Image: Supplied.

After making up four positions on the opening lap, the Moto3 outing of Joel Kelso in India was brought to a premature end when he crashed out of contention, but the determined Australian is ready to rebound this weekend at the Japanese GP.

With the future of the talented CFMOTO Pruestel GP rider unclear, Kelso earned a direct ticket into Q2 at Buddh by posting the 11th fastest time in practice.

A wet qualifying saw Kelso post the 16th quickest lap, and then after getting caught up in turn one he made up four positions on the first lap of the race – a positive being his increased aggression in the early stages. Unfortunately, a fall soon after on lap two ultimately ruled Kelso out of the race.

“I got caught-up in turn one and then made four positions on the first lap but I had contact with a rider into turn three and that ruined my exit,” Kelso recalled. “When I opened the gas, race over. I’ve been struggling a bit with being aggressive in races so that first period before the crash was a small positive from today. We’ll be ready for much better in Japan. We’ll be fighting.”

The Moto3 World Championship moves to Motegi this weekend, for the 14th round of the 2023 season. Kelso’s best race result of the year so far is P9, achieved on two occasions, and he has delivered four front-row qualifying performances this year.