BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

Guevara Qualifies Fifth in Spielberg, Ferrández Ruled Out of Austria GP Race

The BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team had to push hard in the qualifying sessions for the Grand Prix of Austria. Izan Guevara ultimately secured fifth place on the grid in a hard-fought Q2, while Alberto Ferrández narrowly missed out on Q2 due to a crash on his final lap and would have had to line up in 19th. After a medical examination, he was diagnosed with a right collarbone fracture. He is travelling back to Spain to undergo surgery as soon as possible.

GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRIA

QUALIFYING

Spielberg (Austria), 19th September 2026

5th

IZAN GUEVARA
1'32.669 / 8 LAPS

19th

ALBERTO FERRANDEZ
1'33.248 / 6 LAPS

The BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team were in the midst of the action at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg on Saturday for Moto2 qualifying. After showing strong pace throughout the weekend, Guevara converted his speed into a solid P5 start, while Ferrández suffered a late crash in Q1 which resulted in another near miss in the fight for Q2 and P19 in the qualifying timesheets. After a medical check, he was found to have a right collarbone fracture and will be unable to take part in tomorrow's race.

Guevara immediately established himself among the frontrunners in Q2. His first benchmark lap placed him third before an improvement on his next try moved him up to second. After quickly returning to the pits, the Spaniard headed back out for a final attack with five minutes remaining but was unable to improve despite his later efforts. His 1'32.669s, set on lap 4/8, ultimately secured him fifth place on the grid, 0.288s from pole position.

Ferrández entered Q1 looking to make amends after missing direct passage to Q2 by only 0.057s on Friday. The Spaniard spent much of the session battling for the top-four positions and briefly moved to the top of the standings with a 1'33.248s lap in the final minute. However, he was quickly pushed back to fifth. A late crash at Turn 9 while attempting to regain a top-four place had Ferrández again narrowly missing out on Q2, this time by just 0.020s. It left him in 19th position in the combined qualifying results. However, due to a right collarbone fracture, he is declared unfit to race tomorrow.

The BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team, the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team, and Yamaha, wish Ferrández a quick and complete recovery and hope have him back in the garage soon.

Guevara will continue his championship quest in tomorrow's 23-lap Moto2 race, which will start at 12:15 (GMT+2).

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ALEX DE ANGELIS
Team Manager, BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2

"We are happy with the second row because we have been at the front throughout the weekend, so it is another confirmation of the progress we are making. The times are extremely close, and Izan felt that he was missing a little bit of grip today. We have already analysed the data and identified some areas where we can recover some performance, so we have everything we need to be even more competitive tomorrow.

"It is difficult to make any predictions, but we know that the bike is working well, Izan likes this track, and we should also be in a good position in terms of tyre management. So, we have a strong package for tomorrow, and we will focus on making the most of it in the race.

"I'm very sorry about what happened to Alberto. The crash itself is part of racing, but unfortunately the injury to his collarbone means he will not be able to race tomorrow and will have to return to Madrid for surgery. On behalf of myself and the whole team, I want to wish him a very quick and complete recovery. We will be here waiting for him and looking forward to having him back on the bike and finishing the season together in the best possible way."

IZAN GUEVARA
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider

"Today was a bit of a strange day, quite similar to Misano. We found the track wet this morning, so we couldn't really ride, apart from practising the start, and that meant we had very little track time before qualifying.

"In qualifying, the feeling was quite good, although the grip was not the same as yesterday. I was struggling a little more with the grip coming out of the corners and in the final part of the lap, but we still managed to put together a good lap. It could have been a little better, as I lost some time in the final sector, but fifth is not a bad position at all.

"The pace is there, so now we just need to enjoy the race tomorrow and try to fight for a good result.

"Finally, I want to wish Alberto a quick recovery. Hopefully he will be back with us very soon."

ALBERTO FERRANDEZ
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider

UPDATE:
After a medical check, Ferrández was found to have a right collarbone fracture. At the time of this release, Ferrández is travelling home in order to receive surgery as soon as possible.