The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider was the fastest on Friday. His teammate Marco Morelli finished tenth and will also compete in Q2 tomorrow
Máximo Quiles has started the Hungarian Grand Prix on a high note. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider, who won at Balaton Park last season, was once again the fastest Moto3 rider at the start of the weekend in Hungary. The Spaniard was up to three tenths faster than Veda Pratama, who finished second, and David Almansa, who was third. Marco Morelli will join Quiles in Q2 after finishing tenth on his first visit to the Hungarian circuit.
The first day of the Hungarian Grand Prix has been very positive for the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders. Just as happened last year, Máximo Quiles felt very comfortable from the very first laps and was once again one of the riders who adapted most quickly to the circuit. Marco Morelli, on the other hand, was facing a new track, so his approach was completely different and finding his references was his main objective this morning. The Argentine was very consistent and, after just one session, was already less than a tenth off the top 10. In the afternoon, the wind made riding difficult, but both Quiles and Morelli improved on their morning times to quickly secure places in Q2. Máximo Quiles started the weekend with ambition: he set the pace and led the standings in the final minutes, leaving his main rivals with no chance of catching him. With a time of 1:46.296, almost a second and a half faster than his best time in free practice, he was the fastest rider on Friday. His teammate Marco Morelli took a big step forward and, after the first few laps, climbed the order to break into the top 10 of the standings. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider looked very comfortable in both sessions and worked with the team to secure his place in Q2 on Saturday. After setting the tenth-fastest time (1:46.987), Morelli still has room for improvement to take another step forward and complete a strong qualifying session alongside Quiles.
1st Máximo Quiles 1:46.296: “I love this circuit and I really enjoy riding here. I came here eager to ride after the race at Mugello and knew I was going to have a good time, but I didn’t have any expectations. The wind was very noticeable today, especially in the afternoon session. Tomorrow I want to keep riding on my own; hopefully more riders will opt for that strategy and we can have a quiet qualifying session, but I’m sure there’ll be a bit of a mix-up. I’m confident I can put in a good lap to secure a good starting position. I enjoy this circuit much more because of its characteristics; there’s less slipstreaming and you can do more on your own.”
10th Marco Morelli 1:46.987 (+0.691): “I’m happy with today’s work. It’s a circuit I didn’t know, but I really liked it; the layout is fun and very similar to a kart track. In the first session I focused on adapting and finding good references. In the afternoon I carried on in much the same way, but without losing sight of the usual goal, which is to make it through to Q2, and we’ve managed it. We need to improve a bit for tomorrow, but that’s to be expected as today was my first day at Balaton Park.”
