The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo place fifth and fourteenth, respectively, in qualifying.

Philip Island saw some exciting qualifying action in the Moto2 class on Saturday. Pedro Acosta and Albert Arenas went through to Q2 directly and, after improving their lap times, they finished in fifth and fourteenth on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

The changing conditions were a key element for planning the third and final practice session of the weekend. Acosta continued working on his pace for Sunday’s race, and the current leader of the intermediate class was consistent from start to finish, lowering his times. After completing fourteen laps, Acosta finished in fourth position with a time of 1:32.825, achieved on his tenth attempt. Arenas took a step forward compared to Friday. The Spanish rider felt more comfortable and was able to take around a second off his times from the previous day. Arenas entered the Top 10, with a time of 1:33.234 putting him eighth.

The Moto2 qualifying sessions took place this afternoon, with both Acosta and Arenas qualifying directly into Q2. Acosta started Q2 determined to fight for pole position, and achieved his best time of the weekend on his third lap. His 1:32.633 earned him ifth position as he continues to be amongst the pacesetters in Moto2. Arenas wanted to continue with his good feelings from the morning and faced Q2 ready to secure a good position on the grid. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider completed a total of nine laps, with his best time coming on his third time around. A 1:33.339 places him in fourteenth, on the fifth row of the grid.

In line with the weather forecasts, the race itself has been brought forward and will take place at 11:15 AM on Sunday. Prior to that, the intermediate class will have a Warm up, starting at 8:40 AM.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Fermin Aldeguer (Boscoscuro) 1:31.888
2. Aaron Canet (Kalex) 1:32.230 +0.342
3. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 1:32.572 +0.684
4. Joe Roberts (Kalex) 1:32.584 +0.696
5. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:32.633 +0.745
14. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:33.339 +1.451

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“The day went well. We need to improve for the race, but in terms of our pace we are quite competitive. Yes, we lacked a little something on the fastest lap, but we are still on the second row. In Australia, with cold temperatures and conditions that are difficult to handle, tomorrow we will try to have a calm race, making progress and trying to be competitive until the end of the race.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“Today was a day in which I was able to find a little more speed, especially in Practice 3. I was able to do some faster laps in practice, but then in qualifying I couldn’t improve any more. Tomorrow we will start from the fifth row. I don’t have the best feeling but we will see how we can analyse the step we took today and consolidate that speed to face tomorrow’s race.”