A challenging qualifying session, but the team – already crowned 2025 Moto2™ World Team Champion – remains confident for tomorrow’s race: the goal is securing third place in the riders’ standings.
Qualifying for the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana proved tougher than expected for Fantic Racing, with Aron Canet set to start from the fourth row and Barry Baltus from the fifth. Despite a complicated session, the team – already mathematically Moto2™ World Team Champion with one race to spare – looks ahead to the final Sunday of the season with confidence, aiming to bring one of its riders onto the championship podium.
It was a demanding day for Aron Canet, who was forced to go through Q1 after encountering difficulties in Friday practice. The Spaniard reacted well, securing second place in Q1 and earning his spot in the decisive session.
In Q2, despite an encouraging fifth-fastest lap in the first run, Canet was unable to improve in the closing minutes and ended the session in 12th place.
It was also a complicated qualifying for Barry Baltus: after showing strong race pace, the Belgian rider couldn’t make the most of his speed on the flying lap and finished 14th, meaning he will start from the fifth row.
Despite the more challenging starting positions, confidence remains high within Fantic Racing: the race pace shown by both riders suggests they can mount a strong comeback on Sunday, with the real possibility of closing an already historic season with another excellent result.
Aron Canet: “I was hoping to start further ahead, because in Q1 I showed I could be very competitive. Despite this, I want to finish my journey with Fantic Racing in the best possible way. The team and I will give everything until the very last lap.”
Barry Baltus: “It wasn’t the qualifying I wanted. I know where I made mistakes, and not improving in the second run was my fault. Still, the race pace is good and we’re ready to attack tomorrow.”
Roberto Locatelli, Fantic Racing Team Manager: “It was a difficult qualifying session, but the race pace for tomorrow is very strong. We’re starting a bit further back, so we’ll need to fight, but we know we can be competitive. We want to finish this season – already hugely positive for Fantic Racing thanks to the Team World Championship – by bringing one of our riders to third place in the standings.”
