The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders will head the second and fourth rows of the grid at Misano on Sunday.

Jose Antonio Rueda and Alvaro Carpe achieved fourth and tenth in Q2 at Misano on Saturday, after a positive day with significant progress made by both riders. Rueda had finished second in FP2, and then came very close to Pole Position despite riding alone throughout Q2. Carpe made up for the time he missed on Friday with a strong morning session and a great Q1, before moving into the Top 10.

There were ideal conditions for FP2, with temperatures the same as in FP1: 18°C on track. The drier surface also allowed the riders to move closer to the circuit record.

Rueda got off to an excellent start, demonstrating speed and consistency. He rode alone and improved his own time on several consecutive occasions. The Moto3 World Championship leader, with Carpe, Piqueras, and Muñoz in his wake, showed his potential to set a strong pace in Sunday’s race with his lap times. Rueda completed the entire 30-minute session without interruption, setting his fastest lap in the final third of the outing and remaining very close to that marker on his final five laps. His 1:40.593 was 7 tenths quicker than his best lap from Friday, and put him second – just 0.006 thousandths behind Muñoz. Carpe tied Rueda for the most laps ridden in the session, with 18. The rookie also felt very comfortable from start to finish, lowering his best time from FP1 by almost a second in the first stages of the session. He had barely participated in Practice on Friday due to a crash, but despite a lack of track time he held a Top 10 position during the first half of the session. Carpe also completed the entire session without pitting, prioritising solo riding later on. His best time of 1:41.421 was his fastest ever at Misano, and he finished 14th.

By the afternoon, temperatures had risen sharply, to 35°C on track.

In Q1, Carpe pushed on his own in search of a spot in Q2. After his first flying lap, which left him third, he managed to move into first place with a great lap -his second best of the weekend- before changing tyres. Upon reemerging, several riders tried to follow Carpe, but he cut the throttle on his first hot lap. Despite improvements from some rivals, he made it into Q2 with the second-fastest time of the session: a 1:41.651.

In Q2, the field wanted to use Rueda as a reference, so the leader changed up his strategy, completing only one lap before returning to the pits to change tyres. Although several rivals followed him, he managed to have a clear track for an attempt at Pole. Although he reduced his best lap time significantly in the first sectors, the wind on the back straight prevented him from taking the position, which he missed out on by a tenth. Rueda’s best time from his eight laps was a 1:40.438, 18 thousandths of a second off the front row, for fourth place. Carpe completed seven laps and ended the session in 10th place. The rookie, who had taken advantage of his track time in Q1, was part of the main group in Q2. He set a 1:40.763, 7 tenths quicker than his previous best time of the weekend.

All in all, Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 is optimistic about Sunday’s race at Misano. With a confident and very fast Rueda, and Carpe getting closer and closer to the front, the team wants to continue making steady progress in the team standings at Misano. The 20-lap Moto3 San Marino Grand Prix takes place at 11:00 a.m. (local time) on Sunday.

Qualifying Results
1. Valentin Perrone (KTM) | 1:40.328
2. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 1:40.353 (+0.025)
3. Jacob Roulstone (KTM) | 1:40.420 (+0.092)
4. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:40.438 (+0.110)
5. David Muñoz (KTM) | 1:40.440 (+0.112)
10. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:40.763 (+0.435)

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“I’m happy with today. We’ve taken another step forward compared to yesterday and felt very comfortable in both Free Practice 2 and Q2. We would have liked to have been on the front row, and I think it was possible, but without a slipstream these things sometimes happen in Moto3. We have good pace for the race, we know we can fight at the front, but we have to be very careful with tyre wear on this track, because it can be crucial in the final stretch. There are many laps, and the last section is sure to decide everything. Whatever happens, we’re heading into the race with confidence, eager to enjoy ourselves and achieve a good result.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“Compared to yesterday, today was positive, and we felt pretty good. Both the team and I are happy with the performance we had on track today, so we’re feeling positive heading into Sunday’s race. Tomorrow, we need to find a little more pace to try not to suffer in the final stretch of the race, so we’ll try to be competitive in the head-to-head battles to fight for as many points as possible. We want to end the weekend on a high note, so we’re going to give it our all.”