David Alonso finished sixth in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix on a day when his team-mate Dani Holgado finished just behind him

The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders were just a few tenths off the Moto2 pole position. David Alonso set the sixth-fastest time of the day, whilst his team-mate Dani Holgado was seventh, just 59 thousandths behind. Both riders faced a very tight qualifying session, in which as many as eight riders were separated by less than half a second. The fastest of this group was Collin Veijer, who secured his first pole position in the intermediate category. Álex Escrig and Manu González complete the front row of the starting grid. 

As was the case with the Moto3 riders, the intermediate category also contested the morning free practice in wet conditions, although on this occasion the rain was present for part of the session. Alonso and Holgado made the most of these minutes to improve their feel in wet conditions, as the afternoon timed session presented a completely different picture. Both riders secured their places in Q2, meaning the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team had the opportunity to fight for the top positions on the grid. Alonso took a step forward compared to the previous day and improved his times despite heavy traffic in the final minutes. His 1:39.368 placed him in sixth position, on the second row of the grid and just two tenths of a second off pole. His team-mate Dani Holgado was also hampered by the high number of riders on the track in the final stages of qualifying, compounded by the fact that his first lap was cancelled for exceeding track limits. With just one attempt, the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider fought his way up the order to finish just behind his team-mate in seventh place, with a time of 1:39.427.

6th David Alonso 1:39.368 (+0.267): “This morning we made the most of the wet session to identify what we need to work on in these conditions. In the afternoon, during qualifying, the track was completely dry and we pushed to the limit, because after the rain I wasn’t sure how much grip the tyres actually had. I focused on improving the areas I still needed to work on from yesterday, especially in the final section of the circuit. In the second session, on a different set of tyres, I encountered a bit of traffic which prevented me from shaving off a couple of tenths. The pace was good; I’m happy with the result. Tomorrow I’ll start from the second row of the grid and I’ll have to be alert at the start to get to the front.”

7th Dani Holgado 1:39.427 (+0.326): “Qualifying was a bit chaotic because my lap in the first session was cancelled for exceeding the track limits. On the second attempt, our only remaining chance, I managed to keep my cool to put in a decent lap and secure a time that would allow me to improve from the back of the grid. I was three tenths off pole position and I’m a bit disappointed because I could have improved it by pushing the limits further. I’m happy overall, because I felt good, but I’m left with a niggling feeling that perhaps we could have been in the top five if they hadn’t cancelled that lap. It wasn’t a day to take pole, but I feel strong for tomorrow. The race at Jerez is always tough and very demanding; I’m sure it will be great for us to learn from and keep gaining experience.”