19th Jun 2023
ACOSTA TAKES SECOND CONSECUTIVE MOTO2 VICTORY AS ÖNCÜ TAKES MAIDEN MOTO3 WIN AT GERMAN GRAND PRIX
Moto2:
Pedro Acosta wins at Sachsenring with Albert Arenas ninth.
A positive weekend for the Red Bull KTM Ajo team at the German Grand Prix ended with Pedro Acosta winning the race and continuing in the title fight. Albert Arenas carried on his progress and confirmed his good feeling, finishing in ninth position.
Acosta once again started from the front row of the grid, and took the lead on the second lap before imposing his pace and increasing his advantage, setting the fastest lap of the race and breaking the race lap record. After 25 laps, he took the chequered flag more than 2 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, earning back-to-back wins in Moto2 for the first time in his career. Acosta reduced the gap in the overall standings and remains in second place with 124 points.
Arenas had been feeling good and making progress at the German Grand Prix. He took off from the third row of the grid and remained in the group fighting for the Top 10. He moved up the order and felt comfortable onboard his KTM, picking up the pace and trying to get the best possible result at the Sachsenring. The high temperatures hindered his race management, but he rounded off a noteworthy weekend with a ninth place finish. He is thirteenth overall, with 34 points.
Red Bull KTM Ajo will now move on to the Dutch TT, the last of three consecutive races before the summer break, from June 23rd-25th.
Aki Ajo – Team Manager
Pedro was really dominant in the race today. It was so nice to see how calm he was and how he kept control during the race. This weekend he was strong in the practices but it wasn’t the easiest weekend, because we didn’t have too much dry practice time to prepare for a really long race here.We need to manage the tyres in the best way, but Pedro felt strong and he decided to pull away, which worked. With Albert we had a really positive weekend. We were working in the correct way and always with a smile on out faces. Our target was to have a solid race and to finish in the Top 10, and we did that. I’m really pleased with the progress that we have made with him here at Sachsenring.
#37 PEDRO ACOSTA
It is always nice to win again. We were strong and I think that this has been the weekend in which we have been more competitive overall. Both in the wet, which was also difficult for us, and in qualifying, we have improved a lot. The race was somewhat difficult to manage with the front tyre and the rear grip, especially on the last ten laps. We have to be happy, and the team are working very hard. Now it’s time to keep our feet on the ground and our heads focused on Assen, which will be a new circuit for us since we couldn’t compete there last year.
#75 ALBERT ARENAS
It has been a weekend in which I have been able to change my mentality a little and make progress. The race was positive and we had a good pace. From now on we are going to focus on qualifying better because I was in an intense fight during the race and I know that starting a little higher up we could have improved our pace, but we are on the right track. Thank you to the team for the work they have done this weekend and I’m looking forward to continuing in Assen and uncovering our true potential.
Results (Race)
1. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 35:15.315
2. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) +2.730
3. Jake Dixon (Kalex) +2.825
4. Somkiat Chantra (Kalex) +9.013
5. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) +12.274
9. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +15.219
Moto2 World Championship Standing 2023
1. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) 139 points
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 124 points
3. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 82 points
4. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 79 points
5. Filip Salac (Kalex) 72 points
13. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 34 points
Moto2 Teams World Championship Standing 2023
1. Elf Marc VDS Racing Team 192 points
2. Red Bull KTM Ajo 158 points
3. MB Conveyors SpeedUp 118 points
4. Pons Wegow Los40 99 points
5. QJMotor Gresini Moto2 94 points
Moto3:
Deniz Öncü takes victory at the German Grand Prix and Jose Antonio Rueda finishes in thirteenth position.
The German Grand Prix ended in the best possible way for Deniz Öncü. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider earned his first Moto3 win after a great race. Jose Antonio Rueda finished in thirteenth position after fighting in the group and continues adding points to his tally.
Öncü started the race from the front row and with a clear strategy. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider retained his starting position on the first lap, as the leader began to increase his advantage. Öncü maintained a good pace in the early stages, until after the first half he decided to attack. The Turkish rider set a high pace on the final laps, cutting a lead of more than a second before biding his time. Öncü completed an intelligent race, waiting for the right moment to overtake in the last corner and take his first victory in the category. With this result he is fifth in the overall standings with 78 points.
Rueda began the Moto3 race from sixteenth position on the grid, remained in the group and tried to climb up the order, although the high temperatures at the German circuit made the contest even more demanding. After a small mistake on the initial laps, Rueda gained positions and fought in the points once again, eventually placing 13th. He continues to improve each weekend and is now ninth in the standings with 42 points.
The next race arrives in a week’s time, as the series moves to Assen in the Netherlands from June 23rd-25th.
Aki Ajo – Team Manager
It was a really emotional win today with Deniz, as we have worked with him for many years since he was a young boy. This is the third season for us together and we have seen all his potential. Somehow I feel that he even had some stress in the last two years about getting this first win and waiting for it to arrive in the last few races, and today he really showed that he deserved it.The whole team had a really emotional moment. For Jose Antonio it wasn’t the easiest weekend, but that happens in your rookie season and I still think that we are in a good process with him. We will have much better weekends in the near future.
#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ
It’s a dream to finally win in Moto3. Everybody has been pushing so much for me to get it: My family, my friends, my team… and now it has happened it’s a weight off my shoulders. Every weekend we have been fast, and I have lost out on many wins by just a few metres, but now I know that I can also win those kinds of races - and this is also very positive. I feel stronger and that makes me happy. Now we have to enjoy ourselves and think about the next race at Assen.
#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA
I didn’t have a good start and I lost a couple of positions, although I managed to regain them on the first few laps. The first group was pushing very hard from the start and I fell behind, especially after a scare, and I couldn’t rejoin the second group, although I was able to get my pace back. With the tyres heavily worn it was more difficult. I’m happy because we’ve taken a step forward with the bike and we’ll continue to make progress. I’m very comfortable and now it’s time to focus on Assen, a circuit that we don’t know but where we will continue working like this.
Results (Race)
1. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 33:10.531
2. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +0.095
3. Daniel Holgado (KTM) +12.074
4. Ivan Ortola (KTM) +12.196
5. David Alonso (GASGAS) +17.158
13. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +21.034
Moto3 World Championship Standing 2023
1. Daniel Holgado (KTM) 125 points
2. Jaume Masia (Honda) 84 points
3. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 81 points
4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 79 points
5. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 78 points
9. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 42 points
Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2023
1. Red Bull KTM Tech3 127 points
2. Leopard Racing 122 points
3. Angeluss MTA Team 121 points
4. Red Bull KTM Ajo 120 points
5. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP 97 points