly | KALEX | +2.259 |
| 27 | K.Kubo | KALEX | +2.530 |
| 28 | N.Antonelli | KALEX | +2.582 |
| 29 | Z.Van Den Goo | KALEX | +2.721 |
| 30 | G.Rodrigo | KALEX | +2.905 |
Moto3
In Moto3 Tatsuki Suzuki began his tenure with Leopard Racing by topping the timesheets on Day 1, the Japanese rider putting in a 1’48.575 to pull nearly a tenth and a half clear of Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team), who is gearing up for his second season in Moto3. It was a rookie completing the top three though, with David Muñoz (BOE SKX) 0.283 off the top.
That denied Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) as the Turk was an apt 0.053 further back, with another rookie standout in fifth: Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI). The Brazilian debutant was even closer in the tight field, 0.017 off Öncü.
Deniz Öncü – P4
“We finished the first day of the Portimao Test, which is also the fifth test day for me this month. Everything has been positive so far because I have a very good rythm, I register good lap times and my pace is strong. Today we have been working a lot on the bike and we tried different set-ups to see which ones suit best to my riding style. I got some fast laps so we definitively have a great potential and good ideas. Tomorrow, we will continue the work in this direction.”
Adrian Fernandez seems to be settling in at Red Bull KTM Tech 3 as he ended Day 1 in P6, just ahead of Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Aspar Team).
Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) put CFMoto into the top ten on their debut in P8, ahead of another impressive rookie in Ivan Ortola (Team MTA).
Ayumu Sasaki’s first official day in Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max colours saw the Japanese rider complete the top ten.
The likes of Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) were outside the top ten, but it is, after all, only the first day.
Aussie rookie Joel Kelso finished day one P21 on the time-sheets despite a small tumble without consequences.
Ana Carrasco continued her adaption to Moto3 and brought up the tail end of the time-sheets at this early juncture with plenty more speed still to come from the tough Spaniard no doubt.
Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), runner up last season, was sidelined due to illness. Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) is also sidelined after breaking his ankle.
Portimao Moto3 Test Day One Times
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | T.Suzuki | HONDA | 1m48.575 |
| 2 | I.Guevara | GASGAS | +0.131 |
| 3 | D.Muñoz | KTM | +0.283 |
| 4 | D.Öncü | KTM | +0.336 |
| 5 | D.Moreira | KTM | +0.353 |
| 6 | A.Fernandez | KTM | +0.612 |
| 7 | S.Garcia | GASGAS | +0.612 |
| 8 | C.Tatay | CFMOTO | +0.635 |
| 9 | I.Ortolá | KTM | +0.649 |
| 10 | A.Sasaki | HUSQVARNA | +0.705 |
| 11 | J.Masia | KTM | +0.716 |
| 12 | A.Surra | HONDA | +0.785 |
| 13 | S.Ogden | HONDA | +0.848 |
| 14 | K.Toba | KTM | +0.854 |
| 15 | D.Holgado | KTM | +0.926 |
| 16 | A.Migno | HONDA | +0.940 |
| 17 | M.Aji | HONDA | +0.973 |
| 18 | R.Yamanaka | KTM | +1.012 |
| 19 | J.Mcphee | HUSQVARNA | +1.108 |
| 20 | R.Rossi | HONDA | +1.217 |
| 21 | J.Kelso | KTM | +1.387 |
| 22 | L.Fellon | HONDA | +1.490 |
| 23 | S.Nepa | KTM | +1.699 |
| 24 | X.Artigas | CFMOTO | +1.801 |
| 25 | E.Bartolini | KTM | +1.928 |
| 26 | M.Bertelle | KTM | +2.342 |
| 27 | J.Whatley | HONDA | +3.014 |
| 28 | A.Carrasco | KTM | +3.928 |
2022 Moto2 Entry List
| 2022 Moto2 Entry List | ||||
| N° | Rider……………………….. | Nat | Team………………………………………… | Bike |
| 2 | Gabriel Rodrigo | ARGENTINA | PERTAMINA MANDALIKA SAG TEAM | KALEX |
| 4 | Sean Dylan Kelly | USA | AMERICAN RACING | KALEX |
| 5 | Romano Fenati | ITALIAN | SPEEDUP RACING | BOSCOSCURO |
| 6 | Cameron Beaubier | USA | AMERICAN RACING | KALEX |
| 7 | Barry Baltus | BELGIAN | RW RACING GP | KALEX |
| 9 | Jorge Navarro | SPANISH | FLEXBOX HP40 | KALEX |
| 12 | Filip Salac | CZECH | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | KALEX |
| 13 | Celestino Vietti | ITALIAN | VR46 RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 14 | Tony Arbolino | ITALIAN | ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 16 | Joe Roberts | USA | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 18 | Manuel Gonzalez | SPANISH | YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP TEAM | KALEX |
| 19 | Lorenzo Dalla Porta | ITALIAN | ITALTRANS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 22 | Sam Lowes | BRITISH | ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 23 | Marcel Schrotter | GERMAN | LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP | KALEX |
| 24 | Simone Corsi | ITALIAN | MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING | MV AGUSTA |
| 28 | Niccolo Antonelli | ITALIAN | VR46 RACING TEAM | KALEX |
| 35 | Somkiat Chantra | THAI | IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA | KALEX |
| 37 | Augusto Fernandez | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KALEX |
| 40 | Aron Canet | SPANISH | FLEXBOX HP40 | KALEX |
| 42 | Marcos Ramirez | SPANISH | MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING | MV AGUSTA |
| 51 | Pedro Acosta | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KALEX |
| 52 | Jeremy Alcoba | SPANISH | LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP | KALEX |
| 54 | Fermin Aldeguer | SPANISH | SPEEDUP RACING | BOSCOSCURO |
| 61 | Alessandro Zaccone | ITALIAN | GRESINI RACING Moto2 | KALEX |
| 64 | Bo Bendsneyder | DUTCH | PERTAMINA MANDALIKA SAG TEAM | KALEX |
| 75 | Albert Arenas | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto2) | GASGAS |
| 79 | Ai Ogura | JAPANESE | IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA | KALEX |
| 81 | Keminth Kubo | THAI | YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP TEAM | KALEX |
| 84 | Zonta Van Den Goorbergh | DUTCH | RW RACING GP | KALEX |
| 96 | Jake Dixon | BRITISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto2) | GASGAS |
2022 Moto3 Entry List
| 2022 Moto3 Entry List | ||||
| N° | Rider……………………….. | Nat | Team………………………………….. | Bike |
| 5 | Jaume Masia | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
| 6 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JAPANESE | MT HELMETS – MSI | KTM |
| 7 | Dennis Foggia | ITALIAN | LEOPARD RACING | HONDA |
| 10 | Diogo Moreira | BRAZILIAN | MT HELMETS – MSI | KTM |
| 11 | Sergio Garcia | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto3) | GASGAS |
| 16 | Andrea Migno | ITALIAN | RIVACOLD SNIPERS TEAM | HONDA |
| 17 | JOHN Mcphee | BRITISH | STERILGARDA HUSQVARNA MAX | HUSQVARNA |
| 18 | Matteo Bertelle | ITALIAN | AVINTIA ESPONSORAMA Moto3 | KTM |
| 20 | Lorenzo Fellon | FRENCH | SIC 58 SQUADRA CORSE | HONDA |
| 23 | Elia Bartolini | ITALIAN | AVINTIA ESPONSORAMA Moto3 | KTM |
| 24 | Tatsuki Suzuki | JAPANESE | LEOPARD RACING | HONDA |
| 26 | Scott Ogden | BRITISH | VISIONTRACK RACING TEAM | HONDA |
| 27 | Kaito Toba | JAPANESE | CIP GREEN POWER | KTM |
| 28 | Izan Guevara | SPANISH | ASPAR TEAM (Moto3) | GASGAS |
| 31 | Adrian Fernandez | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM TECH3 | KTM |
| 38 | David Salvador | SPANISH | BOE SKX | KTM |
| 43 | Xavier Artigas | SPANISH | CFMOTO RACING PRUESTELGP | CFMOTO |
| 44 | David Munoz | SPANISH | BOE SKX | KTM |
| 48 | Ivan Ortola | SPANISH | TEAM MTA | KTM |
| 53 | Deniz Oncu | TURKISH | RED BULL KTM TECH3 | KTM |
| 54 | Riccardo Rossi | ITALIAN | SIC 58 SQUADRA CORSE | HONDA |
| 64 | Mario Suryo Aji | INDONESIAN | HONDA TEAM ASIA | HONDA |
| 66 | Joel Kelso | AUSTRALIAN | CIP GREEN POWER | KTM |
| 67 | Alberto Surra | ITALIAN | RIVACOLD SNIPERS TEAM | HONDA |
| 70 | Joshua Whatley | BRITISH | VISIONTRACK RACING TEAM | HONDA |
| 71 | Ayumu Sasaki | JAPANESE | STERILGARDA HUSQVARNA MAX | HUSQVARNA |
| 72 | Taiyo Furusato | JAPANESE | HONDA TEAM ASIA | HONDA |
| 82 | Stefano Nepa | ITALIAN | TEAM MTA | KTM |
| 96 | Daniel Holgado | SPANISH | RED BULL KTM AJO | KTM |
| 99 | Carlos Tatay | SPANISH | CFMOTO RACING PRUESTELGP | CFMOTO |
2022 Provisional MotoGP Calendar
| Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
| 06 March | Qatar | Losail International Circuit |
| 20 March | Indonesia | Mandalika International Street Circuit |
| 03 April | Argentina | Termas de Rio Hondo |
| 10 April | Americas | Circuit of The Americas |
| 24 April | Portugal | Algarve International Circuit |
| 01 May | Spain | Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto |
| 15 May | France | Le Mans |
| 29 May | Italy | Autodromo del Mugello |
| 05 June | Catalunya | Barcelona-Catalunya |
| 19 June | Germany | Sachsenring |
| 26 June | Netherlands | TT Circuit Assen |
| 10 July | Finland | KymiRing |
| 07 August | Great Britain | Silverstone Circuit |
| 21 August | Austria | Red Bull Ring-Spielberg |
| 04 September | San Marino | Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli |
| 18 September | Aragón | MotorLand Aragón |
| 25 September | Japan | Twin Ring Motegi |
| 02 October | Thailand | Chang International Circuit |
| 16 October | Australia | Philip Island |
| 23 October | Malaysia | Sepang International Circuit |
| 06 November | Comunitat Valenciana | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |
Source: MCNews.com.au
Record breaking Pedro Acosta first rookie champ since Capirossi
Acosta crowned in Portugal
In a tense thriller at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, the rookie sensation sealed the deal with a win as sole remaining rival Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) hit some bad luck on the final lap. Acosta has led the standings since the second Grand Prix of the season – his incredible win from pitlane in Doha – and takes his place in history as the first rookie lightweight class Champion since Loris Capirossi in 1990.
Pedro Acosta
“It’s unbelievable, I was thinking on the in-lap about everything that’s happened this last year. Less than a year ago I lost the opportunity to come here with another team, and finally Aki, Red Bull and KTM gave me the opportunity. But they didn’t give me a team, they gave me a family. I didn’t win this alone, we won this together. The guys didn’t stop believing in me when in the middle of the season I had some bad races or when I crashed, you know. Everyone believe in me and this is for everyone in the team, for Aki, Red Bull, KTM, all my mechanics. Everybody.
“I’m not proud of myself, I’m more super proud of them who didn’t stop believing. Everybody was talking about it… we did it together for sure. I think they gave me the mentality of not riding alone, I ride with my team, with my close circle. We know we won this together.
“I preferred to not look behind and just try to push. The only thing I could do was push and I did. I’m proud to fight with Dennis, and for sure he’s going to fight for the Championship next year. I’m proud to fight with these guys.”
The ascent to the crown
Acosta’s ascent to the crown began at five years old when his family bought him a dirt bike. But it wasn’t quite love at first sight, although the young Spaniard did have an apt hero: Kevin Schwantz. And he did keep going, starting a path that would really take off in 2017 as he took the pre-Moto3 title in Spain with two races to spare, starting to stand out.
He then moved into the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship for 2018, and had some solid finishes. But in 2019 his incredible ascent gained even more traction as he paired the FIM Moto3 JWCh with his first season in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. In the FIM CEV Repsol paddock he started running at the front and finished in the top five, and in the Rookies Cup he came overall runner up after a stunning first season in the series. Three wins and five podiums didn’t secure him the crown, but then came 2020.
Acosta was a force to be reckoned with in the FIM Moto3 JWCh and came third overall, with three wins and five further podiums. In the Rookies, however, he was absolutely unstoppable. He won the first six races in a row and wrapped up the crown with two races remaining.
Making his debut in the Moto3 World Championship in 2021, then, came with some hype. But that hype was outgunned in just two races: in the first he took second and debuted on the podium, just 0.042s off the win. Second time out, Acosta won. And somehow, he did it from pitlane.
1 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – 38:22.430
2 Darryn Binder – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda – +0.039
3 Niccolo Antonelli – Avtintia Esponsorama Moto3 – KTM – +0.482
It was a truly stunning race as the Spaniard was given a pitlane start and then emerged to take his first Grand Prix win, slicing through the pack lap after lap. In Portugal he won again, this time in a duel vs future title rival Foggia, and in Jerez it became three in a row. Goosebump-inducing greatness was the name of the game in his first four races, with history made nearly every weekend.
1 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – 39:45.869
2 Sergio Garcia – Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team – GASGAS – +14.431
3 Romano Fenati – Sterilgarda Max Racing Team – Husqvarna – +15.410
Three top 10s followed but Acosta was back on top in style at the Sachsenring, before only just missing out on the podium at Assen. Another win at the Styrian GP after an incredible duel against earlier season rival Sergio Garcia (MuchoNeaumatico GASGAS Aspar Team) cemented an incredible lead for the number 37, and another fourth in the Austrian GP added more good points.
A few tougher races then followed, including his first and only DNF at Aragon, but by the time the paddock arrived back at Misano for the Emilia-Romagna GP, it was match point time. Foggia was on a roll but the points were still very much in Acosta’s favour, and as the Italian won to keep the fight rolling to the Algarve GP, the number 37 was at least back on the podium in third – for the first time since his Styrian GP win.
And so the rollercoaster beckoned. Foggia vs Acosta had decided the Portuguese Grand Prix, and in Acosta’s favour, but everything was on the line at the Grande Premio Brembo do Algarve. 21 points clear, a race win would guarantee a title win, but Foggia was right in the fight at the front.
Starting P14 made life difficult for Acosta, but in true Acosta style, it didn’t take long for the number 37 to be fighting for the race lead. An epic, enthralling, and, in the end, dramatic encounter followed. Acosta dived up the inside of Foggia at Turn 3 on the final lap to take the lead. Unfortunately for Foggia, the Italian was then taken out not long after and lost the right to reply, with Acosta going on to claim victory and with it the 2021 Moto3 title.
Pedro Acosta Stats
Pedro Acosta is the first rider to take the title in his rookie season in the 125cc/Moto3 class since Loris Capirossi in 1990.
Aged 17 years and 166 days old, he also becomes the second youngest ever World Champion in GP racing, one day behind Loris Capirossi (17 years and 165 days old).
Acosta is the sixth Spanish rider to win the Moto3 title since the introduction of the class back in 2012 and the 15th different Spanish rider to clinch the title in the lightweight category (the 22nd in GP racing). In addition, Acosta’s title is the 21st in the lightweight class for Spain and the 55th in Grand Prix racing.
This is the fifth time that a KTM rider has won the Moto3 world title, adding to the championships won by Sandro Cortese (2012), Maverick Viñales (2013), Brad Binder (2016) and Albert Arenas (2020).
Acosta becomes the second successive rider to clinch the title in the lightweight category without a single pole position, after Albert Arenas last year.
In Styria, Acosta won for the fifth time in his rookie season in Moto3, becoming the first rookie to take five wins in the 125cc/Moto3 class since Alex Criville in 1989 (on his way to clinching the title).
Following Qatar, Doha, Portugal and Spain, Acosta becomes the first ever rider to stand on the podium on his first four GP races.
At the Spanish GP, Acosta won for the first third time in what was only his fourth race in Moto3. Aged 16 years and 342 days old, he becomes the youngest rider ever to take three successive GP wins, taking the record off Marco Melandri (17 years and 29 days old).
Acosta has stood on the podium eight times in 2021 (including six wins), two less Dennis Foggia. They are the riders with most podium finishes during the season.
At the Doha GP, Acosta became the first rider to start from pitlane and win the race since the introduction of Moto3 in 2012.
- First Grand Prix: Qatar 2021, Moto3
- First podium: Qatar 2021, Moto3
- First victory: Doha 2021, Moto3
- Grands Prix: 17 (17 in Moto3)
- Victories: 6 (6 in Moto3)
- Podiums: 8 (8 in Moto3)
- Fastest laps: 1 (1 in Moto3)
- World Championships: Moto3 (2021)
Moto3 Race Results
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Pedro ACOSTA | KTM | 38m04.339 |
| 2 | Andrea MIGNO | Honda | +0.354 |
| 3 | Niccolò ANTONELLI | KTM | +0.88 |
| 4 | Jeremy ALCOBA | Honda | +1.768 |
| 5 | Izan GUEVARA | GASGAS | +1.839 |
| 6 | Ayumu SASAKI | KTM | +1.874 |
| 7 | Romano FENATI | Husqvarna | +1.972 |
| 8 | Xavier ARTIGAS | Honda | +2.333 |
| 9 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | Honda | +3.423 |
| 10 | Filip SALAC | KTM | +6.591 |
| 11 | Adrian FERNANDEZ | Husqvarna | +6.94 |
| 12 | Carlos TATAY | KTM | +9.392 |
| 13 | Daniel HOLGADO | KTM | +9.93 |
| 14 | Joel KELSO | KTM | +9.996 |
| 15 | Alberto SURRA | Honda | +10.416 |
| 16 | Stefano NEPA | KTM | +11.65 |
| 17 | Lorenzo FELLON | Honda | +11.695 |
| 18 | Riccardo ROSSI | KTM | +11.736 |
| 19 | Jaume MASIA | KTM | +13.616 |
| 20 | Yuki KUNII | Honda | +30.001 |
| 21 | Ryusei YAMANAKA | KTM | +30.183 |
| 22 | Andi Farid IZDIHAR | Honda | +30.249 |
| Kaito TOBA | KTM | +8 Laps | |
| Not Classified | |||
| DNF | Dennis FOGGIA | Honda | 1 Lap |
| DNF | Sergio GARCIA | GASGAS | 1 Lap |
| DNF | John MCPHEE | Honda | 17 Laps |
| DNF | Darryn BINDER | Honda | 0 Lap |
Moto3 Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Nation | Points |
| 1 | Pedro ACOSTA | KTM | SPA | 259 |
| 2 | Dennis FOGGIA | Honda | ITA | 213 |
| 3 | Sergio GARCIA | GASGAS | SPA | 168 |
| 4 | Romano FENATI | Husqvarna | ITA | 156 |
| 5 | Jaume MASIA | KTM | SPA | 155 |
| 6 | Niccolò ANTONELLI | KTM | ITA | 145 |
| 7 | Darryn BINDER | Honda | RSA | 136 |
| 8 | Izan GUEVARA | GASGAS | SPA | 116 |
| 9 | Ayumu SASAKI | KTM | JPN | 114 |
| 10 | Andrea MIGNO | Honda | ITA | 110 |
| 11 | Jeremy ALCOBA | Honda | SPA | 85 |
| 12 | Deniz ÖNCÜ | KTM | TUR | 84 |
| 13 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | Honda | JPN | 76 |
| 14 | John MCPHEE | Honda | GBR | 72 |
| 15 | Kaito TOBA | KTM | JPN | 64 |
| 16 | Gabriel RODRIGO | Honda | ARG | 60 |
| 17 | Filip SALAC | KTM | CZE | 58 |
| 18 | Stefano NEPA | KTM | ITA | 53 |
| 19 | Xavier ARTIGAS | Honda | SPA | 47 |
| 20 | Ryusei YAMANAKA | KTM | JPN | 47 |
| 21 | Carlos TATAY | KTM | SPA | 32 |
| 22 | Riccardo ROSSI | KTM | ITA | 29 |
| 23 | Adrian FERNANDEZ | Husqvarna | SPA | 28 |
| 24 | Jason DUPASQUIER | KTM | SWI | 27 |
| 25 | Yuki KUNII | Honda | JPN | 15 |
| 26 | Maximilian KOFLER | KTM | AUT | 10 |
| 27 | Elia BARTOLINI | KTM | ITA | 7 |
| 28 | Daniel HOLGADO | KTM | SPA | 4 |
| 29 | Andi Farid IZDIHAR | Honda | INA | 4 |
| 30 | Syarifuddin AZMAN | Honda | MAL | 3 |
| 31 | Joel KELSO | KTM | AUS | 2 |
| 32 | Alberto SURRA | Honda | ITA | 1 |
2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar
| Round | Date | Location |
| Austria, |
||
| Round 16 | Oct-24 | Italy e dell’Emilia Romagna, Misano |
| Round 18 | Nov-14 | Valencia, Circuit Ricardo Tormo |
Source: MCNews.com.au
Young Aussie Joel Kelso scores his first Moto3 points at Portimao
Last minute flight bags glory for Darwin teenager
Joel Kelso answered a last-minute call-up from the CIP-GREEN POWER Moto3 Team that he will join in 2022 last week to replace regular incumbent Maximilian Kofler, after the Austrian returned a positive Covid-19 test.
Arriving in Portugal only a couple of hours before first practice, Kelso qualified 19th before then slowly working his way up during the race to finish 14th. Team-mate Kaito Toba struggled more and crashed at the first corner on the first lap.
The CIP-GREEN POWER team now heads to Valencia for the final race of the season scheduled for next week.
Joel Kelso – P14
“Overall it was a good weekend. What can I say? The team and I did a great job this weekend. We made a lot of progress with the bike, and that’s a very positive thing for the coming year. Honestly, it gives me a lot more motivation. Everything went incredibly well in the opening 13 laps until I made a small mistake. In the end we finished 14th, so two points. I also set my best lap on this track. Overall, I am very happy. I know I could have done better, but anyway, we have to take the positive. We worked well. We’ll see what happens after that, but I’m looking forward to next season with this team.”
Alain Bronec (Team Owner)
“On Thursday morning we learned that Maximilian tested positive for Covid-19 and we had to call Joel Kelso at the last minute. He arrived at the track at 0630 on Friday morning. He missed Q2 by only one-tenth and qualified 19th. He had a great race and finished 14th, nine seconds after the leader and scored two-points. So it was an interesting weekend for both him and us and it looks good for 2022. As for Kaito, he was in trouble all weekend. He crashed on the first lap. We will work with him to find solutions to his problems and try to finish the season in the best way. We are sorry for Maximilian and we are waiting to hear from the Dorna health protocol to know what we will do.”
Moto3 Race Results
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Pedro ACOSTA | KTM | 38m04.339 |
| 2 | Andrea MIGNO | Honda | +0.354 |
| 3 | Niccolò ANTONELLI | KTM | +0.88 |
| 4 | Jeremy ALCOBA | Honda | +1.768 |
| 5 | Izan GUEVARA | GASGAS | +1.839 |
| 6 | Ayumu SASAKI | KTM | +1.874 |
| 7 | Romano FENATI | Husqvarna | +1.972 |
| 8 | Xavier ARTIGAS | Honda | +2.333 |
| 9 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | Honda | +3.423 |
| 10 | Filip SALAC | KTM | +6.591 |
| 11 | Adrian FERNANDEZ | Husqvarna | +6.94 |
| 12 | Carlos TATAY | KTM | +9.392 |
| 13 | Daniel HOLGADO | KTM | +9.93 |
| 14 | Joel KELSO | KTM | +9.996 |
| 15 | Alberto SURRA | Honda | +10.416 |
| 16 | Stefano NEPA | KTM | +11.65 |
| 17 | Lorenzo FELLON | Honda | +11.695 |
| 18 | Riccardo ROSSI | KTM | +11.736 |
| 19 | Jaume MASIA | KTM | +13.616 |
| 20 | Yuki KUNII | Honda | +30.001 |
| 21 | Ryusei YAMANAKA | KTM | +30.183 |
| 22 | Andi Farid IZDIHAR | Honda | +30.249 |
| Kaito TOBA | KTM | +8 Laps | |
| Not Classified | |||
| DNF | Dennis FOGGIA | Honda | 1 Lap |
| DNF | Sergio GARCIA | GASGAS | 1 Lap |
| DNF | John MCPHEE | Honda | 17 Laps |
| DNF | Darryn BINDER | Honda | 0 Lap |
Moto3 Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Nation | Points |
| 1 | Pedro ACOSTA | KTM | SPA | 259 |
| 2 | Dennis FOGGIA | Honda | ITA | 213 |
| 3 | Sergio GARCIA | GASGAS | SPA | 168 |
| 4 | Romano FENATI | Husqvarna | ITA | 156 |
| 5 | Jaume MASIA | KTM | SPA | 155 |
| 6 | Niccolò ANTONELLI | KTM | ITA | 145 |
| 7 | Darryn BINDER | Honda | RSA | 136 |
| 8 | Izan GUEVARA | GASGAS | SPA | 116 |
| 9 | Ayumu SASAKI | KTM | JPN | 114 |
| 10 | Andrea MIGNO | Honda | ITA | 110 |
| 11 | Jeremy ALCOBA | Honda | SPA | 85 |
| 12 | Deniz ÖNCÜ | KTM | TUR | 84 |
| 13 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | Honda | JPN | 76 |
| 14 | John MCPHEE | Honda | GBR | 72 |
| 15 | Kaito TOBA | KTM | JPN | 64 |
| 16 | Gabriel RODRIGO | Honda | ARG | 60 |
| 17 | Filip SALAC | KTM | CZE | 58 |
| 18 | Stefano NEPA | KTM | ITA | 53 |
| 19 | Xavier ARTIGAS | Honda | SPA | 47 |
| 20 | Ryusei YAMANAKA | KTM | JPN | 47 |
| 21 | Carlos TATAY | KTM | SPA | 32 |
| 22 | Riccardo ROSSI | KTM | ITA | 29 |
| 23 | Adrian FERNANDEZ | Husqvarna | SPA | 28 |
| 24 | Jason DUPASQUIER | KTM | SWI | 27 |
| 25 | Yuki KUNII | Honda | JPN | 15 |
| 26 | Maximilian KOFLER | KTM | AUT | 10 |
| 27 | Elia BARTOLINI | KTM | ITA | 7 |
| 28 | Daniel HOLGADO | KTM | SPA | 4 |
| 29 | Andi Farid IZDIHAR | Honda | INA | 4 |
| 30 | Syarifuddin AZMAN | Honda | MAL | 3 |
| 31 | Joel KELSO | KTM | AUS | 2 |
| 32 | Alberto SURRA | Honda | ITA | 1 |
2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar
| Round | Date | Location |
| Austria, |
||
| Round 16 | Oct-24 | Italy e dell’Emilia Romagna, Misano |
| Round 18 | Nov-14 | Valencia, Circuit Ricardo Tormo |
Source: MCNews.com.au
CFMOTO confirm Moto3 plans for 2022 with Prüstel GP
CFMOTO3!
Grand prix motorcycle racing has a new aspirant, with rapidly expanding Chinese marque CFMOTO declaring it will go Moto3 racing in 2022 alongside German-based team Prüstel GP.
The announcement, made overnight at the penultimate round of the 2021 Road Racing World Championship in Portugal, will see the Sino-German partnership compete in the 21-round world championship with equipment based on KTM’s world-championship-winning RC4 machine.
CFMOTO will have full access to the experience and engineering acumen of KTM, which has been a technical and operational partner of CFMOTO since 2013.
Su Zhen, CFMOTO Racing Development Manager
“Entering the category and the Grand Prix motorcycling world championship means a new adventure for us and one we are very excited about. We are grateful to have some strong partners, like the Prüstel GP team, and we know the series is very competitive. We cannot wait to start, and we will also look to challenge more international racing events in the future. We hope fans, especially the ones in China, will follow us on our journey!”
The CFMOTO-KTM alliance started with the production of small-capacity KTM-badged models for China, and today the joint venture comprises an R&D building and manufacturing facility in Hangzhou.
In Australia, the first bikes emanating from the KTM/CFMOTO joint venture will be the upcoming 800MT adventure touring range, powered by a potent 790cc parallel-twin engine.
Eighteen-year-olds Xavier Artigas and Carlos Tatay will represent an all-Spanish Prüstel GP roster for 2022. Artigas scored a sensational podium finish on his maiden Grand Prix appearance at Valencia in 2019, and Tatay is a former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion.
Prüstel GP has been in the Moto3 class for five years, and has fielded GP winners like John McPhee and 2020 world champion Albert Arenas. The professionally run family team is based in the Saxony area of Germany.
CFMOTO’s elevation to a Grand Prix marque follows on from a number of years competing in various domestic championship via its international subsidiaries, and it has been a mainstay at the Isle of Man TT since 2013 as the only factory team from China.
Florian Prüstel, Team Manager
“We are proud that Prüstel GP can collaborate on a project like this. In tricky times worldwide – and also for motorsports – we are grateful to have a partner like CFMOTO on our side. With this big global manufacturer behind us we will have a great opportunity to bring the best sporting results and media exposure for the brand.”
The 2022 Road Racing World Championship will commence in Qatar on March, 6, and conclude eight months later in Spain on November 6. For the first time since 2019, the calendar will make a return to the spectacular Philip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria from October 14-16.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Husqvarna announce new 2022 Moto3 rider line-up
2022 Husqvarna Moto3 efforts taking shape
Having achieved wins in Italy and the UK since a re-introduction to Moto3 in 2020, Husqvarna Motorcycles is currently chasing a top three championship ranking in the division thanks to the efforts of Romano Fenati.
The Sterilgarda Max Racing Team leadership of Team Principal Max Biaggi and Team Manager Peter Öttl will overhaul their line-up and will welcome the sharp pace and potential of 20-year-old Ayumu Sasaki into the unit for 2022 as well as the Grand Prix winning experience of John McPhee, with the 27-year-old making the move from Honda machinery to the KTM derived Husqvarna FR 250 GP.
Max Biaggi – Sterilgarda Max Racing Team Principal
“This year we again managed to bring the Husqvarna Motorcycles brand to the top of the podium, which was a source of pride for the Max Racing Team working group. Having ambitious goals is our nature and for the 2022 season, together with Husqvarna Motorcycles and Sterilgarda, we wanted to internationalise our project to reach new targets. The combination of John McPhee and Ayumu Sasaki represents experience combined with perspective; the hope is to work with both riders to have consistency of performance that allows them to enter the top positions of the Moto3 world championship.”
McPhee had his first taste of the world championship back in 2010 and pre-Moto3. He made four appearances in the old 125cc class before becoming a full-time member of the Moto3 grid from 2013. He has steered three different brands of motorcycle in his nine seasons to-date and boasts proven pedigree with 14 podiums and 3 wins.
John McPhee
“I’m really excited to be joining the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team and Husqvarna Motorcycles for 2022. The team has done incredibly well in their short time in the world championship and with the likes of Max himself and Peter Öttl [Team Manager] looking after me I feel like it’s a great opportunity to really get the best from myself. The FR 250 GP has been impressive this season so I’m excited to see what’s possible on board something new.”
Sasaki made his Grand Prix debut in 2016 and has already appeared on the rostrum twice in four full terms of Moto3 and a comprehensive learning period. The rider from Yokosuka, 50km south of Tokyo, recently claimed a trophy – his first of 2021 – at the Gran Premio Tissot de Aragon, around MotorLand in Spain. The Japanese brings speed to the team and undoubted competitiveness.
Ayumu Sasaki
“I am really happy to announce that I will race with the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team next year. I hope to be able to do well right from the start and exploit the full potential of this team, which in its third year in the world championship has already achieved important results. I want to thank all those who have made this agreement possible.”
Source: MCNews.com.au
Age limits increased – Entry lists reduced – Airbags compulsory
New road race regulations aimed at safety
In coming seasons, the number of competitors on track in each series will be limited as outlined below. In addition, new age limits for each class, series or Championship will come into force. These age limits will be introduced as part of a policy to be implemented worldwide, with the FIM committed to ensuring they are also adhered to by National Federations and Continental Unions, to make a discernible difference to the sport at every level.
Raising the minimum age for each category of motorcycle racing is a decision taken in order to ensure a safer pathway for all riders beginning and continuing their careers.
In addition, increasing the age limit for certain categories will enable greater parity between different countries and continents, helping to increase accessibility by levelling the playing field and ensuring each rider is able to gain similar experience in different categories around the world.
From 2022
The Talent Cups, which are organised and/or supported by Dorna, such as the European, British, Northern and Asia Talent Cups, as well as pre-Moto3 series, will raise the minimum age to 13 and there will be a maximum of 30 competitors on each grid.
The minimum age for competitors in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be raised to 14.
The FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship in the FIM CEV Repsol will see the minimum age limit raised from 14 to 15. A maximum of 32 competitors will be permitted in each race.
In the WorldSSP300 class in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, the minimum age limit will be raised from 15 to 16. A maximum of 32 riders will be allowed to line up on the grid.
For the 2022 season, there will be an exception granted for riders who have already entered in the same class in 2021 to allow them to continue to race.
For 2023 and thereafter, the proposal is to raise age limits further as follows:
A minimum age of 14 should be applied to all racing at any Grand Prix-type circuits, including all those that have or have had Grade A, B or C homologation, which will include the Asia, British, European and Northern Talent Cups.
The minimum age for competitors in any class in the FIM MotoGP World Championship will be raised to 18. This includes for Moto3 and Moto2, for which the age limit is currently 16.
The winner of the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship and/or the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be allowed to join Moto3 at 17 years of age. For the 2023 season only, there will also be an exception granted for riders who have already entered Moto3 in 2022 to allow them to continue to race.
The FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship and the Moto2 European Championship, both in the FIM CEV Repsol, will have a minimum age limit of 16. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will also increase the minimum age by one more year to 15.
With the same philosophy as that applied in 2022 (for riders who have already competed in 2021), an exception will be granted to riders already participating in the Talent Cups in 2022 to allow them to continue to race in the same class in 2023.
The minimum age for competitors in the WorldSSP Championship will be raised to 18.
We are waiting to hear what changes will be made to any of the road racing categories currently in operation across Australia.
Rider Equipment
From 2022, airbags will be compulsory in all Sprint Circuit Racing FIM championships.
For the FIM Sidecar World Championship, tests are underway to determine whether the known algorithms are valid for passengers. These tests will make it possible to know whether the airbag can be used by all participants from 2022.
Rider safety equipment has improved significantly throughout the decades and continues to do so thanks to improvements across the industry, from leathers, gloves, back and chest protectors and boots to FIM homologated helmets and innovative airbag systems. It has never been safer to ride a motorcycle at speed and these improvements help to protect a rider from injury, in many instances helping to save lives whilst not compromising rideability, which is also intrinsic to on-track safety.
A first meeting took place at the Aragon GP between all partners, including leather and helmet suppliers, technical staff and medical personnel, on the next step towards improving the level of protection afforded by rider equipment, with increased focus on protecting competitors against an impact from another rider or motorcycle, particularly the chest and neck.
All parties are committed to making improvements in these areas and meeting this challenge as safely and as quickly as possible whilst ensuring the high level of current protection is not compromised.
Rider Communication
The ease and speed of communication between riders, pit wall and Race Direction has improved significantly in recent years, with dashboard technology, high-tech light panels at circuits and instant channels of communication between marshal posts and Race Direction all contributing to a safer environment for all competitors.
The next step to increase the safety of all those on track will focus on communicating to a rider or bike that a crash has taken place ahead as soon as possible.
A first meeting between all partners and technical suppliers has already taken place in order to discuss the installation and implementation of the required technology in rider equipment, on motorcycles and/or around each circuit, the aim of which is to implement automatic, near-instant warning systems for all following riders/motorcycles. The first tests will start as soon as the beginning of the 2022 season, and the system must and will be applicable to Championships of all levels, including Talent Cups.
Source: MCNews.com.au