Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider fastest man on first day of his home Grand Prix. Niklas Ajo takes 14th best time.

The twelfth round of the Moto3 World Championship started today at the Silverstone circuit. Danny Kent, who lives an hour and a half away from British track, had an excellent start to his most anticipated race of the year, setting a 2:15.572 time in the second free practice session to top the timesheets. Niklas Ajo lowered his time from the first session with a 2:16.230.

Niklas Ajo came out strong in the first practice session of the weekend. The Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo rider placed amongst the three fastest in the early stages of the session, completing the 40 minutes in eighth place with a time of 2:17.305. Danny Kent followed a different strategy, making a single stop in the pits and looking for the best setup with worn tires. He was twelfth, with a 2:17.567 lap.

In the second session, Danny Kent sent the fans home happy. The Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo rider set the best lap of the day in his last attempt, clocking a 2:15.572 and taking the top spot in front of the Silverstone crowd. Niklas Ajo improved on his best time from the morning and set a 2:16.230 lap sufficient for 14th overall.

Tomorrow will see the last free practice session, followed by qualifying at 12:35pm local time. The best grid positions for Danny Kent and Niklas Ajo at this track are a sixth and eleventh place, respectively.

Results (Combined practice time FP1-FP2)
1. Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) 2:15.572
2. Niccolo Antonelli (KTM) 2:15.630 +0.058
3. Alex Rins (Honda) 2:15.634 +0.062
4. Isaac Viñales (KTM) 2:15.648 +0.076
5. Romano Fenati (KTM) 2:15.788 +0.216
14. Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo) 2:16.230 +0.658

Danny Kent >> Audio (solely for radio use)

“It’s been a great start to the Grand Prix. After the podium at Brno we came to Silverstone with pretty high expectations. I have been feeling very good on the bike. We worked very closely and intensively with the team to try to get the best from ourselves. Still, the day was not easy because the wind was blowing very strongly and affected our chances of a good lap. We were lucky to set a great time on the last lap.

I am getting better and this is thanks to the work we are doing. We’ll see where else we can improve and try to change it. We have the advantage that in the team we all help each other. Hopefully we will continue in the same way tomorrow.”

Niklas Ajo >> Audio (solely for radio use)

“The feeling that I had today was very positive. I was able to work by myself throughout the second session, with no slipstream, which is a big advantage at this circuit. At Brno you also notice it, but here at Silverstone even more so. We were able to put in consistent times and work well, and that was thanks to the bike. We don’t have to make any big changes to the setup, because I felt very comfortable. We are 0.6 off the top, without slipstreaming, so I’m not worried. I hope that in qualifying tomorrow we can get a tow and lower our times that way. Our race pace is good too, especially with used tyres.”