David Almansa led Moto3 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, in Italy. Almansa used his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda to lap the 3.26-mile track in 1:55.535, which led the field of 26 riders.
Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato was second-best with a time of 1:55.567.
Ryusei Yamanaka, piloting his FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI KTM, claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:55.722.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Almansa fastest from Furusato as big hitters face Q1. It’s Leopard leading Honda Team Asia after Friday’s Moto3 running at Mugello, with Muñoz and Quiles both outside the top 14.
David Almansa’s (Leopard Racing) 1:55.535 handed the Spaniard top spot on Friday at the Brembo Grand Prix of Italy, as a pair of Japanese stars complete the leading trio – Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). On the flip side of the coin, Aragon’s P1 and P2 finishers, David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team), face Q1’s jungle at Mugello.
Mistakes in the closing stages cost Muñoz and Quiles a chance to try and jump into that top 14, and it was an afternoon that was doubly disappointing for the Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP box after home hero Guido Pini suffered an early crash and subsequent bike problem that saw the Italian complete just four laps.
There were no such issues for Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) and Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse), though. The Australian and Italian sail into Q2 in P4 and P5, with Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) a solid P6. Rookies Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) sit ahead of Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and World Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) inside the top 10, with Rivacold Snipers Team duo Nicola Carraro and Riccardo Rossi gaining automatic Q2 entry alongside Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing).
Tune into Moto3 qualifying at 12:50 local time on Saturday afternoon!