Diogo Moreira led Moto2 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Chang International Circuit, in Thailand. Riding his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex on Pirelli control tires, the Brazilian lapped the 2.82-mile (4.55km) road course in 1:35.030, topping the field of 28 riders.
Manuel Gonzalez was second-best with a time of 1:35.088 on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex.
Deniz Öncü did a third-fastest 1.35.228 on his Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex.
American Joe Roberts finished Friday afternoon’s practice session 19th with a best time of 1:35.692 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Classification MOTO2 Friday Practice
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Moreira beats Gonzalez in tightly contested Practice. The Brazilian tops the timesheets ahead of qualifying in Thailand as Öncü and Aji impress on Friday.
Friday in the Moto2™ class belongs to Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) after the Brazilian’s 1:35.030 was just enough to mean FP1’s runaway pacesetter, Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), was forced to settle for P2 following a late crash. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended Practice inside the top three, the Turk 0.198s away from Moreira’s personal best effort.
As expected, a late flurry of time attacks – apart from early session leaders Gonzalez and Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) – decided the top 14. Mario Aji (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) stuck his name in the hat for ride of the day as the Indonesian landed a 1:35.259 on his 10th flying lap to clinch P4, with 2024 Malaysian GP podium finisher Jorge Navarro (KLINT Forward Factory Team) rounding out an unexpected top quintet.
A last lap attack from Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) saw the British rider rise from P17 to P7, as three tenths of the second split P1 to Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) in P11. Having sat second in the early exchanges, Baltus just held on to the final automatic Q2 spot in P14, with race winners such as Celestino Vietti (Team HDR Heidrun), Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Tony Arbolino (Blu Cru Pramac Yamaha Moto2) missing the cut.
Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI) was just 0.8s away from top spot, but the rookie ended Friday in P23. That’s how brutally competitive Moto2 was – and looks like it will be in 2025 – on Friday afternoon as the season bursts into life in Buriram.
Next up: Free Practice 2 at 09:25 (UTC +7), before qualifying begins at 13:45.