David Muñoz earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP KTM on Pirelli control tires, Muñoz topped the 26-rider field with a lap time of 2:14.422.
Maximo Quiles was the best of the rest with a 2:14.532 on his CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM, and Joel Kelso claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:14.546 on his LEVELUP-MTA KTM.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Muñoz denies Quiles fairytale debut Moto3™ pole. The rookie sensation just loses out late on as experience takes to the top in Texas.
David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) put in a late charge to pole position at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, denying rookie sensation Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) an unbelievable debut pole by just 0.110. Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) completes the front row, having come from Q1.
Muñoz started from pitlane last time out after a penalty so flips his fortunes 180. Quiles, meanwhile, has one single FP2 session in the dry at COTA – and actually, one single session of dry World Championship action – before nearly taking his first pole position. He was too young to be allowed to race in the first two GPs of the year.
Q1
Kelso headed rookie Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), Dennis Foggia (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) and Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in the graduation zone, with one surprising name not making it through being that of Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSi), who’ll have some work to do on Sunday.
Q2
The fairytale was alive for Quiles until right at the end of the session, when pretty much the last fast lap on track was that of Muñoz – and the red sectors kept coming. The #64 crossed the line to take that pole position from the rookie, hoping to use it to bounce back from that pitlane start in Argentina as he looks to gain some traction.
Given Quiles’ form so far – having never raced at COTA before and making his Moto3 outright debut here after missing Thailand and Argentina due to being too young – maybe the more veteran riders will need to find that traction pretty quick…
Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) slots into a solid fourth ahead of Foggia and Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse). Rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) impressed again in P7, ahead of Nepa, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA), whose pole run comes to an end in P10 after two crashes.
Find full results HERE and get ready for lights out on Sunday at 11am local time!