The Moto3 rider goes fastest at the Red Bull Ring, with Xabi Zurutuza nineteenth.

The Austrian Grand Prix started on Friday with Jose Antonio Rueda the fastest rider in the category, setting a new circuit record at the Red Bull Ring. Xabi Zurutuza had his first experience of the track, and placed nineteenth.

Friday’s Free Practice began with perfect conditions, and the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo focused on finding a good setup for qualifying. Rueda did not seem to be completely comfortable at the start, although he quickly recovered a good feeling to move up positions. He completed a total of 16 laps and achieved his best time on the penultimate one, with a 1:40.908 that put him in eighth position. Zurutuza faced the session set on adapting to the track and getting a good starting point for this weekend. The rookie was able to maintain a good pace and close the gap on his rivals. On the last of his 15 laps, he clocked a 1:42.497 for 24th.

In the afternoon session, both riders took a big step forward despite the significant increase in temperatures. After the first few minutes, Rueda took the lead, in what turned out to be an intense fight for the top of the timesheets. He continued to improve lap after lap until he regained first position, and his 1:40.171 lap on his 13th attempt of 16 broke the circuit record. Zurutuza worked on his pace and improving his feeling, looking for a good lap in order to get through to Q2. He managed to improve his times from the morning by more than a second, and a 1:41.442 put him in 19th position.

The Moto3 qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday from 12:50 pm, local time.

Results Practice 1
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:40.171
2. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 1:40.222 +0.051
3. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 1:40.240 +0.069
4. Joel Kelso (KTM) 1:40.289 +0.118
5. Stefano Nepa (KTM) 1:40.429 +0.258
19. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:41.442 +1.271

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“The start of the weekend was a bit difficult for me, but thanks to the good feeling in the test we were able to regain confidence, as we tried out many different things. I am very happy with the work we have managed to do, especially because we are all very close together, as it is a short circuit. We have to continue working along these lines to achieve these results both tomorrow and in the race on Sunday.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“We took the first practice session as a first contact with the circuit and the bike, especially in preparation for Practice 1 in the afternoon. We took a step forward regarding speed and pace, so I am quite happy in that aspect. We lacked putting together a good lap, as I rode in a group, so tomorrow we will have to work on that. Tomorrow, if we make another step forward, we will be able to fight for Q2, which is the objective.”