The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders take 1-2 finishes in both sessions on Friday and they start their home Grand Prix with confidence.

There was a promising start for Red Bull KTM Ajo at Jerez, as Jose Antonio Rueda and Alvaro Carpe took first and second places in Free Practice 1 and Practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. The former led both sessions, whilst his rookie teammate benefitted from his perfect track knowledge at his first familiar circuit of the season.

Rueda started confidently and led the standings from practically the first lap. He worked alone during his two runs, allowing him to focus on his race pace and confirm the speed he had already displayed during the IRTA test at Jerez in February. After 16 laps, he earned first place with a 1:44.299 time, less than a second off the circuit record he set in preseason. Carpe secured the team’s first one-two of season. The rookie, who is familiar with the track, had a very competitive final stretch of FP1 that propelled him to second place in the standings for the session. With 15 laps under his belt, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider posted a best time of 1:45.077. Although he was more than 7 tenths behind Rueda, he was one of the few able to lap within a second of his teammate.

With temperatures higher than in the morning session, the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders replicated their performance in Practice. Rueda again topped the timesheets from start to finish, beating his own marker several times. Of his 17 laps, a 1:43.770 was his best, just a tenth off the circuit record and more than a second ahead of his rivals. Second place once again went to Carpe, who posted a 1:44.812. Despite only completing 12 laps, he focused on improving his setup, and in the Time Attack was able to finish the job to start the Spanish GP in the best possible way.

All in all, a great day for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team, who will be looking to build on Friday to fight for Pole Position tomorrow at 1:15 p.m. (local time). Before that, in the morning, both riders will compete in Free Practice 2, starting at 8:40 a.m.

Practice Results
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:43.770
2. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:44.812 +1.042
3. Taiyo Furusato (Honda) | 1:44.827 +1.057
4. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) | 1:44.847 +1.077
5. Jacob Roulstone (KTM) | 1:44.984 +1.214

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We managed to put in a good lap and overall our work was good. The asphalt isn’t 100% perfect yet, but it improved a lot compared to the morning. In any case, it’s only the first day, so we can’t get distracted. I’m happy with my feeling and the work we’ve done, but I think we can keep making progress, and that’s our goal right now. I’m enjoying riding in front of my family and my home fans, and the track is very special, so I’m very happy to be here.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“The day went very well, but we have to keep working because we’re one second behind Rueda, and that means there’s still a lot to do. We have room for improvement in several areas; I know I can adjust some more things with the setup, and I also have to work on corner entry, so we’ll try again tomorrow. I feel very comfortable, and we’re enjoying the Grand Prix and the fans, which is the most important thing when you race at home.”