40 minutes on the clock, 28 riders and only the top 14 in this Practice session advance straight to Q2 tomorrow afternoon.
Moto2 have returned to Mugello, one of the most anticipated circuits on the calendar. The Italian Grand Prix is known for its high temperatures, picturesque scenery and challenging conditions. The riders in todays practice needed to prove they were good enough to master the high speeds and long corners.
Salac Dominates
Only 10 minutes into the session and Filip Salac set a time good enough for P1. The Czech rider produced a lap time of 1:50.208, which remained untouched for the rest of the session. Salac was one of the few riders who seemingly have mastered the tricky corners and high speeds of Mugello.
Behind him by the end of the session was Vietti and Gonzalez, who came within 1 tenth. Salac will lead the riders advancing straight to Q2, a confidence boost this weekend.
Pushing the limits
Mastering the corners and track limits around Mugello can be tricky for many riders and Moto2 was no different. Many riders found the limits of the Italian circuit including Deniz Oncu. The KTM rider was one of many who had their lap times cut. He came off the track and wobbling upon re-entry.
The technical challenge of Mugello proved to be too much for Oncu today, finishing 15th in practice and narrowly missing out on his guaranteed ticket to Q2. He will likely be unhappy about this result, coming off the back of a victory in Aragon.
Yellow flag with 2 minutes to go
With 7 minutes left in the session, all 28 riders came back onto the circuit. This led to a fair amount of traffic.
The yellow flag was bought out at the 2 minute mark as where Ayumu Sasaki found the gravel. The Japanese rider crashed in sector 4, losing it into the corner. The yellow flag caused many riders to lose out on potential lap times and hinder their chances. Sasaki is okay and walked away from the incident.
Mugello never fails to provide action and so we hope this weekend will be no different for Moto2!