The Openbank Aspar Team rider will start from third position in the Red Bull Ring, while his teammate Jordi Torres will start from fifth place

The Red Bull Ring is a track that suits Openbank Aspar Team rider Kevin Zannoni's riding style very well, and the Italian has shown this on the first day in Austria. Zannoni has been really competitive and will start from third position tomorrow, after finishing just 93 thousandths off pole. Zannoni has always been among the fastest on the first day: he has been sixth in the first practice and first in the second, which has given him a straight pass to Q2. In qualifying, he has fought for pole until the chequered flag and, finally, he has achieved a time of 1:38.063 which allows him to start from the front row of the grid in both races tomorrow. Ahead of Zannoni will be two of his rivals in the fight for the World Championship: Óscar Gutiérrez, who will start from pole, and Héctor Garzó, who will start from second. Zannoni hopes to fight for the top of the podium tomorrow and thus reduce the gap in the standings, where he is fourth.

His teammate Jordi Torres has also completed a very positive first day, in which he has been always within the top 5. Torres has led the first practice session, while in the second he has been fourth, a result with which he has gone straight to Q2. In qualifying, the Spanish rider has ended three tenths off Gutiérrez's best time and will start from fifth position tomorrow. Torres arrived in the Red Bull Ring with the aim of being among the top ten, since in the past he has struggled to be fast on this track due to its characteristics. Therefore, his fifth position on the grid has exceeded his expectations. The Openbank Aspar Team rider has felt pretty strong from the start and, thanks to a good set-up of the bike, he has been able to extract all his potential to start tomorrow from the second row of the grid.

3rd Kevin Zannoni 1:38.063 (+0.093): “It has been a good day. I have worked very well with the team and we have started strong from the first session. This is a track that I like and that suits my riding style. After the second free practice session, I expected to get pole. In the end, we have been third and we have ended less than a tenth off the best time. Tomorrow, we start from the first row of the grid and I am sure we will be strong.”

5th Jordi Torres 1:38.303 (+0.333): “I am very happy with the team; we have worked really well. I arrived with very low expectations, with the idea of finishing around tenth position. From the first practice I have given my all. We have a bike with a great set-up, which allows me to brake very late. We have worked hard, especially in the areas where we could make the difference, and that has been the key to this good result. I have not needed any tow today; I have ridden alone and focused. Starting from the second row of the grid is a great achievement for me, it was a personal challenge.”