A Saturday marked by changing weather conditions and missed opportunities for the Beta Tools SpeedRS Team at Phillip Island. After a rain-affected morning, the afternoon sessions took place in dry conditions, with Luca Lunetta securing 18th position and Celestino Vietti set to start tomorrow’s race from 24th on the grid.

FP2 took place entirely in wet conditions. Lunetta crashed at Turn 4 with 18 minutes remaining, but managed to return to the track in the closing minutes, finishing 22nd with a time of 1’49.197. The limited time available prevented him from fully demonstrating his potential, although his feeling in the wet was encouraging.

Lunetta gained direct entry to Q2 following Escrig’s unfit status after his crash during free practice. The number 32 rider approached qualifying with a strong pace and, after changing tyres, completed several flying laps. However, during his final attempt, he crashed at high speed at Turn 8. Fortunately, the young rookie was able to get back on his feet unharmed, but he finished qualifying in 18th position and will start tomorrow’s race from the sixth row.

Celestino showed promising signs during FP2, which was held entirely in wet conditions. Without making any pit stops, the number 13 rider completed a solid session, securing eighth position with a time of 1’45.023. In the afternoon, however, qualifying in dry conditions did not deliver the hoped-for result. Vietti finished Q1 in tenth position and will therefore start tomorrow’s race from 24th on the grid, on the eighth row. This position will require a focused and determined race as he looks to make up ground.

CELESTINO VIETTI #13: P24 in 1’31.687

“The day started well in the wet, where I was able to find a good feeling during FP2 and finish in eighth position. In the afternoon, however, Q1 didn’t go as we had hoped, and tomorrow I’ll be starting from 24th on the grid. It will certainly be a challenging race, but we’ll try to make the most of every opportunity. The weather conditions could change and, if it rains, it will be important to build on the positive feeling we had this morning. We’ll give it our all to make up positions and finish the weekend on the best possible note”.

LUCA LUNETTA #32: P18 in 1’30.837

“It’s been a bit of an eventful Saturday. We know we have the potential, and we’re happy with the work we’re doing. I was quick straight away in the wet, then unfortunately I crashed, but the feeling remained good, and it was just as positive in the dry. In qualifying today, I got off to a good start, immediately improving on yesterday’s time. When I was just three tenths off pole position, I crashed, but we remain very confident because we’re close to the front and have good pace. Tomorrow, we’ll need to push hard and be aggressive in the race. I’d like to thank the whole team for their support, and I can’t wait for tomorrow!”.