CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar got off to a strong start at the Japanese Grand Prix, ranking among the fastest in the category, and tomorrow both riders will battle for the Moto2 pole position
Dani Holgado and David Alonso have kicked off the Asian tour in the best possible way. The Colombian was the fastest in Moto2, in a session that ended with six riders separated by just one-tenth. Class leader Manu González finished second, 33 thousandths behind Alonso’s time, while Izan Guevara was third, 60 thousandths behind. Close behind them were Tony Arbolino (+0.093) in fourth and Dani Holgado in fifth (+0.151).
The CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar riders have thoroughly prepared for the battle for Moto2 pole position. After a very positive free practice session for both, David Alonso and Dani Holgado finished third and fourth, respectively. The afternoon practice session allowed them to continue refining their setups to further adapt to a renovated circuit with excellent track conditions. In the afternoon, both riders slightly improved their times, though they were very similar to those set in the morning. The gaps within the top 5 have narrowed even further, and every thousandth of a second was crucial for moving up the standings. David Alonso set the fastest time (1:47.508), and none of his rivals were able to beat it. His teammate Dani Holgado once again secured a spot among the front-runners. His time of 1:47.659 puts him in fifth place. The CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar team will have a great opportunity tomorrow to continue improving in this final stretch of the season and secure a good position on the starting grid for the intermediate class.
1st David Alonso 1:47.508: “I was watching Moto3 while I was warming up, and I saw so many crashes that I thought, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t go out?’ The circuit did a great job repaving the track—it’s as smooth as a highway. There isn’t a single bump, and there’s a ton of grip. That’s why it’s surprising there are so many crashes. I think it’s because we’re all pushing right to the limit thanks to the track’s great condition. Today we saw that I was missing something with the new tire, but we had a good practice session for tomorrow and took a step forward. I’ve improved when it comes to setting a single-lap time, although it’s not a true reflection of our potential because today’s goal was to make it into Q2, not to fight for pole. It helped us practice, and tomorrow we’ll have to capitalize on that and shave off another tenth. We’ll also take advantage of the morning session—if it doesn’t rain—to see how much the tires wear down. Five of us riders are very close together, and tomorrow, whoever puts together the best lap will take pole. The good news is that we’re part of that group, so we’ll try to do everything perfectly to be among the chosen ones.”
5th Dani Holgado 1:47.659 (+0.151): “I feel really good after today’s work. I finished in the top 5 in both sessions and am very close to the fastest time. We need to keep this up to take another step forward and try to be faster. This afternoon we’ll analyze everything to see where we can improve; we have room to do so. We’ve been very solid and consistent since the first session, and I want to thank the team for all the work they’re doing. I’m looking forward to continuing to learn and improve for tomorrow’s qualifying.”
