Angel Piqueras got the very best from his KTM RC 250 R to claim pole ahead of fellow Spaniard Màx Quiles with 21-year-old Thai Tatchakorn Buasri completing the front row.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup points leader José Rueda finds himself down in 10th place but the 16-year-old Spaniard says he is not troubled by that. Arch rival Collin Veijer is 4th fastest and the 17-year-old Dutchman is ready to fight for the win.

Piqueras confident
“I am very happy with the way the day went,” stated the very relaxed 15-year-old. “It’s a new track for me so it took a bit of time to learn it but in the end I was really enjoying it. The bike is working very well, it is giving me a lot of confidence, the confidence to win the race tomorrow.”

“I didn’t ride the track before so I don’t know what it was like without the chicane but for me it is a good thing, I am confident there, it is not causing me any problems.”

Quiles not feeling good
“I have just felt sick all day, throwing up after every session. I don’t know what it is but it isn’t nice,” stated the 14-year-old.

“I kept pushing though, I gave everything that I can and I am very happy to be second fastest. I had good rhythm and I was at the front all the way.”

“Hopefully the race will be OK, I did 14 or 15 laps in a session and a few more laps in the race is not going to make so much difference. I hope I feel better tomorrow but if I don’t I will still give it everything.”

“The new chicane isn’t great for me, I carry extra weight on the bike because I am light and I have to drag that weight across from one side to the other, that slows me down through there.”

Buasri enjoying his favourite track
“I’ve really enjoyed today, this is a track that I love, I really feel at home here. All the sessions were good, I am very happy with the bike.”

“The new chicane does change things a bit, it’s a little difficult but I have got used to it and now it is no problem for me. It used to be all about the fast corners and top speed but now there is another heavy braking section.”

“I am certainly planning to race for the win tomorrow.”

Veijer improved all day
“I started the day having to use the spare bike but we knew that I could do better when I got back on my own bike for FP2. I ran with other riders looking for a good slipstream which I need because of my weight and size but it didn’t work out so well and I tried to go alone. That worked out better, P14 but not all that I wanted.”

“In Qualifying I managed to make the slipstream work a lot better and got P4, certainly happy with that and we will see what tomorrow brings.”

“I really like the new chicane, I think it has added a lot to the track, it is something to work on, a place where you can gain an advantage, for me a big improvement.”

Rueda ready
“It’s OK, the bike is good, I have learnt the track. Of course it would be nice to be on the front row but I just didn’t get a clear lap in. It doesn’t matter too much, the race is tomorrow and that is where you get the points,” he concluded with his broad smile.

This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.

Race 1 is at 17:15 CET on Saturday and Race 2 is on Sunday at 16:20, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.

For more info checkout our dedicated Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup News page Rookies Cup News

Or visit the official Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup website rookiescup.redbull.com/