Daniel Holgado looked back to his best as he topped the timesheets in both Friday practice sessions ahead of the 2023 Moto3 World Championship finale in Valencia.

The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider comes to the last event of the year bidding to bookend his campaign with a fourth victory of the season having kicked things off with success at the Portimao Moto3 opener back in April.

Having led the way in the overall standings for a large portion of the season, while Holgado’s title aspirations would go on to fade after the summer break, he comes to Valencia with a good shot at securing at least third in the final reckoning.

It’s a target he will feel spurred on to achieving after leading the way in both P1 and P2, Holgado putting two tenths between himself and closest rival Deniz Oncu, with whom he is current level on points with placed fourth in the overall standings.

While Holgado remains 13-points adrift of David Alonso in the fight for third, his cause might be assisted by question marks over his rival's fitness after the Colombian suffered two large high-sides in P2.

Already spooked by coming off at Turn 5 past the mid-way point in the session, Alonso was then down again 15 minutes later upon losing the rear of his GasGas Aspar machine on the exit of Turn 11 and being flung into a brutal high-side.

Worse still, his flailing bike was then struck by the close-following Ayumu Sasaki, the Japanese too being ejected from his Husqvarna Intact GP machine. Bringing out the red flags, while both were able to walk away from the incident, Alonso will be checked at the medical centre.

The late stoppage meant only a handful of time attacks were to be completed, leaving Joel Kelso third at the end of the day, followed by Adrian Fernandez and Ivan Ortola.

Newly-crowned Moto3 World Champion Jaume Masia finished Friday in sixth place, followed by Ryusei Yamanaka and Collin Veijer, while Diogo Moreira and Vicente Perez - fresh from his fine fifth place finish in Qatar - rounded out the top ten.

Despite his eventful conclusion to the day’s action, Alonso remains on course for Q2 in 11th, as does Sasaki in 13th, the pair separated by Taiyo Furusato.

With Scott Ogden flying a solo flag for VisionTrack Racing this weekend in the absence of injured team-mate Joshua Whatley, the British youngster has been left with work to do to improve from 25th.

2023 Valencia Moto3, Circuit Ricardo Tormo - Practice Results after P2

Friday - Conditions: Dry, Sunny

CLICK HERE for full results from each Valencia Moto3 session