A special race weekend began on Friday for Jacob Roulstone from Red Bull KTM Tech3, with the Australian boy playing on home turf this week, at the mythical Phillip Island track, hosting round 19/22, the iconic Grand Prix of Australia. The number 12 headed straight to Q2 on Friday, as he rounded up Practice with the 11th time, while Valentin Perrone will have to go through Q1 on Saturday, after finishing his first day in Australia in P18.
Grand Prix of Australia
Track conditions were a bit of everything on the opening day of the Australian Grand Prix. Friday began under the rain, leaving Free Practice 1 wet for the young Moto3™ guns, before the sun came back later in the morning, to offer a dry track for Practice. Local boy Jacob Roulstone was excited to race on his side of the world, in front of family, friends and fans. After taking the 14th time in the opening wet FP1, Jacob appeared confident in the afternoon, both alone and with a slipstream. A fastest lap in 1'35.538 (+0.812) gave him the 11th position, one that qualified him directly for Q2 on Saturday.
Valentin Perrone was back in the saddle this week, as he discovered another layout for the first time in the wet this morning. The feeling was not too bad for the young ‘Coyote’ who closed the top 10 of FP1, but things were a bit trickier in the afternoon’s practice, as everyone increased their pace. Valentin’s best was a 1'36.379, which eventually sat him in P18 at the end of play, 1.653 seconds from the fastest, David Almansa. There will be a few things to twist around for the young rookie ahead of Saturday, with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider facing Q1. We’ll be back on track with FP2 at 8:40 (UTC+11), followed later on with qualifying, starting at 12:45.
JACOB ROULSTONE: "I am quite pleased with my first day here at my home GP. Weather conditions this morning were typical from Phillip Island, cold and wet, but I felt good. I have been struggling in wet conditions all year, but we have made a step forward in these conditions, which I am pleased with. This afternoon, I felt really quick, it was evident that we needed a slipstream, and it helped a lot. I also felt good alone, so we are confident heading to the rest of the weekend. Hopefully the weather will be decent for the next two days."
VALENTIN PERRONE: "I did not feel super comfortable today with the bike, I struggled quite a lot. Starting on a new track directly in wet conditions is not easy, but it was not too bad for us. The afternoon was trickier, so I need to improve things, mainly on myself, to arrive on Saturday with more confidence."
PRACTICE SESSION RESULTS
1. David Almansa (SPA), Leopard Racing, 1'34.736
2. Adrian Fernandez (SPA), Leopard Racing, +0.392
3. Alvaro Carpe (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, +0.562
11. Jacob Roulstone (AUS), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +0.812
18. Valentin Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +1.653
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2025 - D. Almansa (SPA) - 1’34.736 - 169.0 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - S. Nepa (ITA)- 1’35.370 - 167.9 km/h
Best Pole: 2022 - A. Sasaki (JPN) - 1'35.854 - 167.0 km/h
Top Speed: 2024 - J. Rueda (SPA) - 254.9 km/h
