Máximo Quiles and Marco Morelli faced highly changeable conditions during Friday’s sessions, though both managed to finish within the top fourteen

The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders have achieved the weekend’s first objective, with both securing direct qualification for Q2 at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Marco Morelli and Máximo Quiles faced a challenging day due to the weather conditions. Despite this, the Spanish-Argentinian finished Friday in eighth position, whilst Máximo Quiles was fourteenth. The fastest rider in Moto3 was David Almansa, followed by Cormac Buchanan and Veda Pratama, second and third respectively.

The eagerly awaited Brazilian Grand Prix got underway on Friday under tricky conditions due to heavy rain early in the morning, which even forced the first Moto3 session to be delayed one hour. Once the riders were able to take to the track, Máximo Quiles and Marco Morelli completed their first laps at the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna in wet conditions, which meant extra precautions were required. In the afternoon, the session took place in dry conditions, although there were numerous patches of water along the track. Marco Morelli adapted quickly and maintained a strong pace that allowed him to move into the top 10. The Spanish-Argentinian was half a second off the pace-setting time, and his 1:30.770 placed him in eighth place. His teammate Máximo Quiles faced a very challenging first day. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider did not want to take any risks to avoid a crash and focused on adapting to the circuit. Unlike his teammate, Quiles did not secure a Q2 spot until the final minutes. His 1:31.138, the fourteenth-fastest time of the day, secured him a place in Q2, putting him in contention for the front positions on the starting grid.

8th Marco Morelli 1:30.770 (+0.510): “We’ve secured Q2; I’ve got good pace and a good set-up for qualifying. It’s been a very long day because there were quite a few delays due to the conditions. The most important thing for me was to ride in dry conditions, and we managed to do that this afternoon. I really enjoyed both sessions; I’ve adapted well to the circuit. I really like the track; it’s fast, and that’s a characteristic I think suits me well. I’m very happy with the work we’ve all done. In the second session, I had a small crash but the team worked very quickly to get me back on track.”

14th Máximo Quiles 1:31.138 (+0.878): “Track conditions were very tricky this afternoon. There were lots of patches of water and I didn’t want to take any risks; a silly crash could have left me injured. I decided to take it easier; I felt like a ‘Sunday rider’ in some corners. The circuit looks great; it’s a shame I couldn’t test it with the track completely dry because you don’t enjoy it as much. This morning, even though it was wet, I did enjoy it because the conditions were consistent, but this afternoon you had to dodge certain sections. I’ve been cautious today, but when the time comes to push, I will. For now, I want to get a feel for it and take it step by step. I’m always competitive and we’ll keep fighting.”