Moto2

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Moto 2: The Grid Look To Stop The Momentum of Sam Lowes As They Head to Portimão

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Published on April 15, 2021
By Jack Hammersley

After a double win at the Losail International Circuit, Sam Lowes is the man to beat and the grid will be looking to stop him in his tracks

Sam Lowes is the current championship leader after bringing home 50 points from the opening two rounds at Qatar and Doha and sealing two wins. Last year Sam put in one of the greatest performances of last season, managing to take third position with an injured right hand. Now that he’s fully healed and with great momentum behind him, he’s a contender to take his third win of the season. Can the Brit do it?

Remy Gardner managed to take two second places in the first two rounds of the season, this has been the Australian’s best start to a Grand Prix season and could prove to be better as he heads to the track where he took his first victory in Moto 2. Can the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider repeat his victory and close in on Sam Lowes in the championship.

Remy’s teammate Raúl Fernàndez was very impressive in his Moto 2 debut, finishing in fifth place and then finishing on the podium in third place at the Doha Grand Prix. The Portimão circuit will test the rookie with the changes in elevation and direction. The Spaniard will be looking to continue his impressive form in round three.

The opening two rounds were not what Marco Bezzecchi and the SKY Racing VR46 Team were hoping for, taking two fourth place finishes as they expected to fight for the podium. Marco will be looking to bounce back and close in on Sam Lowes’s championship lead. Marco struggled at the track last season and will be looking to improve his form in round three.

Jake Dixon will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing end to the Doha Grand Prix, crashing out from 13th place, Jake didn’t race around the Portuguese circuit last year due to his wrist injury, so he’ll be looking to spend the first free practice session learning the track. With Jake still having issues with his wrist, the nature of the circuit may be a challenge for Jake as it was for his compatriot Sam Lowes last season, can Jake pull off a similar performance?

The first two rounds of the season was a mixed bag for Federal Oil Gresini’s Fabio Di Giannantonio finishing in third place at the Qatar Grand Prix, then finishing tenth at the Doha Grand Prix, leaving him fifth in the championship with 22 points. The Italian will be striving for a return to the podium to get back into the championship fight.

There are a couple of replacement rides for this round; due to a positive COVID-19 test, Tommaso Marcon who was replacing the injured Simone Corsi is forced to sit out the third round of the season, taking his place is Miquel Pons who will also be riding in Moto E for the LCR Team this season. Also Fraser Rogers who has experience from British Superbikes will be replacing Barry Baltus in the NTS RW Racing Team due to an injury Barry sustained at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The Moto 2 race looks set to be another thriller, it will also take place after the MotoGP race with the race taking place at 14:30 (GMT+1). Who will be victorious in Portugal?

Featured Image: motogp.com

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