Pedro Acosta finishes qualifying in second, while Augusto Fernandez is third.

The Moto2 duo continue to prove that they are two of the rivals to beat this weekend. After being the best riders in the combined free practice qualifying, Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez maintained a high pace in the qualifying session, which allowed them to finish in second and third position respectively.

Moto2 FP3 followed the same line as the previous day. Acosta started the third free practice leading the standings and keeping himself among the top positions. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider improved on Friday’s lap times and on the penultimate lap of 20 he set the fastest time with a 1:34.592. Augusto Fernandez continued his work and improved his feeling ahead of the qualifying sessions. After even leading the combined free practice classification, Fernandez improved his lap times lap after lap. With a time of 1:34.658, set on lap 16/20, he was second, just 66 thousandths of a second behind his teammate.

With both riders qualifying directly for Q2, the qualifying sessions for the Valencia Grand Prix got underway in the afternoon. Both Acosta and Fernandez were determined to get a good position on the grid. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo set a high pace from start to finish, taking the top positions in qualifying. After an intense end to the session, Acosta finished second with a time of 1:34.315, just one thousandth of a second off the pole time. Augusto Fernandez was also very consistent from start to finish, setting the third fastest time with a 1:34.481.

The Moto2 race at the Valencia Grand Prix will start at 12:20 PM local time and will be run over 25 laps.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 1:34.314
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:34.315 +0.001
3. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:34.481 +0.167
4. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) 1:34.583 +0.269
5. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 1:34.665 +0.351

#37 AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ

“Our objective was to get to the front row and we did it. I feel very strong and we are working on having a good pace for tomorrow. I am confident and feel very strong. I feel able to control the situation and to be able to fight for the victory. It’s important to be up with the riders at the front and I think we can do it.”

#51 PEDRO ACOSTA

“I knew we were going to suffer a little because the level is very high this weekend. We are strong and we are showing it. Starting from the front row is very good. It is going to be a tough race in which we are going to suffer a bit, but we are very confident about closing the season with a good result.”