The Dutchman achieves his third best Q2 result as a Moto2 rider, while stand-in teammate Muñoz has to settle for 17th.

Qualifying for the Indonesian Grand Prix took place on Saturday at Mandalika, and Red Bull KTM Ajo experienced mixed fortunes in the intermediate class. There was a good grid position for Collin Veijer in seventh, although his stand-in teammate will start from the sixth row, in seventeenth place, on Sunday after not reaching his full potential in the hottest laps of the session.

Amidst slightly cooler temperatures than on Friday (43°C on track), but with humidity at 74%, the intermediate class riders went out for FP2 in the morning.

Muñoz was coming off his best Free Practice session result to date from Friday, and on Saturday morning he continued that form. He focused on working with used tyres to analyse his bike’s performance, with the closing stages of the race in mind. In the final minutes, he put in a single hot lap to prepare for qualifying, and this 1:33.326 put him back into the Top 15. He rode 16 laps in total, and was 11th with a time 1 tenth off his Friday marker -and 7 tenths from the top spot. Veijer didn’t get off to a great start in FP2, with a heavy crash at Turn 16. He escaped unharmed, and returned to the garage to get his bike fixed.  After a few minutes in the pits, the Dutchman was able to go back out, looking to climb his way up the timesheets from 27^th. As the laps went by, he improved his performance and gradually increased his confidence, eventually reaching 17th place. He was less than a second off the session’s best time, and a single tenth off his best lap of the weekend. Veijer posted a 1:33.506 on the last of the 15 laps he completed at Mandalika in the morning.

The Moto2 field had to contend with a Q2 session with track temperatures of 55°C and 71% humidity on Saturday afternoon.

Veijer failed to complete a strong hot lap during his first run, and had to wait until the last minute to take a step forward. After a somewhat inconsistent session, the Dutchman managed to put in a perfect lap with the chequered flag already being waved. It allowed him to shave more than 6 tenths off his best time of the weekend and lift him to seventh on the grid, his third best Q2 result ever in the intermediate class. He put in a 1:32.825 and a total of eight laps, and was less than half a second away from Pole Position. Muñoz also struggled to lay down a marker early on, but was less fortunate than his teammate. Despite starting his second stint behind Manuel Gonzalez, one of the standout riders in Moto2, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider couldn’t put together a competitive complete lap in the final minutes of the session. He had to settle for 17th on the grid, as he did in Japan at the previous round. His best time was a 1:33.452, 2 tenths slower than his best time of the weekend. Muñoz completed nine laps in Q2, more than anyone else in the session.

In conclusion, Saturday ended on an optimistic note in the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 box. After a generally positive day, both riders are clear contenders to fight for good points during tomorrow’s race. The 22-lap Moto2 Indonesian Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. at the Mandalika International Circuit.

Qualifying Results
1. Diogo Moreira (Kalex) | 1:32:341
2. David Alonso (Kalex) | 1:32.499 (+0.158)
3. Izan Guevara (Boscoscuro) | 1:32.516 (+0.175)
4. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) | 1:32.598 (+0.257)
5. Daniel Holgado (Kalex) | 1:32.671 (+0.330)
7. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:32.825 (+0.484)
17. Daniel Muñoz (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:33.452 (+1.111)

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“This morning wasn’t easy, with a crash at Turn 16. Fortunately, after going back on track, the pace was amazing and the feeling was even better. In the afternoon, we struggled a little bit during the two first laps of Qualifying, but finally I made it back to Pit Lane to set a great lap on our last attempt. Seventh on the grid for tomorrow is a very good position, so we’ll see what we’re capable of during the first laps tomorrow, which will be the most important part of the race.”

#17 DANIEL MUÑOZ

“It was a somewhat difficult day today at Mandalika. This morning we felt very good in terms of our pace, so we can say that we took a step forward in Free Practice 2. However, when we put on the new tyres we weren’t at our best, something we also experienced in Qualifying -where I couldn’t put together a perfect lap. Whatever happens, tomorrow we’ll try to have a good race and make up as much ground as possible.”