Amidst mixed conditions on the first day of the Italian Grand Prix, Carpe earns a direct spot in Q2 -with Uriarte going into Q1 for the first time this season.

Red Bull KTM Ajo undertook the first day of the Italian Grand Prix with contrasting conditions across the two sessions on Friday. Alvaro Carpe, was 12th in Practice, whilst Brian Uriarte was just 72 thousandths of a second off joining him in Q2 directly despite being very fast on wet conditions in FP1.

Complying with the forecasts, weather conditions at Mugello were tricky on Friday morning, with the track completely wet for the start of Free Practice 1 -although the rain had allayed by the time the session got underway. Track temperature stood at 20°C and there was 81% humidity.

Uriarte once again demonstrated his skill in adverse conditions, making steady improvements throughout a session for which he delayed his start – due to a problem with one of the protective systems. Once out on track, the rookie quickly moved into the Top 10 positions, demonstrating his speed in the rain. He had an uninterrupted run of 11 laps in total, the best of which was a 2:11.081 for 4th place. Carpe had a more extensive session, but was more cautious than his teammate, not wanting to take excessive risks. With a steady but much more controlled progression, he finished the first session of the weekend in 23rd place, with a top time of 2:13.277 and 13 laps completed.

In the afternoon, conditions changed completely, and the sun came out over the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, raising track temperatures to 30°C with 62% humidity.

From the outset, Carpe showed great competitiveness in dry conditions, quickly moving into the top positions on the timesheets. After his first stint, in which he focused on his race pace, he was second, just 16 thousandths of a second off the top spot. In the final six minutes he turned his attention to a Time Attack, but was unable to improve his time due to heavy traffic. His previous time of 1:56.409 was, however, enough to secure him a direct spot in Q2 in 12th place. Like his teammate, Uriarte, completed 14 laps, and demonstrated his potential in both dry and wet conditions. The rookie concluded  his first run in the Top 6, just 2 tenths of a second off the fastest time. After a trip to the pits, he came back out pushing for a fast time, but also encountered traffic. Despite improving his previous best time, he was 72 thousandths of a second shy of the cut for Q2, meaning he will have to go through Q1 for the first time this season. Uriarte finished 15th.

All in all, it was a challenging but positive day for Red Bull KTM Ajo, who took valuable data from both sessions to continue making progress throughout the weekend, whatever the weather conditions may be. Tomorrow, the pair will take part in Free Practice 2 on Saturday, starting at 8:40 a.m. (local time). Uriarte will be the first to take to the track for Q1 at 12:45 p.m., with Carpe straight into Q2 at 1:10 p.m.

Practice Results
1. Scott Ogden (KTM) | 1:55.812
2. Marco Morelli (KTM) | 1:55.848 (+0.036)
3. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) | 1:55.963 (+0.151)
4. David Muñoz (KTM) | 1:56.056 (+0.244)
5. Valentin Perrone (KTM) | 1:56.155 (+0.343)
12. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:56.409 (+0.597)
15. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:56.506 (+0.694)

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“I’m happy with today. This morning we weren’t completely comfortable in unfavourable conditions, but we didn’t want to take unnecessary risks and focused on racking up kilometres. In the afternoon, I felt much better, we found some speed and gathered good data. The final position for us doesn’t quite reflect how we felt, but at this circuit slipstreams make a big difference and the last laps of the Time Attack always have an element of chance to them. Now we have to focus on tomorrow and finish fine-tuning a few things we’ve already identified as improveable.”

#51 BRIAN URIARTE

“It was a day of changing conditions. We had to go out in the wet this morning, but I’m sure it helped us improve a few things for the rest of the weekend. Practice went quite well; I was able to ride alone and understand this track better. I think we did a good job, even though we didn’t manage to get into Q2. It’s very tight, but I feel comfortable, so I’m confident I can have a good Saturday and get through to Q2 -which will be important for securing a good position on the grid.”