Manuel Gonzalez in Moto2™ and Jose Antonio Rueda in Moto3™ took pole position for the Portuguese GP, also setting new all-time lap records in their respective categories using the Pirelli soft rubbers.
Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2/Kalex) was the fastest during qualifying in the Moto2™ category with a time of 1'41.514, a new lap record, and he will start from pole position for the Portuguese Grand Prix. Likewise, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo/KTM) took pole position in Moto3™ with a record lap of 1'46.379.
In both categories, the most popular tires at the front and rear were the soft tires, so for Moto2™ the SC0 at the rear and the SC1 at the front, while for Moto3™ it It was the SC1 both front and rear.
The softer compounds were the protagonists
» Over the course of these two days, the track underwent significant evolution, which contributed to the gradual improvement in lap times, leading to new records for both categories, which were further improved today during qualifying . Riders and teams are gradually getting to know our tires, adjusting the settings of their bikes to better suit the tires which, as we have already said, are quite different from those they are used to using. until last year. Beyond the extremely fast lap times and the good wear as expected, the impression we have is that, especially in Moto2, there is still a lot of room for improvement, because the tires are not still in ideal conditions of use, so their full potential has not yet been exploited. It won't be easy because the frames of these bikes have been designed to work with other tires, but over the course of the season we will definitely see improvements and, to this end, we are already collaborating with the frame manufacturers. In the meantime, pilots began to appreciate the differences between the various compounds. For example, since yesterday, many have started working on soft solutions and today, during qualifying, all the fastest drivers opted for precisely these options. However, we know that racing is a completely different story than qualifying, so some might opt for different solutions tomorrow. »
- Friday morning, the track was particularly dirty due to the mixture of rain and sand that fell overnight from Thursday to Friday, leading to the cancellation of the Moto3 FP session. Then, as the drivers gradually began to spin, the track evolved significantly, allowing them to gradually improve their times leading up to today's qualifying.
- The qualifications Moto3 ™ took place with a constant air temperature of 23°C, while asphalt temperatures oscillated between 32°C at the start of Q1 and 35°C at the end of Q2. Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports/KTM) was the first driver to break the historic lap record set by Ayumu SASAKI in 2023. At the end of qualifying, the first four drivers in the standings (Rueda, Kelso, Alonso and Holgado in the 'order) fell below the previous track record, the pole sitter Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo/KTM) having beaten him by almost four tenths of a second during his seventh and final lap, with a time of 1'46.379. To complete their respective fast laps, virtually all drivers used le tire SC1 (soft) at the rear. The choices forbefore, on the other hand, varied. To advance from Q1 to Q2, Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets/MSI) and Nicola Carraro (LEVELUP/MTA) used the SC2, while Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse/Honda) and Vicente Perez (Red Bull KTM Ajo/KTM) preferred the SC1. Of the top three drivers in the standings, Rueda and Kelso used the soft SC1, while Alonso opted for the medium SC2.
- En Moto2 ™, the first four drivers in the standings also made similar choices, using the softest tires available to them: the SC0 at the rear and SC1 at the front, although in Q1, three of the four drivers who progressed to Q2 (Chantra, Angius and Ogura), used the SC2 at the front. Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2/Kalex) set the new lap record on his seventh lap out of eight, with a time of 1'41.514, which allowed him to take pole position for tomorrow's race. The first four drivers in the ranking improved the circuit record set by Aron Canet in 2023.
