Front row for Acosta and third row for Arenas in qualifying at Jerez
29/04/2023Pedro Acosta finishes in second position and Albert Arenas in ninth.
Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix was positive for the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders, both of whom achieved good results for their respective spots on the grid. Pedro Acosta earned another front row and will start in second position, whilst Albert Arenas will start from the third row, in ninth.
Saturday began with perfect track conditions in which to improve lap times at the Jerez – Angel Nieto Circuit. Acosta and Arenas got off to a good start and quickly did that, and after a pit stop, both increased their pace further to make it into the Top 3, with Acosta leading the way. Acosta was one of the most consistent riders in the session and finished second with a time of 1:40.696, set on his eleventh lap of 13. Arenas, on the other hand, tried to maintain his position and finally finished fourth with a time of 1:41.006. With these results, both qualified directly for Q2.
The afternoon qualifying session took place under high temperatures and demanding track conditions. Acosta was determined to fight for pole position, took the top spot early and worked hard to hold onto it. After a great last lap, he ended up with the second best time, a 1:41.328 that gave him his third front row start of the season. Arenas battled against the weather conditions to improve his times steadily, although an unexpected crash forced him to finish the session prematurely. He will be in ninth position, on the third row, for the Spanish GP, after setting a time of 1:41.657.
The 21-lap Moto2 Spanish GP race will take place on Sunday at 1:15 PM, local time.
Results (Qualifying session)
1. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 1:40.750
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:41.328 +0.578
3. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 1:41.330 +0.580
4. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 1:41.459 +0.709
5. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 1:41.507 +0.757
9. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:41.657 +0.907
#37 PEDRO ACOSTA
“I’m happy with this front row because there were other riders who were very strong. It’s going to be a hard and long race, both because of the heat and because of how difficult it is to manage the temperature of the front tyre here at Jerez -above all, behind other bikes. But I think the team are working very hard, and we have seen that in the four races we have run, with three front rows and one second row; we have found something that we did not have last year, so we have to be happy. Tomorrow we will give it our best in front of the Jerez fans to fight for the podium and victory”.
#75 ALBERT ARENAS
“It was an intense day here in Jerez. Our feeling is improving and we were consistent in P3. Qualifying was very tight and I couldn’t finish my last lap, which would have put me in a little better position on the grid. Even so, we are clear about where we can improve. I’m happy to feel that we are improving and that we are on the right path. I am also doing my bit to be more consistent. I thank the team for the work they are doing this weekend and tomorrow we will try to have the best possible race”.