Here is the thing about this class: it is utterly wild. Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) put on a clinic on Friday afternoon at the Sachsenring, topping the timesheets for the 2026 German GP with the #9 machine leading a massive group of 21 riders separated by less than a second. It is a stunning turnaround for the Indonesian rookie sensation after his disappointment at Assen, and watching him command the session was an absolute joy.
Unfortunately, the afternoon was brutal for others. Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) suffered a nasty highside at Turn 7 right at the start of the session, sending him barrelling through the gravel. Because the bike could not be retrieved and repaired in time, he failed to set a single lap time and now faces a tough fight through Q1.
He was not alone in that misery either. Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) suffered a highside of his own and collected Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower). Just like the championship leader, neither could get back out on track, meaning both find themselves dragged into a fiercely contested Q1 session.
Behind Pratama at the sharp end, Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA) secured second place. Britain’s Eddie O’Shea (GRYD Racing) claimed third, marking his second consecutive GP in that spot on a Friday. Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team) ended up fourth, just 0.056s back, while Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) happily capitalized on the misfortune of Quiles to lock down fifth.
Further down the order, the battle for the cutoff was fierce. Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) dropped Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) outside the top 14 with a late flying lap. Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) also missed automatic entry into Q2, and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) could not maintain his encouraging FP1 form, ending the afternoon down in 18th place. Meanwhile, David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) missed Friday entirely due to illness, though he will slot straight into Q2 should he manage to take to the track on Saturday morning.
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