Rueda tops Aragon Friday despite crash, big hitters face Q1

Top in Free Practice 1 and top in Practice signalled a great day at the office for Moto3 World Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) at the GoPro Grand Prix of Aragon – but it wasn’t perfect.

A late crash at Turn 7 put a slight dampener on the Spaniard’s Friday, however, the #99’s 1:57.338 was good enough to see him beat David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) by 0.078s, with David Almansa (Leopard Racing) rounding out the top three.

Rueda was one of a handful of riders who suffered crashes in Practice. Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team) was one of those, so too was Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) – and it was crashes that proved costly as both of the impressive rookies face Q1 on Saturday afternoon.

There were no such troubles for Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), the Spanish duo were P4 and P5 respectively, while Australia’s Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) and Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) ended Practice in P6 and P7. Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team), and Silverstone podium finisher Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completed the top 10, with Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), Cormac Buchanan, who endured a huge exit of Turn 10 crash at the end of play, and DENSSI Racing – BOE teammate Ruche Moodley were the final top 14 finishers.

Ogden’s late lap meant Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) was pushed outside the Q2 places, so the Japanese rider joins Quiles, Pini and other stars in the Q1 fight that takes place at 12:50 local time on Saturday.

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