Pedro Acosta finishes second in Jerez, with Albert Arenas in eighth.

The Spanish Grand Prix concluded this Sunday with positive results for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team. Pedro Acosta took his second consecutive podium, finishing in second position, and is the new leader of the category. Albert Arenas rode a consistent race from start to finish and crossed the line in eighth position.

Pedro Acosta started the race from the front row of the grid. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider remained in first place for the first few laps, but then he dropped back to second. The high temperatures and the high race pace forced him to manage the contest intelligently, chasing the leader and eventually coming home second, earning a second consecutive podium -the third of the season. With this great result, Acosta moved joint top of the overall standings, with 74 points.

On the other hand, Albert Arenas completed a consistent race at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider started the race from ninth on the grid and maintained that position for the first part of the race. Arenas was comfortable in Jerez and showed a steady pace, making steps forward and trying to make up positions. The rider crossed the finish line again in the Top10, in eighth position. Arenas finishes this weekend ninth in the overall standings with 27 points.

The French Grand Prix will be the next race for Red Bull KTM Ajo, taking place from May 11-13th.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“We need to be very happy about our performance in Moto2. Pedro had a really great weekend, he has been very consistent and very fast in every practice session, showing his professionalism and experience in his second season in this category. We need to be very happy about this second position. Pedro didn’t want to take any extra risk during this race, collecting good points for the championship. He has already shown his smartness and cleverness. With Albert, I’m really happy with his race. We worked during this weekend on a base setup and, after a few crashes, he did finally took some good steps in his riding style and work. He rode a solid race and we are happy to keep going in the same way.”

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“It was a tough race, but we are more than happy with the result. I tried to catch up with the leader but he was very fast, although the pace was not very different. There was a big gap to third place so we earned some good points for the championship. We gave everything and the team worked hard throughout the weekend to be as competitive as possible today. I have to thank everyone who makes it so that we can achieve these results.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“It was important to have a good race today to continue building a good base for the coming rounds. We were faster and we took a step forward, although some small mistakes prevented us from gaining positions. We were able to face it and have a good pace. We will keep working for the next race at Le Mans.”

Jose Antonio Rueda finishes fifth in an intense race, with Deniz Öncü in ninth.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders rode in the Spanish Grand Prix race this Sunday. After an intense battle in the group, Jose Antonio Rueda placed fifth at his home round, whilst Deniz Öncü started from pole position and finished ninth position after failing to feel fully comfortable in Jerez on race day.

Öncü was on pole for the first time this season, having been the pacesetter throughout the weekend. Taking the holeshot, the Turkish rider tried to open a gap, and fought to maintain a consistent pace despite not having the best feeling on Sunday. After dropping back, he managed to rejoin the leading group on the last few laps, although in the final stretch of the race he received a long lap penalty. Unable to complete the sanction due to a lack of time, he finished the Spanish Grand Prix in ninth position. With this result, Öncü is tenth in the overall standing with 23 points.

Rueda made a good start that allowed him to maintain his grid position of ninth. After the opening lap, the Moto3 rookie began to move up the order and tried to remain in the group, running a good race pace that included matching the leaders’ lap times. After latching onto the front group in the last few laps, Rueda continued to advance before crossing the finish line in an outstanding fifth position. He remains the best rookie in the class, in eighth place with 30 points.

The next round of the Moto3 World Championship will be the French Grand Prix at Le Mans from May 11th-13th.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“Our performance this week in Moto3 was at a high level. Of course we need to be really happy about the performances from both riders. But after the race, we have mixed feelings as Jose Antonio’s race was really good. He is in his rookie season and a fifth position is really great for him. He has shown that he is ready to fight for even higher positions and he’s one of the top riders in the class in his first season but also, as I said before, this is his rookie year, so we need to go step by step. Deniz had an incredible pace this week, he showed everyone that he was the fastest and strongest rider here in Jerez. But of course, we are very disappointed and sorry for him because in the race we had a problem with the rear tyre and he couldn’t ride as he liked. Nevertheless, he fought to the end. But racing is sometimes like this and this weekend gave us more confidence in Deniz, who is ready to fight for wins in many races.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“After the Spanish Grand Prix, we feel good and have drawn some very positive conclusions. We have seen how far we can go and how strong we are. In the race I expected a great result but in the end it didn’t turn out as expected. I didn’t feel comfortable with the front tyre as it had no grip. I have tried to gain places but in the end we were ninth. We have earned points and that is always positive. It’s time to reset and focus on the next race at Le Mans.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“It’s been a good race that we worked hard on all weekend. Racing at Jerez is always very special and we were confident that we would have a good race. Fifth place here is very positive, and even more so after a closely fought race in the group. We leave very happy and now it’s time to think about the next race at Le Mans, to continue progressing.”

Results (Race)

1. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 33:57.506

2. David Alonso (GasGas) +0.034

3. Jaume Masia (Honda) +0.215

4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +0.422

5. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.549

9. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +3.862

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2023

1. Daniel Holgado (KTM) 59 points

2. Diogo Moreira (KTM) 55 points

3. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 50 points

4. Jaume Masia (Honda) 47 points

5. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto) 41 points

8. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 30 points

10. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 23 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2023

1. Daniel Holgado (KTM) 59 points

2. Diogo Moreira (KTM) 55 points

3. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 50 points

4. Jaume Masia (Honda) 47 points

5. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto) 41 points

8. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 30 points

10. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 23 points