Saturday at the Aragon Grand Prix offered varied track conditions for the Moto3 grid. After a wet practice session, Jose Antonio Rueda and Xabi Zurutuza faced intense heat in qualifying. Rueda fought for pole position, eventually setting the second fastest time, whilst Zurutuza was unable to make it through Q1 and will take off from 21st.

Overnight rain presented a very different surface to that of the first day at MotorLand. With the track wet and very delicate, the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo opted for caution and were unable to improve on their Friday times. Rueda steadily upped his pace, occupying the top positions, and after 13 laps his 2:15.664 earned him the third best time. Zurutuza also felt good in the second and final practice. The Moto3 rookie was one of the riders who felt the best sensations and made progress from the start. Despite the situation, he clocked the second best time, with a 2:15.572 on the last lap. However, on the combined timesheets it was not enough to keep him out of Q1.

In qualifying, track conditions were completely different to those from the morning. High temperatures required good tyre management, and there were also numerous crashes. Zurutuza has tried to secure a place in the Top 4, although his 2:03.093 put him seventh and he will start the race from 21st. Rueda rode carefully in Q2 as he competed for the front row, whilst also making sure to avoid mistakes. In the hunt for pole position, he set the second best time with a 1:58.492, 4 tenths off the poleman.

Sunday’s 17-lap Aragon Grand Prix race will take place on Sunday at 11:00 am, local time.

Results Qualifying
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 1:58.059
2. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:58.492 +0.433
3. David Muñoz (KTM) 1:59.064 +1.005
4. Angel Piqueras (Honda) 1:59.090 +1.031
5. Joel Kelso (KTM) 1:59.099 +1.040
21. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:03.093 +2.138 *Q1 Time

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Today went very well, even though the track was very tricky because it had rained. But we were able to have a very good qualifying. It was very difficult to set a good lap, because the slightest thing ran you off the track and it was very easy to crash. I’m very happy with the result and with this front row. We will prepare as best as possible this afternoon for tomorrow’s race, since that is what we have been struggling with the most lately. We are ready to fight tomorrow and to get a good result.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“It was a bit of a bittersweet day, since this morning we had very good feelings in the wet. But the track was in very tricky conditions in Q1 and there were quite a few crashes. It was difficult for us to ride a good clean lap, but we will try to make up as many positions as possible tomorrow. We are continuing to work to improve the feeling with the bike.”