The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider will start from the first position at the Japanese Grand Prix. Alvaro Carpe, after a strong Saturday in Q1, will be 12th on the grid.

A fifth Pole Position of the season showed Jose Antonio Rueda’s potential at Mobility Resort Motegi on Saturday. The Moto3 World Championship leader was able to snatch the top spot late in Q2, giving him a prime place on the grid for the Japanese Grand Prix. Alvaro Carpe had a solid Q1 and took part in Q2 to finally reach the fourth row, in 12th.

Like on Friday, FP2 at Motegi was held in pleasant perfect conditions, with temperatures up to 31°C on track.

Rueda opted to work alongside David Muñoz, and the two alternated positions to take advantage of each other’s slipstreams, moving into second and third place respectively. Rueda demonstrated a strong pace throughout the session, in which he put in 16 consecutive laps -a virtual simulation of the race distance. A 1:55.188 was his best time and earned him second place in the session, just 11 thousandths of a second off the top spot.  Carpe bounced back after a poor Friday at Motegi, and also had a single long run in FP2. He combined working alone with following reference riders in front of him, and maintained a consistent pace throughout. Running in eighth position for almost the entire session, with a time 6 tenths faster than on Friday, he clocked a 1:55.864, also 6 tenths off the pacesetter. After completing 16 laps, Carpe finished twelfth.

Moto3 category faced the hottest conditions of the weekend during the Qualifying sessions, with temperatures near the 50°C in the Japanese Grand Prix.

In Q1, Carpe went out with a large group. After having his first lap scratched for his going off-track, his second lap attempt was hindered by another rider crashing right in front of him. Out on his own, Carpe moved up to second, then returned to the pits to change tyres, but was not in time to set any further flying laps. Thus, he concluded the session in the same spot, with his 1:56.392 taking him into Q2.

In the grid-defining session, Rueda put in eight laps -more than any other rider. He racked up two strong opening laps, temporarily putting himself in pole position. After a trip back to the box, he went out on track alone again, setting two more fast times that finally earned him pole. With a last gasp 1:54.826, he was the only rider able to break the 1:55 mark, beating all his rivals by more than 2 tenths of a second. It was his fifth pole position of the season and the sixth of his racing career. Carpe set a 1:55.530, 3 tenths faster than his morning time. He fought to get onto the second row until the final minutes, but a crash at Turn 1 -from which he escaped unharmed- as he began his penultimate flying lap put him out of contention. Finally, with six laps completed, the rookie finished 12th and will complete the fourth row of the grid.

In conclusion, it was a great Saturday for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo at Motegi. In addition to Jose Antonio Rueda’s Pole Position and strong pace, Alvaro Carpe stepped up, leaving Friday’s difficult feelings behind to show that he can fight in the front again. On Sunday, Rueda will run a special Japan-themed helmet for the 19-lap Moto3 Japanese Grand Prix, which will take place from 11 a.m. local time.  

Qualifying Results
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:54.826
2. Valentin Perrone (KTM) | 1:55.064 (+0.238)
3. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 1:55.080 (+0.254)
4. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | 1:55.094 (+0.268)
5. Taiyo Furusato (Honda) | 1:55.187 (+0.361)
12. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:55.530 (+0.704)

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“This morning went very well. I felt a little better on the bike compared to yesterday, which was very helpful for us to be competitive during qualifying. It wasn’t easy to set a perfect lap, but I pushed hard and, luckily, it worked out well on the last attempt. The team worked very well and we took Pole Position, which will be very important for getting a good start tomorrow and having a clear strategy.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“It was a good day today, and much better than yesterday. We’ve taken a big step forward, and I’m very satisfied with the work done by the entire team. Of course, we still have work to do to be in the best possible condition for tomorrow, but this is the way forward. We improved one second our best time from yesterday and I feel much more comfortable on the bike, so I’m very motivated for the race. Now we have to work hard to fine-tune some details and take another step forward in the race.”