The CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team rider is the first Colombian to take pole position in the World Championship

CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team rider David Alonso has taken the first pole position of his Moto3 career at the Grand Prix of the Americas and has become the first Colombian to do so. Alonso will start from the first position of the grid tomorrow for the first time in the World Championship. The young Colombian has been the rival to beat from the very first moment in Austin and has been the fastest in all the sessions. 

In the morning, in the last practice session, Alonso had led the field after breaking the track record by setting a time of 2:14.153, beating the previous best time, held by Aron Canet since 2017, by half a second. In the fight for pole, the times have been slower due to the wind, but Alonso has been again the reference from the start. The Colombian rider has lowered twice his own mark to take pole on the last attempt at the chequered flag, with a time of 2:14.292. Just 17 thousandths of a second behind has ended José Antonio Rueda, who has qualified on the front row of the grid in every Grand Prix this season, has finished just 0.017 off Alonso and will start from second position tomorrow. The World Championship leader, Dani Holgado, has been the third fastest, two tenths of a second behind Alonso.

CFMOTO Valresa Aspar teammate Joel Esteban has qualified seventeenth, after having had to fight in Q1 to reach Q2. The Spanish rider has improved almost one and a half second his time from yesterday in the last practice session. However, his time has not been enough and he has had to go through Q1. Esteban has been in the top four in Q1 at all times and has made it through to Q2. Finally, the CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team rider has achieved a time of 2:16.232, which is good enough to start from the sixth row of the grid. 

1st David Alonso (2:14.292): "It has seemed strange when I have seen that I was first, I have had to look twice just in case. Saturdays are a bit difficult for me, but I am improving. I didn't want the pole position tally to be empty and now I have got my first one. I have always struggled a lot in qualifying and it is something I have been working hard to solve. This weekend I have focused on working on the tyres because they will be very important tomorrow. I am ready for the race, I have prepared well, I have ridden alone and we have to think about what strategy to follow."

16th Joel Esteban (+1.940): "It has been a day of learning. In practice I have managed to improve my lap time and we have been very close to qualifying for Q2. In Q1 I have managed to qualify for Q2, although my feeling has not been the best. I have not got the result I expected, but I am motivated, and I am looking forward to doing well."