The Turkish rider led the morning FP2 and was third in the Qualifying. Replacement rider Dani Muñoz will start from 17th on the grid.

Deniz Öncü had a positive Saturday at MotorLand, which included the top spot in FP2 and was rounded off by third place on the grid for the Aragon GP -his best ever Qualifying position in Moto2. Dani Muñoz performed well in Q2, but in a closely contested session, he had to settle for 17th place.

Temperatures on Saturday for FP2 were slightly lower than on Friday morning, although the track was much cleaner and benefitted the Moto2 riders.

Öncü began behind Moto2 World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez, and worked on his pace before putting in his usual two-lap Time Attack in the closing stages. Amongst them was a 1:50.190, improving his time from Friday by 7 tenths and setting a new all-time track record. He claimed the top spot in a practice session for the seventh time this year.

Muñoz put in 13 laps and used the session to better understand his new machine on long runs. Saving his efforts for Q2, he resisted the temptation to attack in the final stretch, posting a fastest time of 1:51.305 which shaved a few thousandths off his best lap from Friday. It was his new all-time quickest lap at MotorLand, and put him 15th.

With perfect track conditions for Q2, Öncü appeared to take the lead immediately, although his time was scratched due to the presence of yellow flags on the track. After his pit stop, he was 18th with no time recorded, forcing him to take a gamble. However, with composure and speed, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider took first place with a 1:50.166, cutting a few thousandths off his time from FP2. However, with the chequered flag already out, both Diogo Moreira and Barry Baltus lowered their times, relegating him to third place.

Muñoz also had a good Q2 performance. His 1:50.983, almost 4 tenths faster than his best lap from Friday, was positive, but wasn’t enough to secure a spot on the front rows. Although just one second off pole position, he placed 17th.

Good Saturday for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team, which will try to put both riders in the points and, why not, on the podium, during this next Sunday at MotorLand. The 19-lap Moto2 Aragon GP race will take place at 12:15 p.m. (local time).

Qualifying Results
1. Diogo Moreira (Kalex) | 1:49.940
2. Barry Baltus (Kalex) | 1:50.162 (+0.222)
3. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:50.166 (+0.226)
4. Aron Canet (Kalex) | 1:50.220 (+0.280)
5. Daniel Holgado (Kalex) | 1:50.407 (+0.467)
17. Daniel Muñoz (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:50.983 (+1.043)

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“It’s always nice to start from the front row. I will manage the race better at the start from this position, because on other weekends we have had the speed, but starting from the back of the grid complicates the situation a lot. We were close to pole position today, but having some riders in front of me gives me more hunger to do well tomorrow. We’re feeling much better than at the last two Grand Prix, so we’ll try to enjoy Sunday and give it our all to finish the weekend with a strong result.”

#17 DANI MUÑOZ

It was a very positive day for me. We continue to learn, which will be useful for the future, so I’m happy about that. Our final time in Q2 was very good, even though that wasn’t reflected by our position on the grid. The team have been working very well all weekend, and I hope to make them happy with a good race tomorrow. Plus, we’re racing at home, which is always special, so I’m looking forward to closing the weekend on a positive note