The two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders will start from the third row at the Catalan GP.

Jose Antonio Rueda and Alvaro Carpe will begin the Moto3 Catalan Grand Prix from the third row of the grid, after a solid Qualifying showing on Saturday. The pair were seventh and ninth, respectively, albeit less than half a second off Pole Position.

The action at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya got underway in slightly cooler conditions than on Friday, with an ambient temperature of 17°C.

Rueda was the first to take the track, as soon as the lights went green to get the session going. Focused on continuing to work on his pace, the Moto3 World Championship leader was in the Top 10 throughout the session. He completed the entire 35 minutes without returning to the pits, practically matching his best time of the weekend on his final flying lap. With a 1:48.047, Rueda finished in fifth, with 17 laps completed -more than any other competitor. Carpe struggled with the same difficulties as on Friday initially. Like his teammate, the rookie also decided to work alone. However, past the halfway point of the session he was only in 22nd place, more than two seconds off the top spot. Later on, after fitting new tyres, Carpe was able to make a leap up amongst the frontrunners, improving his best time twice in a row for ninth. His 1:48.290 was his best time of the weekend so far, and he put in 14 laps in FP2.

Track temperatures came close to 40°C for Q2, for which both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders had earned a place on Friday.

Rueda was again rapid in emerging from the box, with a long line of riders in his wake. After the first laps of the session, he still wasn’t able to put together a perfect lap, but before changing tyres he was nevertheless inside the Top 5. On his second run, he improved his marker twice, and was just 2 tenths off pole position. However, with no reference points or slipstreams, Rueda decided to continue pushing with a clear track ahead, which ultimately led him to be relegated to seventh on the grid. His best lap was a 1:47.240, set on his eighth and final lap, and secured him a spot on the third row. Carpe was part of the fight for pole position at the Catalan GP. He got off to a good start, breaking into the Top 10. After a tyre change, he was able to ride behind his teammate, which allowed him to improve his time on two more occasions and finish just 0.78 seconds behind Rueda. His 1:47.318 was his best ever lap in Barcelona, and Carpe will start from ninth place. He rode seven laps in Q2.

All in all, a successful Saturday for Red Bull KTM Ajo in Moto3, which is now preparing to achieve two good results in Sunday’s race. Rueda and Carpe will both be on the third row for the 18-lap Catalan GP, which gets underway on Sunday at 11 a.m. (local time).

Qualifying Results
1. David Almansa (Honda) | 1:46.877
2. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 1:47.079 (+0.202)
3. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | 1:47.086 (+0.209)
4. David Muñoz (KTM) | 1:47.096 (+0.219)
5. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) | 1:47.233 (+0.356)
7. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:47.240 (+0.363)
9. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:47.318 (+0.441)

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Today we went into FP2 with some changes from yesterday, and they worked out for us, so we kept them for Qualifying. By the afternoon, I felt much more comfortable and confident, so I’m very satisfied with that. Tomorrow’s race will be difficult due to the heat and the low grip level on the track, but we’re racing somewhere that I really like and that’s very special to me, so I’m going into it with maximum motivation. We have a Long Lap to complete, so we’ll have to work hard to be in the leading group at the most important moment of the race.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“I’m very happy. We’ve improved a lot and I feel fast on the bike again, after several difficult weeks. We’ve also been able to improve our setup, so I’m calm and confident in that regard. We’re all very close together, so tomorrow’s race will have a group at the front, with an ability to battle being important. The fact that we are 2 tenths of the front row was unthinkable yesterday, so I’m positive about how we did in Q2. I also want to thank my teammate for his work, as he gave us a reference during the session. Tomorrow we’ll put up a fight and see if we can get a good result, which is long overdue.”