Jose Antonio Rueda sets the eleventh fastest time on Friday, with Xabi Zurutuza 21st.

The first day at the Mobility Resort Motegi presented very tricky conditions for the Moto3 riders. The constant threat of rain made riding difficult for the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo, but Jose Antonio Rueda finished eleventh, while Xabi Zurutuza was 21st.

Free Practice was held on a wet track. The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders undertook the first laps carefully in order to adapt to the surface, and Rueda focused on improving his times and finding a good feeling. After a pit stop and now on a drier track, the Spanish rider set his best time on his penultimate attempt, his 2:02.320 put him in fifteenth place. Zurutuza made his first appearance at Motegi, on a day where all the riders were put to the test due to the conditions. He was able to lower his times in the final minutes, setting the 21st best of 2:06.374 on his penultimate lap.

Practice 1 was the first opportunity for Rueda and Zurutuza to take provisional places in Q2. Rueda took a big step forward and improved his feeling, focusing on trying to establish a good pace for Sunday’s race. The Spanish rider closed the gap to the frontrunners, finishing the day 0.6s off the top spot and occupying eleventh position, with his 1:56.202. Zurutuza also made progress, although he had to work hard to clock a good lap. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider completed a total of 13 laps, in which he also wanted to work on his pace. Finally, he ended the day in 21st position with a time of 1:57.680.

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

Results Practice 1
1. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 1:55.550
2. Angel Piqueras (Honda) 1:55.707 +0.157
3. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 1:55.717 +0.167
4. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) 1:55.803 +0.253
5. Tatsuki Suzuki (Husqvarna) 1:55.865 +0.315
11. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:56.202 +0.652
21. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:57.680 +2.130

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Today we started the day with strange track conditions during FP, as we began on a wet track but in the end it dried out. In Practice 1, the conditions were already dry, but it was raining a bit. It was difficult at the start, but in the end we managed to set a good lap. However, we still haven’t found our pace, so we have to keep working to improve and go faster. Tomorrow the conditions will also be wet, so we’ll see how the day goes.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“We’ve finished the first day in Japan, a circuit that I really liked -right from the start. At the same time, it’s a bit tricky because of the weather conditions. The first morning practice was wet, but then it dried out and it was a bit difficult to ride with wet tyres in dry conditions. In the afternoon, in Practice 1, we struggled to set a clean lap. We have to improve our pace a bit and analyse today, to see what to improve for Qualifying.”