Augusto Fernandez earns third position in qualifying in Austria. Pedro Acosta will start from sixth

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders took part in a demanding qualifying session in Austria on Saturday. Augusto Fernandez will start from the front row of the grid, in third position. Pedro Acosta will be just behind him on the second row, in sixth.

First up for the Moto2 class was the third and final Free Practice in Austria. Fernandez occupied the top spots in the early going, and was the fastest rider at one point after a pit stop. He eventually finished fifth with a time of 1:34.182, achieved on his 15th lap of 19. Acosta was a firm fixture in the Top 10 and felt increasingly comfortable. He would clock the seventh fastest time of 1:34.280 after putting in a total of 20 laps. Both riders improved on their times from Friday, and made it directly into Q2.

Q2 was a demanding session for the pair. Fernandez was a frontrunner in the opening minutes, although later dropped down the order before chasing a spot on the front row. On his last attempt, the Spaniard clocked a 1:34.101 to take third. Acosta fought for the Top 10 in his first qualifying session since returning from injury. Despite struggling for pace, he continued to make progress and pushed hard, claiming a second row start with a 1:34.126.

The 25-lap Moto2 Austrian Grand Prix race will take place on Sunday at 12:20 PM.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 1:33.933
2. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 1:33.981 +0.048
3. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:34.101 +0.168
4. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 1:34.104 +0.171
5. Somkiat Chantra (Kalex) 1:34.105 +0.172
6. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:34.126 +0.193

#37 AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ

“Today it was very important to get high up on the grid. I think I have the pace to be at the front, although I am struggling on the first sectors. In the third and fourth sectors I feel really strong. It will be a tough race because it is not an easy circuit to overtake on. The most important thing is to start well and gain places.”

#51 PEDRO ACOSTA

“We will start from the second row, although we didn’t get it the way I like the most. It went well and Augusto helped us out. Another time it will be up to us to do that for him, and we won’t hesitate to do it. Tomorrow we hope to get a good result in the race.”