The Colombian rider keeps up his great form and sets the fastest time of the day, more than half a second ahead of the second fastest rider

GASGAS Aspar Team rider David Alonso has come back to the track with the confidence that he gained after taking his first World Championship win at Silverstone and has led the way on the first day in Austria. The Colombian, who had been seventh in the morning session, has worked on his own for most of the session. In the afternoon, the GASGAS Aspar Team rider has set two consecutive fastest laps and has stopped the clock at 1:41.223, less than three tenths off the track record. The 17-year-old has once again shown his full potential and has clearly beaten the rest of his rivals, as he has finished more than six tenths ahead of Colin Veijer and Deniz Öncü, who have completed the first top 3 of the weekend, but he has also been a second faster than the World Championship leader, Dani Holgado. David Alonso closes his best Friday of the year with great feelings and aims high in the Austrian Grand Prix.

His GASGAS Aspar teammate, Ryusei Yamanaka, has finished the first day in fourteenth position, in the provisional Q2 places. The Japanese rider, who had closed the morning session in eighth position, has not been able to improve his time in the afternoon, but starts the Austrian Grand Prix with a good feeling. Yamanaka has felt more comfortable on the bike than in previous Grands Prix and will try to follow this path in order to get a good grid position and complete a good race.

1st David Alonso 1:41.223: “I have worked very well on my own. In the afternoon, I has set a great time with the new tyre and with a reference that I found without looking for it. This is a track I knew and I had to make the most of it. We have to keep going in this way.”

14th Ryusei Yamanaka 1:42.543 (+1.320): “I have had a good feeling today. The final position is not the best, but I'm happy. After a few races where things didn't work out, we have analysed where the problem was. We are in the good direction and I have felt more comfortable. Tomorrow we will try to improve our time.”