A wet but successful Friday in Austin sees the pair place sixth and eighth on the afternoon Practice.

The Grand Prix of The Americas got underway on Friday at Austin, with rain falling throughout Friday’s sessions. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda and Alvaro Carpe made their way comfortably into Q2. The World Championship leader was third in the morning and sixth in the afternoon, while the rookie took advantage of FP1 to understand the track and was at his best form in the afternoon to finish eighth.

FP1 was completely wet, despite the rain having stopped briefly. Rueda, with no previous experience in such conditions in Austin, was among the fastest in the session, right from the start. In the final stretch, the current Moto3 leader topped the standings on several occasions, eventually finishing second with a best time of 2:24.107. The Spaniard completed a total of 14 laps in the morning, using a special ‘Hell Cowboy’ themed helmet. Carpe completed 13 laps, riding for the first time at the Circuit of the Americas. With a time of 2:25.810, the 14th best of the field, the rookie took things cautiously and focused on familiarising himself with the layout and track conditions.

In similar conditions, Practice in the afternoon had times slightly slower than in FP1. Several riders experienced crashes when pushing hard, including Rueda, who lost his front end at the final corner without consequences. He was eventually sixth with a best time of 2:24.689, half a second slower than in FP1 and with only nine laps completed. Fourteen laps were put in by Carpe, who once again had a solid Friday with plenty of progress, despite facing a tricky circuit. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie finished Practice in eighth place with a fastest lap of 2:24.806.

All in all, a positive and successful Friday for the Moto3 duo. Both Rueda and Carpe go directly into Q2 on Saturday at 1:15pm local time. Before that, they will take part in FP2 from 8:40am.

Practice Results
1. Matteo Bertelle (KTM) 2:23.704
2. Maximo Quiles (CFMoto) 2:24.181 +0.477
3. Scott Ogden (KTM) 2:24.369 +0.665
4. David Almansa (Honda) 2:24.442 +0.738
5. David Muñoz (KTM) 2:24.532 +0.828
6. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:24.689 +0.985
8. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:24.806 +1.102

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“There were difficult conditions today. We’ve never ridden here in Austin in wet, so we had to learn. The feeling was positive since early in the morning. It’s true that in the afternoon we encountered a bit more water on the track, but we were able to overcome it despite the crash. It was a shame because it cost us a good part of the session, but we’re feeling good and confident for tomorrow. Let’s see if we’re lucky and encounter less water.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“It was a very positive day to start with here in Austin. In the morning we took things very calmly to get to know the track. The track conditions were a bit strange, so we focused on gathering information to be strong in Practice, and we did just that. Overall, I’m happy. I found the circuit to be really fun, so I’m sure we’ll have a good time over the two days we have left here.”