The class leader will start from third at the Qatar Grand Prix, with Carpe sixth, but with a double Long Lap to complete during the race.

Red Bull KTM Ajo will start the Qatar Grand Prix with Jose Antonio Rueda and Alvaro Carpe in third and sixth positions, respectively. The former was the fastest in Free Practice 2 and fought for Pole Position, whilst his rookie teammate continued to make solid progress. However, he will have to serve a double Long Lap after causing an incident with another rider in the closing stages of Q2.

Saturday brought more than favourable conditions for the Moto3 riders. In FP2, both Rueda and Carpe worked on their race pace, although temperatures will be very different on Sunday due to the time of the race.

Rueda took the lead past the halfway point and set three consecutive fastest laps, ultimately topping the session. He came close to his best time from Friday, stopping the clock at 2:03.357. He rode 15 laps in the morning. Carpe also appeared in the Top 5 throughout FP2. Finally, he finished seventh with a best time of 2:03.949, his fastest of the weekend so far. He completed twelve laps of the Qatari circuit.

After dusk, track conditions were ideal in Q2 for lowering lap times. Rueda was confident he could do his job alone, without the need for other riders for a tow. He quickly moved into first place, but Joel Kelso, following in his wake, temporarily took provisional pole position from him. Finally, after a strong lap from Ryusei Yamanaka, the current Moto3 leader dropped back to third, and will start from the front row for the second time this season. Rueda completed a total of seven laps, with a best time of 2:02.914.

The same number of laps was completed by Carpe. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider collaborated with his teammate and achieved a creditable sixth place, with his best quickest lap in Qatar to date: A 2:03.109. He was less than 2 tenths behind Rueda and under half a second off pole position.

After another Saturday of good results, Rueda and Carpe will take part in the 16-lap Moto3 Qatar Grand Prix from 5:00 PM (local time) on Sunday. Both, in a new opportunity to defend all the leads in the category, will contest the fourth race of the season.

Qualifying Results
1. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) | 2:02.638
2. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 2:02.679 +0.041
3. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 2:02.914 +0.276
4. Riccardo Rossi (Honda) | 2:02.938 +0.300
5. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | 2:03.000 +0.362
6. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 2:03.109 +0.471

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We worked very well during FP2 to draw conclusions for tomorrow’s race. In Qualifying, we needed to fine-tune our lap a bit to be able to fight for pole position. The feeling is bittersweet, because I think I could have gained a few more tenths, but starting on the front two rows is always positive in this class. Ultimately, I’m satisfied and have clear ideas for Sunday.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“It was a very good Saturday in Qatar. We already improved a lot yesterday, but we did so even more today, so the progress is positive. It’s a shame about the double Long Lap penalty we’ll have to serve in the race, but I couldn’t avoid the crash. Fortunately, the other rider is fine, and it was just a scare. I’m liking the track more and more, and the feeling is very good, so we’ll try to put on a great show tomorrow.”