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Published on May 16, 2026 • 13:25 by Paddock GP

Moto3 Catalonia Qualifying: Valentin Perrone and Tech3 on pole by 5 thousandths of a second

The second day of the Moto3 Catalan Grand Prix has just finished. Check out the Qualifying results.

Moto3
Valentin Perrone is seen during Stop 5 of the Moto3 World Championship at Le Mans, France on May 10, 2026. // Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202605100439 // Usage for editorial use only //

After Jerez and Le Mans, Moto3 returns to Spain for the third round of its European tour, the sixth of the season, in Barcelona. In the championship standings, Maximo Quiles maintains an ever-increasing lead over his rivals, heading into the Catalan Grand Prix with 46 points more than Adrian Fernandez and 53 more than Alvaro Carpe. Scoring just 4 points in the next two races would be enough for him to retain the championship lead. 

Before we begin, here is a table which summarizes the known facts:

Moto3™ Barcelona, ​​Catalonia

2025

2026
FP1 1'47.483 José Antonio Rueda 1'47.478 Hakim Danish
Practice 1'47.584 Valentin Perrone 1'46.943 Hakim Danish
FP2 1'47.365 Angel Piqueras 1'47.412 Adrian Fernandez
Q1 1'47.803 Angel Piqueras 1'47.285 Guido Pini
Q2 1'46.877 David Almansa 1'46.679 Valentin Perrone
Course Piqueras, Rueda, Furusato (See here)
All time lap record 1'45.905 David Alonso 2024

Just moments after Guenther Steiner and the other Tech3 management announced their contract extension with KTM in 2027, Valentin Perrone paid tribute to the French team in Moto3. The number 73 rider had narrowly secured pole position for both teams at the Catalan Grand Prix in the smallest class of the world championship.

Indeed, when crossing the finish line during his final effort, Valentin Perrone was only 5 thousandths of a second ahead of David Munoz, while the two men dislodged Brian Uriarte from the provisional pole.

Championship leader Maximo Quiles is experiencing some difficulties in Catalonia, his home race. He will start from seventh position this Sunday at 11:00 AM. His main rivals for the championship, Adrian Fernandez and Alvaro Carpe, are currently only ninth and fourteenth respectively. The three frontrunners of this early season are therefore preparing for a battle in what promises to be a resurgent race in Barcelona.

Moto3 Catalonia – Q2 standings: 

Ranking : MotoGP.com