Maximo Quiles earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM on Pirelli control tires, Quiles topped the 26-rider field with a lap time of 1:44.070.

David Muñoz was the best of the rest with a 1:44.445 on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt IntactGP KTM, and Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:44.655.

Row-two qualifiers LEVEL UP – MTA’s Joel Esteban (1:44.836), Carpe’s teammate, Brian Uriarte (1:45.049) and Leopard Racing’s Adrian Fernandez  (1:45.049).

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Quiles storms to home turf pole in Jerez. The #28 pulls clear of Muñoz and Carpe as home heroes lock out the front row.

Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) slammed in a 1:44.070 to pull an impressive 0.375 clear for pole position in Jerez, with conditions drying out by qualifying for Moto3 and the #28 proving unstoppable.

David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) takes second as he returns from injury an immediately makes a mark, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the top three and front row.

After wet conditions on Saturday morning, the lightweight class were able to enjoy a fully dry Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, although the laptimes are split by some bigger gaps than usually seen in Moto3 as the field adapted. Quiles’ 1:44.070 is closer to the lap record – a 1:43.710 – than Muñoz is to the polesitter, and Carpe takes the front row by just over half a second off pole.

Row 2 is more home crowd heroes as Joel Esteban (LEVELUP- MTA) takes P4 ahead of rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) sixth – on exactly the same best laptime as Uriarte. Despite racing two different machines, both set a 1:45.049. Fernandez also crashed in Q2, losing the chance to improve further.

Joal Kelso (GRYD – MLav Racing), David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA) are on Row 3, with Malaysian Hakim Danish completing the top ten for AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI.

Check out full results from Moto3 qualifying at Jerez and tune in on Sunday for the race from 11:00 (GMT +2).