The rookie takes third position on the grid for the third time, with Alvaro Carpe eighth for the DutchGP.

A successful Saturday for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 at Assen saw them achieve a seventh front row of the 2026 season. Brian Uriarte took third place with a strong Saturday performance, whilst Alvaro Carpe has to settle for starting from eighth on the grid after being the fastest rider on Free Practice 2.

Once again, very hot conditions put the riders to the test on the second day of the Dutch TT. An ambient temperature of 27°C and a track temperature of 33°C awaited the Moto3 grid for Free Practice 2.

Carpe had a slow start, but gradually improved as the session progressed. He waited almost ten minutes to complete his first flying lap at Assen, after focusing solely on his race pace, riding alone. He ran a different strategy to his rivals, and with ten minutes remaining in the session, the Spaniard entered the pits to prepare for the second part of the session. On fresh tyres, Carpe set a 1:40.678, topping a seventh Free Practice session of the season, more than anyone else. Uriarte completed 18 laps -three more than his teammate. The rookie quickly moved into the leading positions for the first time this weekend. After the initial laps he remained competitive, working on his own race pace for Sunday. Without pitting and riding the entire session on used tyres, Uriarte was one of those with the most track time during FP2, finishing in 18th with a 1:41.229. This was 3 tenths faster than his previous best from Friday.

In the afternoon, the conditions remained the same, with an ambient temperature of 34°C and a track temperature of 47°C. The two Red Bull KTM Ajo riders decided to work together in Q2, making only one run in the session.

Uriarte managed to put in several good laps along with his teammate, going up into ninth on his first flying lap and moving into first place after using slipstreams from both Carpe and other riders. Employing a single-run strategy in Q2, the rookie had opportunities to lower his time on several occasions, but traffic on track prevented him from completing a clean lap. He finished third in Q2 for the third time this season, thanks to a 1:40.430 that was some 8 tenths quicker than his previous marker, and will occupy a position on the front row of the grid. Carpe was also on course for a front row spot early on, but after giving his teammate a tow, he couldn’t put together a complete hot lap. Waiting for a reference, he decided to pit shortly before the clock reached zero in the session, and couldn’t go back out in time to improve his lap. His 1:30.720 situates him eighth on the grid at Assen.

All in all, it was another good day for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team, which led the morning session and secured a front-row grid position in the afternoon. Brian and Alvaro will contest the 20-lap Dutch GP from 11 a.m. (local time) on Sunday.

Qualifying Results
1. Maximo Quiles (KTM) | 1:40.130
2. Joel Kelso (Honda) | 1:40.155 (+0.025)
3. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:40.430 (+0.300)
4. Marco Morelli (KTM) | 1:40.454 (+0.324)
5. Adrian Cruces (KTM) | 1:40.456 (+0.326)
8. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:40.720 (+0.590)

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“The day went quite well. My pace was good, and we also felt comfortable over a single lap, so we have to focus on the positives from today. I know Q2 could have gone a bit better, but I’m sure we can work around that tomorrow. We’ve had some trickier situations, so I’m confident heading into the race. The conditions improved somewhat today, so we’ll have to see what we find tomorrow and if the wind ends up being strong. Whatever happens, we’re ready to fight and give 100% on track.”

#51 BRIAN URIARTE

“I’m happy with this front row we achieved today. I think we have good enough pace to fight at the front in the race. At Brno it was more difficult, and even then on Sunday we were able to stick with the best riders, but here I think that I’m in the right place riding on my own. Today we’ve taken another step forward and we have a sound base for the race, so we’re going to try to fine-tune a few more details and rest up for tomorrow. I’m sure we can put on a good show, and if we can do it while fighting for the top positions, even better.”