21/10/2022

Schrötter & Alcoba overcome heat and rain in Sepang with provisional Q2 places

The 5.5km Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia surprised the Moto2 field after just a few minutes in FP2 with unexpectedly early rain, which at times became so heavy that the session had to be red-flagged. The two LIQUI MOLY Intact GP riders drew a positive first conclusion from the penultimate race weekend of the season thanks to P6 and P13 in the combined standings.

Marcel Schrötter managed to grab the last provisional Q2 place in FP1 on used tyres, not suspecting that his first and only full lap in FP2 would be enough to put him second in the session before the rain and catapult him from P14 to P6 in the combined standings. The German wants to use the remaining time before the FP3 to analyse the data so as not to leave any air on his entry into Q2, of which the 29-year-old hopes a lot.
As a great veteran of the class, he did not go out for another stint after the restart of the FP2 session, knowing that the times would not be faster than before after the heavy downpour.

For his younger rookie colleague Jeremy Alcoba, on the other hand, it was enormously important to get going again even in the adverse conditions and to make full use of the remaining 22 minutes to get to know the track better, on which the 20-year-old was riding for the first time this Friday. Despite a lack of rear wheel feel, the youngster is pleased with the progress and his current Q2 ticket.

This brings to an end an eventful first day at the circuit just outside Kuala Lumpur. Can the two teammates consolidate their direct Q2 entry in FP3 and fight for the front grid positions on Saturday afternoon? The answer will be revealed at the latest with the start of Q2 at 07:55 (CET).

RESULTS

FP1
1.   Augusto FERNANDEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 2'06.816
2.   Pedro ACOSTA/ SPA/ KALEX – 2'07.644 (+0.828)
3.   Tony ARBOLINO/ ITA/ KALEX – 2'07.867 (+1.051)
4.   Ai OGURA/ JAP/ KALEX – 2'07.938 (+1.122)
5.   Albert ARENAS/ SPA/ KALX – 2'08.116 (+1.300)
11.  Jeremy ALCOBA/ SPA/ KALEX – 2'08.453 (+1.637)
14.  Marcel SCHRÖTTER/ GER/ KALEX – 2'08.668 (+1.852)

FP2 
1.   Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 2'07.879
2.   Marcel SCHRÖTTER/ GER/ KALEX – 2'08.093 (+0.214)
3.   Fermín ALDEGUER/ SPA/ BOSCOSCURO – 2'08.304 (+0.425)
4.   Augusto FERNANDEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 2'08.357 (+0.478)   
5.   Aron CANET/ SPA/ KALEX – 2'08.424 (+ 0.545)
24.  Jeremy ALCOBA/ SPA/ KALEX – 2'10.659 (+2.780)