Jose Antonio Rueda earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at MotorLand Aragón, in Spain. Riding his Red Bull Ajo KTM on Pirelli control tires, the home hero turned a lap time of 1:56.361. Not only was that good enough to lead the 26-rider field, it was also good enough to eclipse David Alonso’s 2024 All-Time Lap Record of 1:57.052.
Luca Lunetta was the best of the rest with a 1:56.387 on his SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda, and rookie Maximo Quiles claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:56.505 on his CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team KTM.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Rueda sets all-time Aragon lap record for Moto3™ pole. The #99 was in great form and remains the rider to beat as big names failed to make it out of Q1 whilst favourites fell in Q2.
Leading the Championship, winning at home, aiming to make it four in a row – it’s record after record for Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and he smashed the Moto3 lap record for a third pole of 2025. Making it back-to-back poles, he left it late but nonetheless was able to hold off a firm challenge from the chasing pack.
Q1 for Moto3 was all action and with some major names vying for graduation to Q2, there were always going to be disappointments. Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team) put together a succession of strong laps and was down into the 1’57.4s by the chequered flag, booking his slot in the pole shootout. Ex-Aragon winner and teammate Dennis Foggia was another name, aiming to move through, along with Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia). Yamanaka and Furusato both joined Quiles but there was a surprise too with Vicente Perez (LEVELUP-MTA) in P4, edging out Foggia, whilst Pini will start from P21.
So, the all important Q2 was up next with a star-studded line-up; pre-session favourites Jose Antonio Rueda and David Almansa (Leopard Racing) had a target on their backs as a crucial 15 minutes got underway. Almansa tracked Rueda in the early stages whilst there were two crashers: David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) at Turn 8 with a big highside off-line, and then Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) in the second half of the second sector. After a first flying lap, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) lead the way but it was Quiles on his third lap who was on top.
There was more bad luck for Leopard Racing as Almansa crashed on the exit of Turn 7, a huge shame as he’d been inside the top three all weekend up to that point. With his final flying lap, Rueda stormed to the top of the times with a new lap record; 1 ’56.361 saw him bag another pole position, ahead of Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) for a first front row of 2025. Quiles, having been in Q1, completed the front row with a final flying lap to demote Carpe.
Furusato claimed his best qualifying of the year in fifth ahead of another personal best of the year for Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech 3). Almansa, unable to improve due to a late crash, is P7. Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) came good to finishing eighth ahead of Muñoz who despite crashing secures the final place on the third row, whilst the top ten is completed by Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). Adrian Fernandez, courtesy of his early crash, goes from 18th having not set a time.
