The first Moto3 Free Practice session at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello kicked off the action for the weekend, with José Antonio Rueda setting the fastest lap time of 1:55.924, the only rider to crack the 1:55s. The Spanish rider got stuck in early, setting consistently quick lap times for the majority of the session. Ángel Piqueras had a little moment early on in the session but managed to keep the bike upright. Friday sessions have not been great for Piqueras this season.
There was some surprising momentum from the British riders, Scott Ogden and Eddie O’Shea, who found themselves in the top ten with twenty minutes left in the session. However, the latter fell down the ladder to finish at the back.
After finishing second in back-to-back races, Máximo Quiles looked strong in the leading group at the start but fell outside the top ten. Aragón MotorLand Grand Prix Winner David Muñoz pitted far earlier than the rest of the grid, with the other riders opting to do so with under ten minutes remaining in the session. His patience seemingly paid off with a top-three result.
There were numerous head turns when David Almansa set the pace as he emerged from the pit lane, with the majority of the riders following suit. Local favourite Guido Pini struggled early on in the session. However, after making some adjustments in the garage, the Italian rider came out and was ready to perform, settling just behind Muñoz for the session.
Top Ten Fastest Riders of the Session
- José Antonio Rueda – 1:55.924
- Scott Ogden – 1:56.648
- David Muñoz – 1:56.718
- Guido Pini – 1:56.732
- Ryusei Yamanaka – 1:56.757
- David Almansa – 1:56.768
- Dennis Foggia – 1:56.828
- Álvaro Carpe – 1:56.839
- Riccardo Rossi – 1:56.842
- Joel Kelso – 1:56.879
What to Expect for the Rest of the Weekend
Rueda is still a fierce contender for the top spot on the championship board, being 52 points clear of the second-place holder, Piqueras. However, we are a third of the way through the season, which means there’s plenty of opportunity for someone else to rise through the ranks. A challenging track like Mugello is the perfect chance to close that leadership gap.
The top ten fastest for the session all finished with lap times within a second of each other. It’s only going to get faster from here until Sunday. Former Mugello Grand Prix winner Dennis Foggia couldn’t break the top five once again, but he has more confidence in himself, which could prove interesting if he continues to do so.
Quiles is another to watch, as he has been so close to securing his maiden Moto3 win this season, only to be beaten out by Muñoz in Aragón and Rueda in Silverstone. We’ll be watching in anticipation to see if Mugello awards him with a first-place podium finish.