The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider will start tomorrow from third position after finishing four tenths off pole

CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider David Alonso will start from third position on the grid in the Malaysian GP after finishing four tenths off poleman Adrián Fernández. Today, the track conditions were much better than yesterday, which has allowed the Moto3 riders to significantly improve their times. Alonso, who still does not have the best feeling in Sepang, has gone straight to Q2 after setting the fourteenth best time in the last practice session. In qualifying, the young Colombian has been able to take a step forward. The world champion has started strongly in Q2 and in his first attempt he has set a time of 2:10.015 which has allowed him to take the lead. Moments later, Iván Ortolá has crossed the finish line and has snatched the first position after beating him by just 120 thousandths. Neither Alonso nor Ortolá have managed to improve their times in their second outing on the track, but Fernández has done it and has taken pole position after completing a lap in 2:09.542. Fernández, who had already been the fastest in the last practice session, will start from the first position for the first time in his Moto3 career, while Ortolá and Alonso will complete the front row. The Colombian returns to the front row of the grid, a position he had not started from since the Japanese GP.

CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider Joel Esteban will start tomorrow from twenty-first position. The young rookie has managed to make progress in the last practice session compared to his times from yesterday and has reduced the gap to the best time by more than a second. However, it has not been enough to get into Q2, as he has ended less than two tenths off fourteenth position. As a result, the Spanish has had to compete in Q1, a session in which he has set the seventh best time. With this result, Esteban will start the Malaysian GP from the seventh row of the grid.

3rd David Alonso 2:10.015: “This weekend is being very difficult, because our thoughts are in Valencia, but we have to be professional and try to think only about the track in order to provide a good race. It has been difficult for us to adapt to the Malaysian style: letting the bike run, releasing the brakes earlier, looking for the gas early, the corners… It does not come naturally to me, to do things right I have to think. We are struggling and I thought I was going to have to compete in Q1. Fourteenth position this morning was more realistic than first position yesterday. For the qualifying session we have made a change in the bike, I have let myself go and I have got a good lap. Tomorrow's race will be like a practice session to learn the lines and watch my rivals to see if we can improve in the last laps."

21st Joel Esteban 2:11.509: "Today it has been better, but I am not happy with the result. I have been very close to getting straight into Q2, but then in Q1 I have not been able to get my full potential with the new tyre. I made some mistakes. The race is tomorrow and we have to keep working to take another step forward."