Celestino Vietti sets the fifth fastest time, while Deniz Öncü is 22nd.

The first practice sessions for the Austrian Grand Prix were completed this Friday at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg. The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo ended the day with Celestino Vietti in the Top 5 and Deniz Öncü returning from injury.

The morning Free Practice saw the Moto2 duo find a good feeling for qualifying and the race. Vietti faced the session with clear ideas after a productive test the previous week, looking for a comfortable pace at the same time. After a pit stop, Vietti suffered a heavy high side in the closing minutes that prevented him from finishing the session. Despite this, his 1:34.872 on his last lap placed him tenth. Öncü finally returned to action with Red Bull KTM Ajo after a long break through injury. The Turkish rider focused on getting a feel for the bike and gaining confidence. After completing his first 11 laps, he achieved his best time on the tenth attempt: A 1:35.307 with which he was nineteenth, just one second behind the leader.

In Practice 1, Vietti and Öncü worked to fine-tune their set-ups and improve their times, something that both achieved throughout the session. Vietti went out on track with some discomfort after the crash in the morning, although that did not prevent the Italian from doing well and completing an outstanding last lap. His 1:34.294 placed him in fifth position. Öncü was increasingly competitive and felt more comfortable as he continued to improve his times and worked on his pace. His 1:35.135 time on his 14th lap of 20 put him 22nd, outside the Q2 spots.

Qualifying sessions for the intermediate class will take place on Saturday at 1:45 pm local time.

Results Practice 1
1. Ai Ogura (Boscoscuro) 1:33.943
2. Aron Canet (Kalex) 1:34.095 +0.152
3. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) 1:34.216 +0.273
4. Marcos Ramirez (Kalex) 1:34.272 +0.329
5. Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:34.294 +0.351
22. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:35.153 +1.192

#13 CELESTINO VIETTI

“Unfortunately after this morning’s crash I have a bit of pain, but I managed to handle it and felt better lap after lap . We worked on my riding style with the bike and we have improved, so I am quite happy with today’s result and I am sure that tomorrow we can do better. We are working well, so we are positive.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“It’s really nice to be back here at the circuit and the paddock with everybody, and also to be back riding. It’s been a long time without this atmosphere and I have missed it. It’s my first day back and I am really happy. For sure there are lots of things to improve, because coming back from an injury is not easy. But we take away the positives: I am happy with today and we’ll push a bit more tomorrow, while enjoying ourselves on the bike.”