David Alonso and Dani Holgado will be battling for a podium finish in Indonesia from third and fourth on the grid respectively
CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar has had a great qualifying session in Indonesia. David Alonso and Dani Holgado set their fastest times on the final lap and will start third and fourth respectively tomorrow, separated by 41 thousandths of a second. Tomorrow they will face a demanding race from a good starting position to battle for the top places. Izan Guevara has secured his second consecutive pole position, followed by Álex Escrig in second.
The Moto2 qualifying session once again provided a thrilling battle for the front row of the grid. David Alonso and Dani Holgado prepared thoroughly for the session and worked on their race pace, which will once again put both riders and bikes to the test. The Colombian was the fastest this morning and in the afternoon was one of the most competitive riders, particularly during his second run on fresh tyres. The CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar rider set his best time of the weekend, 1:32.173, which placed him third. This will be the fourth time this season that he has started from the front row of the grid. His team-mate Dani Holgado also made the most of his opportunity at the Mandalika circuit. After finishing sixth in the morning practice session, he continued to improve in the afternoon to set, like the Colombian, his best time of the weekend: 1:32.214. This time placed him very close to the top three, just 41 thousandths behind, and tomorrow he will start from fourth position.
3rd David Alonso 1:32.173 (+0.210): “It’s been a great Saturday. I just needed to be a bit more competitive in qualifying – it wasn’t easy. I didn’t feel comfortable on the first set of tyres because I didn’t have much grip. Then, on the second set, I made a few mistakes and had to reposition myself. I kept my cool to get it right on the final lap. I’m practising my starts a lot and it seems I’m getting a bit better. I need to focus on that tomorrow. I’m sure the race will be like a qualifying session, but one lasting forty minutes. It won’t be anything new; everyone’s riding very fast and I don’t think there’ll be any surprises in that regard. You’ve got to get off to a good start and avoid getting into trouble or getting caught in slipstreams. If there’s a chance to overtake, we’ll do it, but we mustn’t let the rider in front pull away.”
4th Dani Holgado 1:32.214 (+0.251): “It’s been a very positive day and it’s gone much better than yesterday. I’ve worked quite well with the team and I’ve been more competitive. Yesterday I lacked a bit of speed and today I’ve been more consistent. It’s been a great effort from everyone. In this morning’s race simulation, I felt good as the laps went by. The timed session wasn’t easy: I didn’t feel great at the start and I struggled to manage that moment, but I kept my cool and managed to put in some good laps riding on my own. This afternoon it was a bit tougher because it was windier. I’m very happy and I’m ready for tomorrow.”
