Dani Holgado will start from fifteenth position after progressing through Q1, whilst David Alonso will start seventeenth after his Q2 laps were cancelled – a session in which he had previously secured pole position – due to failing to meet the minimum rear tyre pressure requirement

CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar came within a whisker of securing their second consecutive pole position of the season. David Alonso was the fastest on the track, but following the technical inspection, it was found that the rear tyre pressure on Alonso’s bike was just below the level stipulated in the regulations, which is why his Q2 laps were cancelled. As a result, pole position went to Barry Baltus, followed by Alonso López and Ángel Piqueras. Dani Holgado made it through Q1 and will start from fifteenth place, whilst Alonso will start from seventeenth.

David Alonso continues to show his best form at COTA and has once again set the pace this Saturday. Although he wasn’t the fastest in the morning session, the Colombian used the free practice to make final adjustments ahead of the day’s crucial moment. The timed practice session for the intermediate class provided the perfect stage to demonstrate the high-level Alonso is currently at, as he improved his lap times on several occasions throughout the session. The CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar rider set his best time of the weekend in Q2, a 2:05.203, which also made him the fastest rider in the class. However, during post-qualifying checks at the technical control, it was found that the rear tyre pressure on Alonso’s bike was just below the level stipulated in the regulations (the required pressure is 1.65 bar, and the final reading, with an added tolerance, was 1.64 bar in the rear tyre). For this reason, Alonso’s laps in Q2 have been cancelled, meaning he will start tomorrow’s race from the sixth row of the grid. His teammate Dani Holgado has once again made it through Q1, just as he did last weekend in Brazil. The Spaniard is facing some challenges in securing a top spot on the grid, but he remains determined and continues to work hard with his sights set on Sunday’s race. The CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar rider will start from the fifth row and will aim to move up the field to defend his lead in the overall standings.

15th Dani Holgado 2:06.472: “It’s been a busy for us, but I’m happy because I’ve improved personally. It’s a weekend where I think I can learn a lot because I’m trying to enjoy it to the full, even if things don’t go quite as I’d like. We mustn’t write anything off yet; tomorrow we have a long, tough race. I’ll approach it with great enthusiasm and try to learn from the other riders to see what they’re doing differently to me. We’re motivated and we’re going for it.”

17th David Alonso (no time): “This morning I changed my riding style a bit more and when we looked at the telemetry data, it was completely different. In qualifying I kept that same position on the bike as it allows me to get much more out of it. When I was watching the Moto3 Q2, it was already clear to me that today we’d be riding very fast and that yesterday’s times wouldn’t count. Track conditions were very good and I tried to put in a good lap, pushing hard at the key points and focusing solely on myself. I’m a bit tired for tomorrow, but I’m going to recharge my batteries and recover so I’m ready. I’ll have to be very focused at the start and know how to manage tyre wear well.”