Dani Holgado set the fourth-fastest time on Friday, whilst Alonso will have to go through Q1 after being unable to complete more than five laps due to a technical issue

Dani Holgado has once again made a strong start to the Catalan Grand Prix. The CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team rider set the fourth-fastest time, two tenths behind the fastest Moto2 rider. Celestino Vietti set the pace in the intermediate class, followed by Senna Agius and Alonso López, all separated by just a few thousandths. David Alonso, however, faced a difficult Friday despite a marked improvement in his shoulder discomfort. A technical problem prevented him from completing the session and he will have to compete in Q1 tomorrow.

The CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team has kicked off a demanding weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Low temperatures and a lack of grip on the track forced riders and teams to give their all in this morning’s free practice session to find a good set-up that would secure them a place in Q2 this Saturday. In the afternoon, Dani Holgado was one of the most consistent riders in the intermediate class. The Spaniard, who briefly led the standings at times, rode alone and maintained a good pace to prepare for a race in which tyre management will be key. With a time of 1:41.815, more than a second faster than this morning, Holgado finished in fourth place, which will allow him to compete in Q2 and continue working with the team to secure a good position on the starting grid that will enable him to fight to defend his 2025 victory at the Catalan Grand Prix. Meanwhile, David Alonso has not had the start to the weekend he had hoped for in Barcelona. The Colombian has been working this week to arrive at the Grand Prix as recovered as possible from his shoulder discomfort, and has shown a marked improvement in that regard during his time on track. However, the Colombian was barely able to get any laps in during the afternoon session. An electronic fault prevented him from completing more than five laps towards the end of the session, meaning he will have to go through Q1 tomorrow after finishing in twenty-sixth place today.

4th Dani Holgado 1:41.815 (+0.204): “I’m really pleased with today’s work. I’ve really enjoyed it, which is what matters most. I’ve made progress and improved both my feel for the bike and my riding. This morning I tried a new tyre, but I didn’t feel very comfortable on it, so I went back to using my usual tyre. I rode on my own and maintained a very consistent pace. In the afternoon I improved my time significantly and I’m very pleased about that. I’m feeling better and better, and that’s important for a good weekend. Tomorrow morning we’ll do a long run to prepare for the race. Tyre wear is severe on this circuit; you have to manage it very well, especially with the rear tyre. We’ll focus on that tomorrow. Then, in qualifying, it’ll be time to push hard to get into the first or second rows.”

26th David Alonso 1:43.401 (+1.790): “I’m feeling much better and my shoulder is hardly bothering me at all. I’m finding it hard to bring the bike to a stop under braking, but that’s more a question of the set-up. Tomorrow I need to make the most of free practice to get in as many laps as possible, as I need to spend more time on the track. Today there was a combination of factors that meant things didn’t go quite as we’d have liked, but tomorrow is another day and we have to keep trying. We’ll have to work this afternoon to find the fault that prevented us from riding for almost the entire session. It seems to be an electronic issue and, sometimes, these kinds of problems are hard to pinpoint.”