Moto2: Nakagami dominates final test

Takaaki Nakagami will have his sights firmly set on a debut grand prix win in 2014, after sweeping all three days of the final pre-season Moto2 test in Jerez.

With the Marc VDS and Aspar teams absent, due to having helped Dunlop with tyre development duties last week at Phillip Island, Nakagami took his new Honda Team Asia run Kalex to a best lap of 1m 42.206s on the final day.

That was just a fraction slower than Marc VDS star Mika Kallio had managed at the previous February outing and put Nakagami - who claimed four successive second places during the middle of last season while riding for Technomag - 0.187s ahead of nearest rival Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact Kalex).

The top Suter was Interwetten's Thomas Luthi (+0.266s), with Xavier Simeon fourth for Gresini Suter (+0.350s). The new Caterham Suter team enjoyed an encouraging final test with Johann Zarco inside the top five on each day, leaving Spain +0.450s from Nakagami.

The second half of the top ten consisted of Luis Salom (Pons HP 40), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Gresini Moto2), Alex de Angelis (Tasca Racing Moto2), Dominique Aegerter (Technomag CarXpert) and Simone Corsi (NGM Forward Racing).

Third fastest on day one, World Supersport champion Sam Lowes sat out day two due to a swollen tendon in his right wrist, before returning for a brief appearance on Thursday morning to try some new Speed Up parts. Lowes was ranked 13th overall (+0.722s), and the only rider to set his best lap on day one.

Fellow star rookie and reigning Moto3 champion Maverick Vi?ales was eleventh fastest (+0.666s) for Pons Kalex.

Opening practice for the season-opening Qatar night race takes place on Thursday March 20.