Vietti leaves it late to end the day fastest in Moto3™

SKY Racing Team VR46’s Celestino Vietti put down the marker in the Moto3™ class at the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich by ending FP2 fastest with his final lap of the 40-minute session.

The Italian was only 0.031 ahead of Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee, with the Scot only a further 0.022 clear of SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Tatsuki Suzuki. Overall, 20 riders were covered by a second in a frantic session that saw riders push hard in the closing stages with some adverse forecasts ahead for Saturday’s FP3 session.

The top three riders were separated by only half a tenth but Vietti, McPhee and Suzuki were three tenths clear of the Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) in fourth. Sasaki set his lap late in the day after calming down following a spat with Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) earlier in the session.

This morning’s pacesetter, Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrüstelGP), closed the day fifth quickest after failing to improve on his 1:36.967 from FP1. VNE Snipers’ Tony Arbolino ended sixth at the end of the first day, just ahead of Bester Capital Dubai’s Jaume Masia in seventh.

Niccolo Antonelli made sure both SIC58 Squadra Corse bikes were inside the top eight before Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) and Dennis Foggia (SKY Racing Team VR46) rounded out the top ten.

Championship rivals Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) and Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) had contrasting fortunes with Dalla Porta sneaking inside the top 14 and provisionally holding a place in Q2 ahead of possible wet weather tomorrow whilst Canet, fresh from stealing the Championship lead away from the Italian, failed to improve on his FP1 lap and subsequently slipped to 15th on the combined order.

The Czech Republic Grand Prix winner will be praying the rain stays away ahead of FP3 at the Red Bull Ring, which kicks off at 09:00 (GMT 2) on Saturday, whilst Dalla Porta might possibly be spotted doing a rain dance in the streets of Spielberg this evening.

Top 10 combined:

1. Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) – 1:36.585

2. John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) 0.031

3. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) 0.053

4. Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) 0.352

5. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrüstelGP) 0.382

6. Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) 0.426

7. Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) 0.478

8. Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) 0.503

9. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) 0.519

10. Dennis Foggia (SKY Racing Team VR46) 0.521