Arthur Sissis achieved his best qualifying performance of the season and went on to lead the opening laps in Indy. Image: MotoGP.com.

Red Bull KTM Ajo Motorsport’s Arthur Sissis has opened the second half of his Moto3 campaign with plenty of promise, able to lead the opening stanza of the Indianapolis Grand Prix for the first time in the class.

The Aussie qualified his KTM in sixth position, and made a blistering start to be battling in second by the end of the first lap.

He then took over the lead of the race, setting the pace and gaining valuable experience in the process.

A lack of rear grip saw him drop out of the lead but still manage to factor within the top five for the remainder of the race.

“The race went rather well,” reflected Sissis. “We began with a good start and I was able to lead a race for the first time on the opening laps.

“On the first five times around the tyre was sliding around a lot, but later on the grip improved.

“I was not able to stick with the lead group, so I rode with Luis [Salom] and Jonas [Folger] just behind.”

Folger and Salom found their way by the Aussie in the closing stages, relegating him to sixth, which is still his best finish of the season.

“I think that the GP was a good one and I am happy, so I hope to continue in this way at Brno,” he added.

The Indianapolis Grand Prix result marks Sissis’ fourth consecutive top 10 finish in the class and moves him to eighth outright on the standings.