The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider, with the track record included, will start first at his home Grand Prix, whilst Alvaro Carpe will take off from fifth position.

After coming close at previous races, Jose Antonio Rueda earned his first Pole Position of 2025 at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider, dominant for virtually the entire weekend so far, outpaced his rivals in Q2 and took the second Pole in Moto3 with a new track record (1:43.755). Alvaro Carpe, meanwhile, fought until the last minute to get onto the front row, but ultimately had to settle for fifth position.

After a great Friday, in FP2 the duo aimed to fine-tune details in order to be competitive in the afternoon’s Q2 session. Following the same pattern as on Day 1, Rueda was a frontrunner, even though he worked throughout the session on the same tyres -which didn’t allow him to lower his time further in the final stretch. With a best lap of 1:44.505, 2 tenths slower than his FP1 time, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider finished third after putting 17 laps. Carpe completed the same number of laps, also following a similar strategy to his teammate at Jerez. Although the rookie didn’t improve his time during the second part of the session, he managed to place ninth with a 1:45.223.

Q2 was held in very hot conditions, but Rueda proved unstoppable as he claimed his first Pole Position of the season. He worked alone from the start, although most of his rivals chased him throughout the session to look for a tow. With the best provisional time set on his first outing on track, Rueda secured Pole on his second run, with two consecutive fastest laps that left the other riders with no chance of beating him. A 1:43.755 was 2 tenths faster than the previous track record. Rueda also completed more laps than anyone else in Q2, with eight. Carpe rode seven laps, and fought until the end to join Rueda on the front row. However, time slipped away from him on the final lap. The leader of the Moto3 Rookie of the Year standings posted his best time of the weekend with a 1:44.207. He finished within a thousandth of a second of the Top 3, but will have to settle for starting from fifth on the grid.

After an equally or even more positive Saturday than Friday, the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders head into Sunday’s decisive day at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto with the intention of maintaining the team and rookies‘ leads and, in addition, regaining the riders’ lead. With victory and a podium finish on their minds, Rueda and Carpe will start the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. local time.  

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“I’m very happy to get my first Pole Position of the season here at Jerez. The feeling is incredible. I really enjoyed myself on the bike, so I hope to do that again tomorrow in the race. Racing at home always gives you extra motivation, and I also like this track, which suits me well. Every little helps. We’ve worked well on our own over these two days, and now it’s time to finish the job off in the race. The points are awarded tomorrow, so it’s all about making no mistakes and doing everything right.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“Today went very well. We’re happy because we qualified fifth, and our goal is always to be on the first two rows. The bike is working well, and we’re gradually achieving our objectives, so tomorrow we’ll try to fight for the podium. We’ve improved over a single lap, and also our pace, but we know there’s always room for improvement, and we’ll try to get better on Sunday. I feel strong both on my own and in a group, so tomorrow we’ll enjoy things calmly and without pressure.”