With Carpe leading the way by setting the all-time track record and Rueda second, the two moved into Q2 after a mixed Friday on a new track for both.

It was an unbeatable Friday for Alvaro Carpe and Jose Antonio Rueda at Brno. Carpe topped the timesheets in Practice, including setting a all-time track record, whilst Rueda was right behind him, demonstrating confidence and adaptability in all possible conditions. Tomorrow, once again directly in Q2, both will fight for Pole Position and the front row of the grid.

As has happened at recent Grands Prix, rain made an appearance in the Czech Republic. Free Practice 1 started with temperatures of 19°C on a damp track, which then gave way to rainfall.

Rueda started cautiously to explore the track without taking too many risks. Starting out in the Top 15, the Moto3 World Championship leader climbed positions as the laps passed, despite the arrival of the rain, rising to eighth with just over ten minutes left in the session. In the final minutes, Rueda improved again, setting a time of 2:14.677 on his 14th lap of a total of 16, which gave him sixth place.

Carpe wasn’t able to make the most of the session as much as his teammate. Despite starting out in the Top 10, he suffered a fast crash at Turn 11 on his fifth lap, leaving his bike severely damaged. Fortunately, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider was unharmed and was able to return to the pits, although the repair process took too long for him to get back on track. With just four laps completed, the rookie had to settle for 22nd place and a best time of 2:17.192.

In Practice, the track remained dry, despite the presence of clouds throughout the session. It was 12 degrees warmer on the track and there was much less humidity, and the session saw 24 of the 25 riders present beat the previous track record from 2014.

Carpe was convinced he could make up for all the time lost in the morning Free Practice and quickly got among the Top 5. From then on, he focused on adapting to the circuit and getting to know its characteristics better, and thus his place in Q2 wasn’t guaranteed until the final Time Attack. In this second and final outing, he made a great team effort alongside Rueda, which helped both beat their best time, with the rookie the fastest of the two. With this 2:05.840, Carpe shaved more than two seconds off the previous track record to lead Friday’s most important session, after 11 laps completed at Brno.

Rueda took a while to set his first flying lap after waiting several minutes to go out on track, in addition to encountering traffic on his first attempt. After an initial scare that nearly caused him to collide with several riders, Rueda rose into the Top 14 before heading to the pits. Upon exiting, he worked hard with Carpe to climb to second place and seal a one-two for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team. Just 0.157s slower than his teammate, Rueda set a 2:05.997 on his 11th flying lap out of 13.

All in all, it was a great day for the two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders as they made their debut on a new track for both of them. With Free Practice 2 and Q2 as the next targets, we will have to wait until Saturday morning to find out whether the second day’s sessions will be held in the wet or the dry. Both riders will compete in FP2 on Saturday, starting at 8:40 a.m. (local time) and Q2 at 1:10 p.m.

Practice Results
1. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 2:05.840
2. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 2:05.997 (+0.157)
3. Maximo Quiles (KTM) | 2:06.174 (+0.334)
4. Guido Pini (KTM) | 2:06.211 (+0.371)
5. Valentin Perrone (KTM) | 2:06.278 (+0.438)

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Our first day in Brno went very well. It’s a fun, wide track with many possible lines. It has a gradient, which is always different, so I really liked it. We’ve been watching races from previous editions and it’s gone well for us here right away, so I’m happy with the first sessions and with our adaptation. You can tell there isn’t much rubber laid down as the asphalt is new, but it has a lot of grip, both in the dry and the wet, so I’m very happy. It will be important to see how the tyres perform here to understand the degradation in the race, but so far, I’m satisfied with the feeling and the results.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“It was a difficult start in the morning due to the crash, but we managed things well in Practice. I didn’t feel particularly comfortable this morning in the rain and I made a mistake that cost us almost the entire session. However, in the dry, I adapted quickly to the track and felt very fast right from the start. There are many possible lines in Brno and it’s easier to ride fast, so it wasn’t too difficult to understand how to ride here. We have to work on the tyres because the asphalt is new, and also on our race pace, but we’re learning and I’m sure we’ll be ready for Sunday.”