Extreme positive qualifyings for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teams at AragonGP QUALIFYING 14th Rd. MotoGP 2017 – MotorLand Aragon (ESP) MotoGP Following a successful test after the Misano Grand Prix, updated parts were brought to Aragon to further push forward the KTM MotoGP project with test rider Mika Kallio doing a wildcard for the third time this year. Mika had huge pace on the KTM RC16 in free practice to be fifth and assure himself a place in the all important Q2 qualifying slot. The Finn flew on the first run to be a stunning seventh, but fell through the last corner on his second run denying him the opportunity to set an absolute time. Nevertheless he will start in 12th position. Team mate Pol Espargaro did huge steps forward technically today and was only 0.1 secs from going through to Q2 as he quickly acquainted himself with new parts too, but this speed is hugely encouraging for the technical side of things both at the track and back in KTM Motorsport HQ in Austria. Bradley Smith had pace and speed but got caught up with other riders on his faster laps.   Kallio: "Definitely a positive day, yes! If we look back on how the day went we can be really satisfied as now I have a feeling on the bike that was missing before. KTM have now done a really good improvement coupled with the new parts they've brought to this race it helps me to be quicker and closer to the limits. OK, slightly too much to the limit at the end, but that was my mistake and we don't need to think about that too much as now I know what the limit is on the last corner! I think in the race tomorrow we have some good chance to at least to be similar to where we were in Austria (10th) but if you look where we were this morning (5th) then anything can happen during the race so I need a good start and give full throttle to see the flag as soon as possible."   Espargaro: "We weren't quite there this morning as I was using some new parts as we have to develop. We have to test things for next year, so the bike wasn't quite to the optimum set up at first. Of course it would've been great to go straight to Q2 but I made a slight mistake in the last corner and lost the smallest amount of time but it meant I was in Q1. The points are tomorrow and the preparation for that in FP4 was great, leading me to finish fourth; the bike was feeling really good so now I'm looking forward to get to the warm up for the last changes and then the race because I think it can be a good race for us."   Smith: "The overall day was OK. In FP4 we seemed to find something on race tyres and for a bike that's going to be solid over race distance. Then I was pleased with a 1m 49.5 on the first run on the new tyre but on the second run I got caught up with another rider on both laps so that was my own error. The good thing is that the bike is working very well here and I've got some fast data to check and help me improve in order to find my way through the pack tomorrow."   Sebastian Risse (Technical Director MotoGP): "In total we are happy. For sure we always want more but this was not a bad day at all. Yesterday's rain cut things short a little in terms of set up time especially as we brought some new parts and of course we want to understand what's better, but in the end the performance today has shown that these parts are good and that we've made a step forward. Mika here with Pol and Bradley has seen them push each other to the limit – sometimes that works, sometimes that doesn't, but all three of them tried very hard indeed. Let us not forget that between a qualifying time and the race pace it can be a different story so we will see what we will show best in the end but I'm very positive that they will all show their best tomorrow. I'm very positive indeed." Moto2 Miguel Oliveira brilliantly sped to KTM's second pole position in the Moto2 class in only the first year of the project with Red Bull Ajo. The Portuguese has already had five podiums this year including his first pole at just the second race in Argentina. Oliveira won the Moto3 race here two years ago but is under no illusion as to how difficult it will be tomorrow in the hugely competitive race. Team mate Brad Binder proved just how competitive the class is with his best lap just 1.1 seconds back of pole, but it leaves the reigning Moto3 champion in twentieth position. Be sure to watch him in the first few laps as he looks to make another trademark rocket start on his KTM Moto2 bike.   Oliveira: "The truth is that we couldn't ask for more. This pole position will be very important for the start of tomorrow's race. We're confident because we have a very good pace, although other riders do as well. I think there could be a group at the front, so we will have to be prepared to fight – especially when the tyres begin to drop off. It will be interesting to see who is strong then. After getting pole, seeing there had been a penalty and then having it given back, we could say that I already did my warmup for tomorrow walking up and down pitlane! Even if I hadn't been given it in the end, I would still have been happy with my pace."    Binder: "Both yesterday and this morning I didn't feel very comfortable with the bike, but for qualifying we changed to a setup with which I am more accustomed and everything improved a lot. We weren't able to complete a very fast lap, but my pace is fairly good, even if it only gave us 20th position. There are some points on the track where if everything goes well, I know that I can gain positions and do a good job tomorrow. I am prepared and determined to make another great comeback."   Moto3 A second row start was taken by Niccolo Bulega today in Moto3 with his Team Sky VR46 KTM but it was Dennis Foggia, the Italian who currently holds a huge lead in the Moto3 CEV championship and this weekend rides his second wildcard Grand Prix of 2017, who managed to stun on lookers when he qualified his KTM RC250 GP in fifth place. Former Red Bull Rookies champion from two years ago Bo Bendsneyder couldn't quite find a good lap and finished just 1.4 seconds off pole in twentieth position, three ahead of his team mate Niccolo Antonelli . Bendsneyder: "The day didn't go too well, and our grid position is not very good either, but I think tomorrow we can do a good job. Qualifying is based on getting a good lap and unfortunately today we couldn't do that. We have a good feeling with the bike and I'm very happy with my pace, which is similar to the best lap I've ever done in qualifying, and that's a good thing. I can't wait to race tomorrow; it will be tough, because we'll start from far back, but I know it is possible to gain places. It will be important to make a good start and then fight our utmost, as I want to get a good result."   Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Kazuki Masaki won an incredible penultimate Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race to claim the 2017 Cup. The 17-year-old Japanese flashed across the line on his KTM RC250 RB one hundredth of a second ahead fellow Ai Ogura with Aleix Viu third and Can Öncü fifth. That finished the Cup challenge for Viu and Öncü. Any one of six including Deniz Öncü and Filip Salač could have won on the final of 15 laps. It was Viu who led down the back straight but Masaki timed his run perfectly. “I hung back a little because I knew I had the slipstream and didn’t want to catch him too early in the back straight,” explained Masaki. “I got it just right and went into the last corner first. I went for the lead and tried to pull away but Viu came past again. So then I had to change my plan and catch the slipstream on the straight. It was a very tough race, I pushed from the first few laps but it became a big group and I just tried to stay near the front and then pushed again at the end. I really wanted to win the Cup today and not have to fight for it tomorrow, I’m very happy of course, very happy.”   Races: September 24, 2017 – Moto3 11:00 | Moto2 12:20 CET | MotoGP 14:00 | 15:30 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Results Qualifying MotoGP MotorLand Aragon 2017  1. Maverick Vinales (ESP), Yamaha, 1:47.635 min 2. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP), Ducati, +0.100 sec 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Yamaha, +0.180 4. Cal Crutchlow (GBR), Honda, +0.195 5. Marc Marcquez (ESP), Honda, +0.328 KTM 12. Mika Kallio (FIN), +0.836 14. Pol Espargaro (ESP), KTM, +0.752 (Q1) 23. Bradley Smith (GBR), KTM, +1.943 Results Qualifying Moto2 MotorLand Aragon 2017 1. Miguel Oliveira (POR), KTM, 1:53.736 min 2. Mattia Pasini (ITA), Kalex, +0.021 sec 3. Alex Marquez (ESP), Kalex, +0.071 4. Franco Morbidelli (ITA), Kalex, +0.105 5. Simone Corsi (ITA), Speed Up, +0.140 KTM 20. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, +1.134 Results Qualifying Moto3 MotorLand Aragon 2017 1. Jorge Martin (ESP), Honda, 1:58.067 min 2. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, +0.358 sec 3. Aron Canet (ESP), Honda, +0.449 4. Nicolo Bulega (ITA), KTM, +0.526 5. Dennis Foggia (ITA), KTM, +0.701  KTM 8. Philipp Oettl (GER), KTM, +0.894 10. Marcos Ramirez (ESP), KTM, +0.918 20. Bo Bendsneyder (NED), KTM, +1.438 23. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA), KTM, +1.630 Results Race Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup MotorLand Aragon 2017 All riders on KTM RC250 RB bikes 1. Kazuki Masaki (JAP), 30:51.679 min (15 laps) 2. Ai Ogura (JAP), +0.010 3. Alex Viu (ESP), +0.159 4. Dan Öncü (TUR), +0.197 5. Can Öncü (TUR), +0.693 Standings Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2017 after 12 of 13 races 1. Masaki, 194 points (2017 Champion) 2. C. Öncü, 165 3. Viu (ESP), 158 4. D. Öncü, 125 5. Ogura, 124 PHILIPP GRÜNBERGER PR MANAGER MOTOGP philipp.gruenberger@ktm.com 0043 664 6217921 www.motogp.com www.ktm.com | media.ktm.com  Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Instagram