David Almansa set the benchmark in the Moto3 practice session for the San Marino Grand Prix on Friday. The Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider clocked a best lap of 1'40.767s with just two minutes remaining, securing a direct spot in Q2 and laying down a marker for his rivals.
The first day of action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli delivered typical Moto3 drama. Almansa, who had been chipping away at his own time, produced a stunning final run to leap to the top. His lap was the only one in the 1'40s, underlining his raw pace and consistency. It was a statement of intent from the KTM rider.
Honda's Joel Kelso came closest to challenging Almansa, finishing second with a 0.402s deficit. The GRYD Racing rider, who circulated with teammate Eddie O'Shea, was the only rider within half a second of the top time. Championship leader Maximo Quiles had a scare, sitting outside the top ten before a late charge moved him up to third. His Aspar teammate Marco Morelli mirrored the feat, jumping from 17th to fourth in the closing moments.
Rico Slamela impressed as the top rookie and best Red Bull rider, taking fifth for Tech3, just ahead of teammate Valentin Perrone in sixth. Perrone, who took pole and the win at Rimini last season, adds further intrigue to the front-running battle. Matteo Bertelle, who sat out the damp FP1, ended up seventh on his first proper run, showing competitive speed.
A huge crash for Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie Brian Uriarte brought out the yellow flags. Scott Ogden and Alvaro Carpe had to avoid his sliding bike and body, yet Uriarte still managed to hold onto a top-10 spot. Ogden recovered to 12th, the last rider within a second of the best lap. Casey O'Gorman was 11th at his SIC58 Squadra Corse team's home track.
Two replacement riders joined the fray: David Gonzalez (25th) continues to stand in for David Munoz at Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP, and Marcos Uriarte (23rd) returns for Cormac Buchanan at CODE Motorsports. Uriarte will have to serve his double long lap penalty for causing a crash at the start of the German Moto3 race. Meanwhile, Adrian Cruces missed out in 15th and will be joined in Q1 by a frustrated Carpe in 18th.
With this result, Almansa sends a strong signal, but Quiles and Kelso are not far behind. Qualifying will be the true test, especially with changing track conditions. Fans can expect a fierce battle at the legendary Misano circuit.
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