Just a few days after their first test in Portimao, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 Moto3™ squad continued their preseason preparation in the south of Spain with three more days on track at the Official Spain Moto3™ Test, as they shared the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto with the intermediate class, with three sessions per day for each category. Rookie Valentin Perrone and Jacob Roulstone’s substitute, Joel Esteban, maximized these three last days on track to fine-tune their respective bikes, heading to the season opener in Thailand next week.
Spain Moto3™ Test
Day 1
Looking to continue the learning in the category after just two days in Portugal, including one highly disrupted by the rain, Valentin Perrone was eager to return already on his KTM with three full days on track. Across the three sessions of day 1, the Argentinian completed 52 laps, with his best lap of the day reached in the first session on Tuesday with a 1’46.060. This sat the rookie in 16th of the timesheets. Joel Esteban continued his adaptation to his new team to try arriving in Thailand as ready as possible. The first day was about continuing to understand the bike, and trying looking for a comfortable setting. After 50 laps, Esteban closed the day with a best in 1’47.314.
Day 2
Wednesday was the second day in the office for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 boys, looking to continue their testing program. Things started to click a bit more for Spaniard Joel Esteban who was able to quickly find the better of his KTM on Wednesday, improving to a 1'45.481 in the opening session. The number 78 continued the work all day long, and completed another 40 laps. Perrone could also improve on Wednesday to a 1’45.819 after 37 more laps were completed as he looked to continue finding the right settings, as well as learning from the rest of the riders on track.
Day 3
The youngsters were back on Thursday for the third and final day of preseason testing, mostly used to make the final adjustments before sending the bikes for Buriram. Valentin Perrone improved his fastest lap to 1’45.071 as he gave it a go for some time attacks sequences ahead of the first qualifying shootout of the season next week in Thailand. Positive feeling and end to his testing program as the young 73 closes day 3 in P21 in the timesheets. On his side, Esteban found a small margin for improvement in the first session of the day with a 1’45.342, a time which saw him wrap the day 25th of the timesheets.
That’s preseason testing done and dusted for our Moto3™ squad, now ready to get a new season started, as we head to Buriram next week for the season opener, the Grand Prix of Thailand, on February 28-March 2.
VALENTIN PERRONE: "We have completed three days of great work in Jerez with the team, and I am happy to say that I feel ready to start the season in Thailand next week. Over the last few days, we tried many things, many bike’s set ups, but I think that in the end we found a good direction to ride the bike, and I feel pretty comfortable. In the last session, we were able to make a good improvement, which I feel happy about heading to Buriram. Thank you to the team for this preseason, I have felt really good and welcome with them, and I am excited to start the season now!"
JOEL ESTEBAN: "I am happy with the three days spent with the team. It was really important for me to be able to get some time with the team and on the bike before Thailand, and I think that we have prepared a good bike. I improved the feeling and the lap times every day, giving my best, but somehow, I could not do a good lap time. Sometimes I was doing good sectors during the time attacks, but often ended up making mistakes afterwards, so it is something that we will look to improve in Buriram. Thanks to the team for this preseason, and I am ready for Thailand!"
HERVE PONCHARAL, Team Principal: "The preseason is over for our Moto3 team after five days spent preparing in the best way we can. Of course, we have missed Jacob Roulstone, forced to sit on the sidelines following his nasty neck injury, but he came to see and support the team in Jerez, which was really nice of him. Our rookie Valentin Perrone had five busy and fruitful days, which helped him measure the very high level of the Moto3 championship. He now has a clear idea of what he needs to do to try reducing the gap to the top guys, but it will for sure take a few rounds for him to adapt and learn the category. I think that the first four races overseas will be tough for him, because he will have to learn four new layouts, in different climate conditions, to which the pressure of a race weekend will add itself, so we will see how it goes, but I am sure that it will be a great learning process. Then, I would like to thank Joel Esteban for stepping in at the very last minute to replace Jacob. He had not planned to race in Moto3 this season, so his winter preparation was quite different for him, and it has not been easy to comeback to Moto3, although he has a rookie season in his belt. We expected him to be a bit closer to the front, but I believe that he was a bit under pressure, and could not do a clean time attack lap. I think that after five days spent with the team, he feels more comfortable, and I am confident that things will unlock themselves automatically in Buriram. Thanks to the whole team for a great preseason training, let’s go racing now!"
DAY 1 COMBINED SESSIONS
1. Angel Piqueras (SPA), MT Helmets - MSI, 1'44.442
2. Maximo Quiles (SPA), Aspar Team, + 0.454
3. Alvaro Carpe (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, + 0.470
16. Valentin Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, + 1.618
26. Joel Esteban (SPA), Red Bull KTM Tech3, + 2.872
DAY 2 COMBINED SESSIONS
1. David Muñoz (SPA), Intact GP, 1'43.604
2. Angel Piqueras (SPA), MT Helmets - MSI, + 0.108
3. Jose Antonio Rueda (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, + 0.116
22. Joel Esteban (SPA), Red Bull KTM Tech3, + 1.877
25. Valentin Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, + 2.215
DAY 3 COMBINED SESSIONS
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 1'43.357
2. Joel Kelso (AUS), LevelUp-MTA, + 0.235
3. Adrian Fernandez (SPA), Leopard Racing, + 0.325
21. Valentin Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, + 1.714
25. Joel Esteban (SPA), Red Bull KTM Tech3, + 1.985
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - D. Alonso (SPA) - 1'43.710, 153.5 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - R. Yamanaka (JAP) - 1'45.105, 151.4 km/h
Best Pole: 2024 - D. Alonso (SPA) - 1'44.954, 151.6 km/h
Top Speed: 2024 - D. Holgado (SPA) - 221.3 km/h
