The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders have secured direct entry into tomorrow's Q2 after finishing third and fourth

Máximo Quiles and Dennis Foggia have returned to Europe in top form and secured a place in Saturday's Q2. The Spaniard set the third fastest time of the day, with his teammate behind him in fourth place, at just the right moment: just before the rain appeared in the final minutes. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team duo were only beaten by David Almansa, who set the pace on Friday, and Taiyo Furusato, who finished second.

The Portuguese Grand Prix got underway on Friday in perfect conditions for the riders to start working on their bike set-up. Máximo Quiles and Dennis Foggia did not want to miss the opportunity and completed an outstanding free practice session. Foggia, who was back on track after missing the last two races, was the fastest rider, while the Spaniard was sixth, just three tenths behind his teammate. In the afternoon, practice also took place in dry conditions, although the threat of rain was very present. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders set times similar to those of the morning, although slightly faster. In the final part of the session, Quiles and Foggia managed to secure a place in the top five, showing great form in the penultimate round of the season. At the end of the day, the weather forecast proved accurate and, with four minutes to go, the rain prevented any further improvement in lap times. At that point, Quiles was in third place and Foggia in fourth, just 35 thousandths behind the Moto3 rookie. Thanks to these results, both riders will avoid Q1 on Saturday and will be able to focus on fighting directly for the top positions on the grid.

3rd Máximo Quiles 1:47.295 (+0.239): “The day went well. I felt very comfortable with the bike this morning, although there are still things to improve. We made the most of the afternoon session because we knew it was going to rain, so we went out on track quickly to work on the bike. We have to keep working like this: riding alone and finding those areas where we can improve. I could set better times by following someone, but I preferred to concentrate on myself to have a good feeling during the race. I feel much more focused now that we're back in Europe. We have the opportunity to fight for the runner-up position, but I'm very satisfied with the season we're having, and whatever happens, I'll be very happy.”

4th Dennis Foggia 1:47.330 (+0.274): “I’m very happy to be back and to have done it this way. I wasn’t expecting it, but these past few weeks I’ve worked at home to recover and come back in the best possible condition. I want to continue having a good weekend and finish these last two races with the team as strong as possible.”