Speed Up Racing’s Sam Lowes finished the rain-affected final preseason test in Jerez on top of the overall timesheets.
Wind and rain affected all three days of the test at the Circuito de Jerez, with the fastest times being set during a ten minute period during the first session on day two. That session had started with a damp circuit, but as the on-track action created a dry line, teams frantically sent their riders out on slicks to post a flying lap.
With the weather creating hazardous conditions through the test, some riders took advantage of the situation to try out their wet set-ups, and carried on working despite the risks, although Tito Rabat was lucky to escape unhurt after a high-side at turn 4 on the final morning. The reigning Moto2™ World Champion was taken to the Medical Centre, but escaped without injury.
Rain prevented any faster times on the final day, with many teams deciding not to risk their bikes and riders ahead of the season opening race in Qatar on the 29 March.
Lowes led the way with a 1’44.129, over a second quicker than the rest of the field, although his lap was 2 seconds slower than the fastest time set by Johann Zarco at the previous test in Jerez, during February.
German rider Jonas Folger, on the AGR Team Kalex, finished 2nd fastest overall, ahead of the Derendinger Racing Interwetten machine of Thomas Luthi (+1.115s). Takaaki Nakagami, who was one of the only riders to go out during the last session on the final day, ended up in 4th on the timesheets, just five-hundredths ahead of JIR Racing’s Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher.
Nakagami’s teammate, Azlan Shah, was 1.6s off the pace of Lowes in 6th, while Rabat, who put in exactly 53 laps on both of the first two days ended up in 7th overall.
Technomag Racing’s Dominique Aegerter posted a 1’45.977 (+1.848s), which was good enough for 8th place on the combined timesheets, with QMMF Racing’s Julian Simon, the fastest rider after the first day, in 9th.
Finnish rider Mika Kallio, who will ride for the Italtrans Racing Team in 2015, completed the top ten but was over 2 seconds slower than Lowes.
Having completed the final preseason test, the teams and riders now head off to Qatar for the opening round of the 2015 Moto2™ season on 29 March. The lack of dry testing time has only added to the excitement ahead of the first round, due to the fact no one is quite sure who will have the best race pace when the lights go out at the Losail International Circuit in just over a week.
Click here for all of the session results from the three day test in Jerez.
Lowes leaves rain-affected Jerez Moto2™ test on top
