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Moto2, FP3: Zarco beats Luthi by a whisker

Best time for the Frenchman who catches a tow in the Swiss rider's slipstream and snatches it from him in the finale. Lowes in third and a strong fourth for Morbidelli

FP3: Zarco beats Luthi by a whisker

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The third Moto2 free practice session at Assen was one of checks and evolutions. During the session the white flag with a red cross came out, signalling drops of rain falling from the Dutch skies.

To be honest, not too many evolutions, considering the fact that the lap times this year are slower than last season, demonstrating how the Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing “middle class” has reached the limits of its development and the Dunlop tyres (the same for everyone) do not need to break records, since they are the only brand in the category.

The fastest was Frenchman Johann Zarco, who caught a tow in Thom Luthi’s slipstream all the way to the chequered flag precisely in the last lap of the session, snatching the best time from the Swiss rider, who until that point had been the fastest on the track.

1’37”427 was his best time, against the Swiss rider’s 1’37”568, with Brit Sam Lowes third at 1’37”945. These are the only three riders who lapped within the 1’37 limit. From Franco Morbidelli (1’38”165), the gaps begin to increase progressively. Jonas Folger was fifth, Malaysian rider Syahrin sixth and Nakagami seventh.

Sandro Cortese finished the session in eighth place ahead of Alex Marquez and Axel Pons. Eleventh best time for Alex Rins, who was not risking too much, working in view of the race, as he always does in the Moto2 category.

To find another Italian after Morbidelli we have to look at thirteenth place where Simone Corsi stopped the clock at 1’38”751, more than a second behind the Frenchman. In the seventeenth slot on the list is Lorenzo Baldassarri and a maturing Luca Marini is in twenty-first ahead of Mattia Pasini with the twenty-second best time of the morning.

 

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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