Adrián Fernández secured pole position
/ @Le0pardRacing
Adrián Fernández claimed pole for the Moto3 French Grand Prix at Le Mans after a tense finish, thanks to a blistering final sector while riding alone. His lap time of 1:40.044 relegated championship leader Máximo Quiles to second place. Joel Kelso completed the front row.
In Q1, world championship runner-up Álvaro Carpe was forced to deliver and did not disappoint the KTM Ajo team. He topped the session with a 1:40.668, advancing alongside Adrián Cruces, Cormac Buchanan, and Guido Pini. The third Spaniard in the session, Joel Esteban, narrowly missed out, finishing sixth, just 0.2 seconds behind Carpe.
Adrián Fernández led the field out for Q2, completing his early laps almost alone, far from the pack, to set the initial benchmark. He recorded a 1:41.103 on his first crossing but was quickly overtaken as the rest of the riders completed their opening laps. Joel Kelso then set the target at 1:40.488.
Championship leader Máximo Quiles improved with a 1:40.184, setting the session’s early pace. With the first run done, Quiles headed to pit lane to prepare for a second set of tires. Carpe, coming through from Q1, posted modest times before his first pit stop.
With just over three minutes remaining, the protagonists returned to the track for the decisive pole battle. The moment started poorly for Jesús Ríos, who suffered another setback after blowing his engine in free practice. The Spanish rider went out with a tire warmer still attached, and while trying to remove it, he stalled the bike, forcing him back to the garage.
In the final minute, Guido Pini crashed, eliminating himself from contention. Up ahead, several riders—including David Muñoz, Álvaro Carpe, and Raúl Fernández—lit up the timing screens with red sectors. With heavy traffic on track, the fight became a survival test. Brian Uriarte crossed the line with the best time, but his lap was canceled for exceeding track limits at Turn 14.
Soon after, Raúl Fernández confirmed his strong pace, crossing the line solo with a 1:40.044 to seize pole, watched closely by his brother Raúl. “I wasn’t very happy with the feeling, but the team worked hard on the bike, and today I thanked them,” he explained in the parc fermé.
The Leopard rider left champion leader Máximo Quiles without a reward, as Quiles was hindered by traffic and could only manage second. Joel Kelso rounded out the top three, while David Muñoz, despite his injury discomfort, finished fifth. Carpe had to settle for eighth place.
