The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders handle challenging conditions in the Algarve to place ninth and fourteenth in Practice.

There was a successful first day for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 at Portimao, as riders Alvaro Carpe and Brian Uriarte secured a direct spot into Q2. After showing promise in Free Practice 1, they finished ninth and fourteenth, respectively, in the afternoon, on a cold Friday with light rain.

Conditions were relatively stable but cold at the start of the day, with track temperatures of 18°C and 74% humidity.

Carpe was among the top riders from his first flying laps in FP1, being the fastest of one sector time on each attempt in an impressive run. He then focused on working on his pace for Sunday, fine tuning details to ride more comfortably and adapt his setup. Before the end of the session, the Spaniard was able to lower his time slightly once more, to an 1:48.133. He was 16th after 15 laps completed. Uriarte was making his debut with Red Bull KTM Ajo in an official practice session, replacing the injured Jose Antonio Rueda. He tried to accumulate as many kilometres as possible during the 14 laps he rode at Portimão, finishing just 77 thousandths of a second behind his teammate and less than 8 tenths of a second off the session’s fastest time. Uriarte concluded FP1 in 17th with a time of 1:48.210, and feeling good -despite the trickiness of the low track temperature.

It was slightly warmer in the afternoon, as temperatures rose to 24°C on track, but conditions remained overcast with the threat of rain. The Moto3 field looked to set a fast lap time early in case conditions became wet.

Carpe secured a strong position within the Top 14 early on, avoiding the pressure of taking any last-minute risks based on the weather conditions. He had set the seventh fastest time before he pitted, and whilst waiting to come back out for a Time Attack, rain appeared and all of the Moto3 riders returned to the boxes. After completing 13 laps, he was ninth fastest in the afternoon with a 1:47.652, just under 6 tenths of a second away from the top spot. He was also less than 4 tenths of a second off his personal best time at Portimão, set last year in the JuniorGP series. Uriarte, the 2025 champion in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and JuniorGP, followed the same script as his teammate, going all-out to set a fast time. He was on the brink of the Top 14 before his tyre change, and in the final stages was actually helped by the rain, as he defended his position whilst others struggled with damp patches on track. Without any significant improvement in the closing stages, Uriarte held onto 14th place by just 1 tenth of a second, securing his second direct entry into Q2 from three World Championship appearances. His 1:47.926 was his best ever time in the Algarve, improving his morning lap by 3 tenths of a second.

All in all, it was an exciting start for both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders, with Carpe performing as we have come to expect throughout the season and Uriarte making the best possible debut with the team. Both riders will go directly into Q2 on Saturday, which will take place from 1:10 p.m. (local time). Before that, Free Practice 2 will be held at 8:40 a.m. at Portimao.

Practice Results
1. David Almansa (Honda) | 1:47.056
2. Taiyo Furusato (Honda) | 1:47.191 (+0.135)
3. Maximo Quiles (KTM) | 1:47.295 (+0.239)
4. Dennis Foggia (KTM) | 1:47.330 (+0.274)
5. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) | 1:47.364 (+0.308)
9. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:47.652 (+0.596)
14. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:47.926 (+0.870)

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“I’m very happy to be back at the front of the pack, where we’ve shown many times we can be regularly. I like this track and the initial landing has been good. I think we’re back to a good level compared to the flyaway races; we have a good feeling and we’re satisfied with our pace. Motivation is at a high and I’m confident we can have a good weekend, so we’ll keep going. We’ve found our rhythm again, we’re comfortable, and we want to take it step by step, so we’ll keep improving and gaining experience in the two days that remain. I’m sure we can fine-tune a few details to be a little further up the order tomorrow.”

#51 BRIAN URIARTE

“I’m happy with how I felt today. This Friday was very important for me, because it was my debut with the team I’ll be riding for next season, so I’m happy to be able to do this and even happier to be able to go straight into Q2. We’ve adapted quickly to the team and the bike, although we still have a long way to go and many laps to do to keep improving. For now, I think we’re doing quite well, so I’m a bit more relaxed for tomorrow. Now it’s time to concentrate to keep closing the gap to the fastest riders and to take another step forward tomorrow.”