Raul Fernandez and Kaito Toba ride in the wet in FP1 and mixed conditions in FP2 at French Grand Prix.

Rain and cold temperatures had a big impact on the opening day of the French Grand Prix, making it a tough Friday for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders, Raul Fernandez and Kaito Toba. Tricky track conditions during FP1 and FP2 at Le Mans were not ideal for the pair, but both were able to lower their times in the second session. They placed 16th and 27th, respectively, on the combined timesheets. 

The first Free Practice was held in the rain. Despite the numerous incidents around him from the start of the session, Fernandez felt comfortable and would lead the FP1 timesheets at one point. Unfortunately, the Spaniard suffered a crash with two minutes remaining, leaving him without a chance of improving his position. His best lap from 13 was a 1:56.349, for fifth place. Toba dedicated the morning to gaining experience in the wet with his KTM, but kept up with the frontrunners. The Japanese was 10th, with a 1:56.820 on his 13th and final attempt.

Whilst the rain stopped in the afternoon, low temperatures meant that the track was in mixed conditions. Raul Fernandez completed 10 laps and was 16th, improving his morning time with a 1:46.857. Kaito Toba finished 27th – 1:47.924 -, concluding what was a tough session for him. The Japanese worked hard to try to find a good feeling throughout the 12 laps he rode in FP2.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo will contest Free Practice 3 tomorrow morning, followed by Q1 and Q2 at 12:35 pm and 1:00 pm, respectively.

Results – FP1 & FP2
1. Filip Salac (Honda) 1:44.820
2. Romano Fenati (Husqvarna) 1:44.859 +0.039
3. John McPhee (Honda) 1:45.345 +0.525
4. Jaume Masia (Honda) 1:45.436 +0.616
5. Andrea Migno (KTM) 1:45.811 +0.991
16. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:46.857 +2.037
27. Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:47.924 +3.104

25 RAUL FERNANDEZ

“It was a tough start to the Grand Prix. In the morning the track was very difficult to ride on and we suffered a crash at the end of the session. The important thing is that, even so, we finished in a good position in FP1. In the afternoon we took things more calmly and we were not sure which tyre to use, as the conditions were mixed. Finally, we made a choice that didn’t work out well for us.
It seems that it will be dry tomorrow, so I hope to be fighting for a place on the front row of the grid again.”

27 KAITO TOBA

“Today we had to deal with difficult conditions. In the morning I felt good and I was comfortable in the wet. The problem was FP2, where the track conditions were mixed and I was not able to ride easily. Nevertheless, we completed the session and we have gained more kilometres and experience that will help us tomorrow.”