The first back-to-back rounds of the season kicked off on Friday for our Red Bull KTM Tech3 Moto3™ squad at the iconic TT Circuit Assen for the Motul Grand Prix of the Netherlands. Totally different conditions from Mugello awaited us in Assen, with the rain from overnight leaving a damp track for the lightweight class this morning. Conditions got better for the afternoon’s Practice session, at the end of which both rookie Valentin Perrone and Jacob Roulstone grabbed their direct Q2 tickets, with Valentin in 5th and Jacob in 11th.
Grand Prix of The Netherlands
Rookie Valentin Perrone was already back on the saddle on Friday morning following his outstanding performance at the Mugello last weekend, as we saw the young ‘Coyote’ take the 8th place after starting from the back of the grid. The number 73 arrived at the good old Cathedral of Speed full of confidence from the previous round, and started his Dutch campaign well, with the 9th time of FP1 this morning (+1.257) on the wet track. The conditions in the afternoon were a bit better with the track having dried, and we logically saw times go down significantly. Perrone continued to show promising pace though, as he spent most of the session in the qualifying spots, to eventually secure the top 14 with a late effort in 1’40.462. He took the 5th time of Practice, and qualified once again directly for Q2.
Australian Jacob Roulstone was hoping for better fortune this weekend in Assen, after the young Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider had to avoid two crashes during the race in Mugello. Still he managed P13, but this was far from both expectations and potential. A new week lied ahead of the Aussie, with another chance to finally secure a good result. The start to the day was a bit tricky for Roulstone who did not feel confident at all on the wet track, and he was last of FP1. Leaving that one behind, the number 12 arrived with better confidence to the afternoon’s Practice, as we saw him progressively set into a decent pace. If he was out of the top 14 for a while, a solid late push in the final seconds saw him jump to 11th with a 1’40.650, and secure Q2 alongside his teammate. Job complete for the two Red Bull KTM Tech3 young guns, who will now focus on placing their bikes well on the grid. Moto3™ will be back on Saturday with FP2 at 8:40 (UTC+2), followed by qualifying in the afternoon, with Valentin and Jacob going out on track at 13:15.
VALENTIN PERRONE: "Happy with our first day, because we have felt really comfortable on the bike. We struggled a bit at the start in FP1 in the wet because I had so much grip, and I did not know where the limit was, but anyway we managed it well. In Practice, the feeling improved during the session as I calmed down a bit after a difficult first run. We then found the confidence to do a good fast lap to go to Q2. I am feeling super well, so let’s see what we can do in qualifying!"
JACOB ROULSTONE: "I am happy to have turned around this morning’s session, because I had zero confidence in the wet. I re-focused for the afternoon’s Practice. It was not the best planning by myself positioning-wise, but I felt quite fast, and we achieved our first goal of the weekend, which was to go straight to Q2, so we can be happy with that, and work from there for Saturday."
PRACTICE SESSION RESULTS
1. L. Lunetta (ITA), SIC58 Squadra Corse, 1'40.053
2. D. Muñoz (SPA), Dynavolt Intact GP, +0.209
3. J. Kelso (AUS), LevelUP - MTA, +0.392
5. Valentin Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +0.409
11. Jacob Roulstone (AUS), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +0.597
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - C. Veijer (NLD) - 1'39.703 - 163.9 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - A. Fernandez (SPA) - 1'40.405 - 162.8 km/h
Best Pole: 2024 - A. Piqueras (SPA) - 1'39.746 - 163.9 km/h
Top Speed: 2024 - D. Holgado (SPA) - 222.9 - km/h
