Jose Antonio Rueda takes seventh position, with Xabi Zurutuza 23rd.

The Indonesian Grand Prix got underway on Friday with the first practice sessions of the weekend. The Pertamina Mandalika Circuit was not an easy venue for the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders, given the track conditions, although they improved their times during the afternoon. Jose Antonio Rueda clocked the seventh best time, while Xabi Zurutuza was 23rd.

Moto3 Free Practice featured good weather conditions but a dirty track, causing a lack of grip. The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo completed their first laps focused on getting a good feeling and adapting. Jose Antonio Rueda worked on maintaining a steady pace and, although he suffered a minor crash, he quickly got back on track to continue improving his times. Of his 16 laps, Rueda set his best time on the penultimate one, with a 1:39.858 that put him in thirteenth position. Zurutuza experienced the Indonesian circuit for the first time, so his work was focused on getting to know the track and adapting to the demanding conditions. In a session that saw numerous crashes, he attempted to finetune his setup, and gradually found a better feeling. Unfortunately for him, his best lap -on his last attempt- was scrubbed. After 15 laps, his 1:40.896 put him in 23rd position.

Track conditions were better in Practice 1, although still not perfect. Rueda continued to make progress and fine-tune his strategy for the weekend, with Q2 as his main objective. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider made his way into the Top 10 in the final minutes, and a 1:38.503 on his penultimate lap put him in seventh position. Zurutuza also improved his times by more than a second compared to Free Practice, adapting steadily to a new track and riding alongside his teammate to set a good time for Saturday. His 1:39.727 put him 23rd ahead of Saturday qualifying.

The grid-defining qualifying sessions for the Indonesian Grand Prix will take place on Saturday at 12:50 pm local time.

Practice 1 Results
1. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 1:37:942
2. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) 1:38.096 +0.154
3. David Almansa (Honda) 1:38.168 +0.226
4. Matteo Bertelle (Honda) 1:38.179 +0.237
5. Luca Lunetta (Honda) 1:38.226 +0.284
7. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:38.503 +0.561
23. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:39.727 +1.785

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Today went well, despite the strange crash this morning. We took a step forward from Free Practice to Practice 1 this afternoon, but we still have a lot of work ahead to improve our pace. Today we set a fast lap when behind another rider, but I think we can go faster. I’m happy with the work that we have done today and we will continue working for tomorrow and the race.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“We’ve finished the first day in Indonesia. It was a quite different day due to the high temperatures, but we feel quite good -although we still have to improve for tomorrow to try to be closer to the front positions and try to get into Q2. I rode together with my teammate to try to set a clean lap, as I still lack some pace when riding alone. Tomorrow we will try to put all the sectors together and improve to be at the front.”