The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo completed the first day of the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

The Spanish Grand Prix got going this Friday at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. The day saw high temperatures, which meant that the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders faced two demanding practice sessions. Deniz Öncü enjoyed a satisfactory day, finishing as the fastest rider overall. Jose Antonio Rueda also made the most of Friday, and was fifth.

The first practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix began with good track conditions. Öncü was very strong in terms of pace from the start, occupying the first top spot early on. He improved his own time and completed Practice 1 with confidence thanks to his 1:46.173 lap,  achieved on attempt number 12 of 16, with a +0.4s advantage over his nearest rival. Rueda also began among the top riders. At his home Grand Prix, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider made progress from start to finish, maintaining a great pace. After 14 laps, Rueda finished in fourth position with a time of 1:46.919.

In Practice 2, the wind and the increase in temperatures made things more difficult. Whilst Öncü and Rueda were unable to improve on their morning times, they remained in the Top 5. With 15 laps completed, Öncü concluded Practice 2 in eleventh position with a time of 1:47.423, whilst Rueda was twentieth, with a last gasp 1:48.285. Öncü finished Friday at the Spanish Grand Prix as the fastest man in the class, with Rueda fifth.

Öncü and Rueda will participate in qualifying sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix, which will begin at 12:50 PM on Saturday.

Results (Combined practice times P1 – P2)
1. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:46.173
2. Jaume Masia (Honda) 1:46.581 +0.408
3. Daniel Holgado (KTM) 1:46.702 +0.529
4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 1:46.917 +0.744
5. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:46.919 +0.746

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“It was a positive day today. I adapted quickly and I was able to push really well. Here I can show my potential again, which is really good for me. In P2 we had to go up against the wind, but at the same time we were not looking for a time attack lap today because we did okay. We have time to work and we will do the time attack tomorrow. P2 was used to get a good feeling. P1 saw a great result and tomorrow we have to continue in the same way”.

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Today I did well. In the first stint we set a good time and I am very happy because we know what we have to do tomorrow and where we are strongest. In P2 it was very windy and that made our work very difficult, so I couldn’t improve my times. The expectation for tomorrow is to go straight into Q2, although we are already provisionally in there. It will be important to do my best in qualifying to get a good position on the grid”.