Muñoz storms into row two, Pini in 16th place on the grid after bad luck
At the Misano World Circuit, David Muñoz and Guido Pini from the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP team battled for their starting positions in the second qualifying session for the 16th Moto3 race of the season. While local hero Pini ended up in 16th place on the sixth row after a crash that was not his fault, Muñoz stormed into the second row in fifth place.
The 4.226-kilometre track on the Adriatic coast is the venue for the 16th round of the 2025 World Championship and already provided plenty of excitement during the practice days with its challenging layout. David Muñoz opened the weekend with seventh place in the first free practice session and continued to improve his times in the subsequent practice session, which secured him a place in Q2 on Saturday. On Saturday morning, he then made a statement: with a lap that was more than a second faster than the previous day, the 19-year-old Spaniard led the session and secured the perfect starting position for the final Qualifying 2. There, he confirmed his strong form and once again shone with top times. With fifth place on the grid in row two, he is ultimately very well positioned for Sunday's 20-lap race (start: 11:00 a.m.).
Guido Pini had a much more turbulent weekend on his home track. After finishing ninth in free practice and eleventh in practice, he also advanced directly to Q2. There, the 17-year-old Moto3 rookie initially worked his way forward, but just as he was preparing for an attack lap, Almansa crashed in front of him. Pini was unable to avoid his machine and also crashed. Fortunately, the local hero was uninjured and was able to get back on his bike immediately. In the end, he secured 16th place on the grid in the sixth row. In the race, the Italian youngster wants to fight his way to the front with the support of his home fans and set his sights on the points.
Results
FP1
1. Jose Antonio RUEDA/ SPA/ KTM – 1'41.217
2. Joel KELSO/ AUS/ KTM – 1'41.516 (+0.299)
3. David ALMANSA/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'41.693 (+0.476)
7. David MUÑOZ/ SPA/ KTM – 1'41.820 (+0.603)
9. Guido PINI/ ITA/ KTM – 1'41.904 (+0.687)
PR
1. David ALMANSA/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'40.596
2. Adrian FERNANDEZ/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'41.094 (+ 0.498)
3. Joel KELSO/ AUS/ KTM – 1'41.110 (+0.514)
9. David MUÑOZ/ SPA/ KTM – 1'41.353 (+0.757)
11. Guido PINI/ ITA/ KTM – 1'41.393 (+0.797)
FP2
1. David MUÑOZ/ SPA/ KTM – 1'40.587
2. Jose Antonio RUEDA/ SPA/ KTM – 1'40.593 (+0.006)
3. Angel PIQUERAS/ SPA/ KTM – 1'40.718 (+0.131)
20. Guido PINI/ ITA/ KTM – 1'41.991 (+1.404)
Q2
1. Valentin PERRONE/ ARG/ KTM – 1'40.328
2. Joel KELSO/ AUS/ KTM – 1'40.353 (+0.025)
3. Jacob ROULSTONE/ AUS/ KTM – 1'40.420 (+0.092)
5. David MUÑOZ/ SPA/ KTM – 1'40.440 (+0.112)
16. Guido PINI/ ITA/ KTM – 1'41.299 (+0.971)
