Italian Marco Bezzecchi, who finished fourth in the 2020 Moto2 World Championship, led the opening day of Moto2 testing on Tuesday, March 2, the SKY Racing Team VR46-backed Kalex rider besting the 19 other testers at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal.
Bezzecchi’s 1:43.322 was the fastest lap of the day and .0.53 of a second faster than Australian Remy Gardner, who won the season-ending Moto2 Grand Prix at Portimao in November. Gardner is now riding the factory Red Bull KTM Ajo.
Former MotoAmerica Stock 600 Champion Joe Roberts, meanwhile, ended the day third fastest and just .149 of a second off Bezzecchi’s best. This test marks the second time that Roberts has ridden the Italtrans Racing Team Kalex vacated by 2020 Moto2 World Champion Enea Bastianini. Roberts finished seventh in the season finale at Portimao in 2020 with a best race lap of 1:42.701, which was the third fastest lap of the race.
Fourth fastest on day one at Portimao went to American Racing Team’s Marcos Ramirez, the Spanish rider .319 of a second from Bezzecchi’s best.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier had his second outing on the American Racing Team’s Kalex and his first day at the Portimao Circuit. The Californian ended up 18th overall with a fast lap of 1:44.806 – 1.4 seconds off the day’s best.
