The rookie takes his fifth front-row start of the season. Alvaro Carpe makes it out of Q1 and places ninth in Q2, but he will start 21st following a penalty.

Brian Uriarte secured second on the grid at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Saturday. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie was the fastest rider in Free Practice 2, then claimed his fifth front-row start of the season in Q2. Alvaro Carpe made significant progress, placing fourth in the morning session and ninth in Q2, having comfortably topped Q1 for the San Marino Grand Prix. Unfortunately, he will start from 21st after a penalty for a slow sector in Q1.

Conditions during Free Practice 2 were very similar to those in Free Practice 1: The track was completely wet, albeit with 20ºC temperature and the sun shining.

Uriarte was among the first riders to exit the pits, gathering data and subsequently pulling off a remarkable save when coming out of Turn 6. Building momentum as the session progressed, he quickly moved into the Top 5 and claimed the top spot in the closing stages. With two consecutive fast laps, he comfortably led the session, finishing more than 4 tenths clear of his rivals. Having completed 12 laps and setting a best time of 1:52.262, he headed his fourth free practice session of the season.  Carpe opted not to take excessive risks early on. Following the same plan as his teammate, he was among the first out, but held back on pushing hard until the final run. He went from the Top 10 -trailing the leaders by just over 3 seconds- to fourth place, finishing only 6 tenths behind his teammate with his 1:52.924. He also completed 12 laps in the session.

In the afternoon, conditions improved for qualifying, with a dry surface and sunshine over Misano. This allowed the Moto3 riders to contest both sessions with optimal track conditions, with a track temperature of 37°C.

In Q1, Carpe set out determined to ride alone. After an early scare, the Spaniard had to abort his first flying lap. Fortunately, his second attempt was successful; he set a provisional best time for the weekend of 1:41.850, placing him first at that stage. After a tyre change, most of his rivals tried to wait for the Spaniard, but he shook them off to find a slipstream, clocked a 1:41.519, secured the top spot and advanced to Q2 for the fourth time in as many Q1 sessions this season.

In Q2, Uriarte headed out alone, trailing the main pack of riders. On his first attempt, the Spaniard moved up to second place with a 1:40.829 -a time that already improved upon his best effort of the weekend by 8 tenths. He shifted his strategy to prioritise a single long run, only returning to the pits with two minutes remaining in an attempt to squeeze in a second run. However, he did not have enough time and took the chequered flag before starting a flying lap, having completed seven laps in total. He did, however, manage to hold onto second place, securing his fifth front-row start of the season. Carpe was in a good position at the start of Q2. Once again, he chose to discard his first flying lap in favour of pushing hard on the second, allowing him to climb to sixth place with a time almost identical to his Q1 marker. Unlike his teammate, Carpe did complete two runs, returning to the pits for a tyre change with just five minutes left in the session. He faced heavy traffic during his second outing and struggled to find a clear track, ultimately having to lead the group while managing to shave off only a few thousandths of a second from his time. However, several riders behind him also improved their times, causing Carpe to slip to ninth place overall with a 1:41.556, having completed six laps. However, a 12 grid positions penalty will force him to start in 21st after receiving a second offence for pacing a slow sector in Q1.

All in all, it was a great Saturday for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team, which managed to get both its riders not only into Q2, but also onto the first three rows of the grid, despite Alvaro’s final penalty. Both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders will compete in the Moto3 San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. (local time), scheduled for 20 laps.

Qualifying Results
1. David Almansa (KTM) | 1:40.612
2. Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:40.829 (+0.217)
3. Joel Kelso (Honda) | 1:41.009 (+0.397)
4. Valentin Perrone (KTM) | 1:41.111 (+0.499)
5. Maximo Quiles (KTM) | 1:41.127 (+0.515)
9. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:41.556 (+0.944)

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“Today was a very positive day at Misano. I finished the session feeling motivated and in much higher spirits than yesterday, which is a great boost heading into tomorrow’s Grand Prix. We’re back where we need to be in terms of confidence, in what is a complete turnaround from yesterday. We couldn’t test much out during Free Practice 2, but Q1 went really well; it was great for racking up laps and getting some track time. It’s a shame we couldn’t put together a clean lap in Q2, but we’re confident we can take another step forward before the race. After the penalty, we’ll need a good start if we want to battle for a good position, but we’re ready for anything.”

#51 BRIAN URIARTE

“We took a good step forward today. Yesterday’s crash is behind us now, and our confidence remains strong, which is the most important thing. We felt really, really good in the mixed conditions this morning, and we were quite fast in the dry this afternoon, so the overall assessment of this Saturday is very positive. I think we’re a bit closer to the race favourite now, so the plan is to keep working with my crew this afternoon to prepare for the race in the best possible way. Fighting for the win is a realistic goal, so we’re going for it.”