Arigato Japan! We continue the Asian tour with more points!

Friday, October 4th - Practices

This morning’s free practice sessions took place under challenging weather conditions, with thick fog and a damp track. David Almansa quickly showed a good feeling with the circuit, placing himself among the fastest in the top 5 with wet tires. Matteo Bertelle, though slightly further back, still managed to stay connected to the top 10.
As the session progressed, the track gradually dried up, allowing the riders to switch to slick tires and progressively improve their lap times. A positive sign heading into the upcoming sessions, where the team will continue to work on optimizing performance.

The afternoon’s Practice 1 session was held on a finally dry track, but with extremely variable conditions, the main goal was to secure a spot in the top 14 as quickly as possible. In the initial phase, both riders avoided going for a time attack right away, instead focusing on getting a good feel for the track. In the second run, David and Matteo found an excellent pace, riding together and setting strong lap times. Almansa finished the session in 7th place and Bertelle in 10th, with lap times matching last year’s track record.

Saturday, October 5th - Practices and Qualifying

Saturday morning started on a wet track, conditions that didn’t allow for improvements in lap times but guaranteed Bertelle and Almansa direct access to Q2. Nevertheless, the team used the session to gain experience on wet conditions, as the weather for Sunday’s race remains uncertain. Both riders confirmed their speed in these conditions, with Almansa particularly shining, finishing the session in 3rd place.
Ready to hit the track directly for Q2, both riders executed a good strategy. With the track still not in optimal condition, lap times remained similar to those of the previous sessions. Matteo finished slightly further back in 15th place, still dealing with some knee pain. David secured his best grid position of the year, finishing 10th, showing a strong connection with both the track and the imperfect conditions.

Sunday, October 6th - Race

Once again this weekend, the Moto3 riders managed to avoid the rain, starting the race with a very aggressive approach that led several riders to make mistakes on the first lap. David immediately gained a couple of positions in the first lap, while Matteo momentarily held his starting position.

Within a few laps, the battles began, allowing Bertelle to recover some positions and enabling both riders to stay in the lead group, albeit further back.
The race continued fiercely, with Almansa and Bertelle swapping positions as they chased the riders ahead. After some fast final laps and a few more positions gained, the race ended with Matteo Bertelle finishing in 11th place, followed by Almansa in 12th.

Riders Comments

Despite the positions gained, Bertelle had higher ambitions: "This weekend was quite complicated because I wasn’t able to be as fast as I could have been. In the race, I lost a couple of positions due to a contact but managed to recover them later. I’m slowly regaining confidence because it’s not easy with the pain in my leg. I thank the team, and now I’m aiming to fully recover for Australia."

Some technical issues for Almansa during the race, but they didn’t discourage him: “I’m a bit disappointed because we could have done better. The gear was a bit long, and I struggled in the corners, but it was a tough race, and I still managed to handle it. I had a good start, recovering some positions. All in all, I’m happy with how the weekend went, and I’m ready to take on Australia.”