David Alonso, second, and Ryusei Yamanaka, fifth, close the first day of action in Thailand among the strongest riders

The cold and rain of Australia has given way to Thailand's heat and humidity. There, Jaume Masià has been the fastest rider in the first free practices. The Spanish has kicked off the weekend with a new demonstration of his great shape and he will try to keep strong during all the sessions to recover the distance he lost at Phillip Island, where he almost missed out on the lead. The Spanish has set a best time of 1:42.318, just one tenth of a second faster than Gaviota GASGAS Aspar rider David Alonso's lap. Diogo Moreira has completed the top 3 after finishing more than two tenths off Masià's time. The other title contenders, Dani Holgado and Ayumu Sasaki, have ended in eighth and tenth place, respectively.

Gaviota GASGAS Aspar has completed its best Friday of the year in Thailand with its two riders inside the top 5. David Alonso has closed his first day in Buriram in second place. The Colombian has felt comfortable on an unknown track for him and has finished just one tenth off the best time. This weekend, Alonso is fighting for an ambitious aim, to become the best rookie of the season. The Colombian has started on a good note and he will try to keep working in this line to achieve it. His teammate Ryusei Yamanaka has had a positive day in Thailand and has ended in fifth position. The Japanese rider had been third in the morning after stopping the clock in 1:42.745, a time that he has not been able to improve in the afternoon, but with which he has remained among the strongest riders. Yamanaka will look to make further progress tomorrow in order to get a good grid position and be able to fight with the front group in Sunday's race.

2nd David Alonso 1:42.430 (+0.112): “I have felt comfortable from the beginning. The circuit has several braking points that allow us to show our strengths. I have had the confidence to ride on my own and I have done a great job. When I have gone out on new tyres, I have been competitive and this has allowed me to finish in second position. We have to keep working in this line to be well prepared for the race.”

5th Ryusei Yamanaka 1:42.745 (+0.427): “Today I have had a great feeling with the bike. Finishing the first day in the top 5 is very important, but we still have margin to improve our time. I think I can keep making progress and I want to prove it tomorrow. We're going to enjoy this weekend.”