David Alonso continued to show he is a level above in Moto3 in Barcelona as he took pole position for Sunday’s race in a stunning performance.
The Colombian has been untouchable in Moto3 this season, winning 13 out of the 19 races so far and taking victory in the last six consecutive races.
At just 18 years old, Alonso secured the title with four races to spare and comes into the Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona a staggering 160 points ahead of his nearest rival, Daniel Holgado.
The CFMoto Aspar Team rider has only finished outside the top five twice all season, and he continued to show just how impressive he is as he took pole position for the season finale on Sunday.
Sylvain Guintoli in awe of ‘unreal’ David Alonso whose qualifying time was seven seconds off pole in MotoGP
Alonso set a time of 1.45.905, which was three-tenths of a second quicker than second-place Collin Veijer. The lap was also a new record for Moto3 around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya course.
The Colombian’s performance was so impressive that – as Sylvain Guintoli pointed out – his pole time was seven seconds off the time set by Francesco Bagnaia to secure pole for the MotoGP race, despite the Moto3 bikes having a fifth of the power.
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And the Frenchman was left lauding the ‘unreal’ 18-year-old, who showed again that Alonso is the ‘full package’.
After Alonso set a new Moto3 lap record at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to secure pole position, Guintoli said on TNT Sports 2 (16/11, 12:35): “What a lap time! A 45.9! That’s so fast, I mean that’s seven seconds off pole position in MotoGP on bikes that have got a fifth of the power.
“That’s unreal. Once again, showing how much class he’s got. This young man has got it all. Full package. I can’t wait to see him on the bigger bikes.
“This year, he’s been dominating. Nobody has been anywhere near him. He’s had the speed in qualifying but he’s also been able to manage his races in a really clever way. Yeah, he’s the full package.”
Can David Alonso keep up the pace in Moto2 in 2025?
After being utterly dominant in 2024, Alonso will be making the step up to Moto2 next season as he remains with the CFMoto Aspar Team, riding a Kalex bike.
His teammate will be Holgado, who is currently joint second in the Moto3 standings behind Alonso heading into Barcelona with Veijer. The Spaniard has grabbed one win and seven podiums so far this season and he completes what will be an exciting pairing in Moto2.
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With his incredible talent displayed in Moto3, many will be excited to see if Alonso can keep up his performances in Moto2 – with many likely expecting him to do just that.
Neil Hodgson would be ‘really shocked’ if Alonso was not on the pace next season, already mounting pressure on the 18-year-old even before he has stepped on a Moto2 machine.