Moncayo and Faubel still in the hunt at Estoril

KTM-powered riders took up the leading seven positions on the top speed charts today at Estoril, with BANKIA Aspar rider Héctor Faubel the third of them thanks to the added boost of a brand new engine for today’s qualifying practice. His team-mate Alberto Moncayo also benefited from a new motor although he was out of luck due to a technical problem at a crucial moment of the decisive grid shootout.

After qualifying ninth fastest Faubel is now hoping to solve a clutch problem before taking his place on the third row of the grid whilst Moncayo, who missed the final few minutes of the session today also due to clutch problems, starts from seventeenth. The third race of the inaugural Moto3 season gets underway at the later time of 14:30 BST.

9th Héctor Faubel (1.48.349, 18 laps): “I’m happy today. Yesterday we had a problem with the engine but we put a new one in today and it enabled me to pass guys down the straight and set a good lap time. It felt more like a race at the end of the session with so many guys out on track but we’re happy with the third row. The team are working hard and so am I and gradually the results are coming. I’ll try to get a good start and get involved in the fight for the podium. We’re only three tenths off the front row today and if I can get behind somebody tomorrow that will help minimise our chassis problems”.

17th Alberto Moncayo (1.49.154, 12 laps): “We went out with a lot of determination in qualifying but things didn’t work out. I felt something strange at the start of the session and the lap times weren’t coming, then the clutch failed. The important thing is that we are quick tomorrow. We start from 17th, basically like Jerez, so I want to get a good start and catch the guys at the front. I want to at least be able to see the podium.”

Source: Aspar Team