Red Bull KTM Ajo Factory Racing Team´s Sandro Cortese´s experience paid off in Jerez when the season´s second GP of Moto3 series was held at extremely challenging circumstances in Spain.
German rider made a tactically really good competition on partly wet track and crossed the finish line third as he did also at the season opener in Qatar three weeks ago. After two GPs Cortese is now fourth in world championship standing.
– I am really pleased with my result when the circumstances were so hard. My aim is to get as many podium positions during the season as possible with as little mistakes as possible. Third place from Qatar was a big thing also for KTM, rx who has done really good work again during last few weeks, Cortese praised.
Cortese got well-deserved complements from team leader Aki Ajo.
– Cortese´s experience came out so well today. He didn´t have any reason to push any more. Just extremely impressive performance, Ajo confirmed.
Cortese paid it safe on the 4,4 kilometers long Andalusian track that was still partly wet after the rain.
– During my career I have learnt that at these kind of circumstances there is no reason to join the younger riders and ride too fast because it´s almost impossible to do that without crashes, Cortese highlighted.
And there really were many crashes: out of 34 riders only half made it to the finish.
– I actually was a bit surprised that this was announced to be a dry race. All the riders started with slick tyres but there were too many wet spots on the track. I can´t remember any race like this, Ajo wondered.

Kent and Sissis crashed
at the same place

Cortese´s team mates Briton Danny Kent´s and Australian Arthur Sissis´s race ended up harmfully already at early stage. Kent crashed during the opening lap and Sissis on the same place three laps later.
– When you ride in a big group it is really hard to see those wet spots on the track. I hit one and couldn´t just do anything. My ankle is swollen and fingers hurt a bit. I will go to see a doctor again and they will check my ankle more carefully, Kent said.
Sissis also hurt himself a bit when he crashed.
– Arthur´s rib is sore but I believe and expect that both him and Danny are able to ride when the season continues next week at Estoril circuit in Portugal, Ajo said.
The winner of the Moto3 class was Italian Romano Fenati who crossed the finish line 36 seconds before Spanish Luis Salom who finished second. Cortese´s time difference to Salom was seven tenths of a second.
Fenati took his first victory only from the second GP of his career. He was second in Qatar and therefore leads the championship standing. The fact that pole man Alex Rins finished fourth after crashing twice tells a lot about the unusual race.

GRAN PREMIO bwin DE ESPAÑA
Moto3 Race Classification 2012
1. Romano Fenati Italy, Team Italia FMI, FTR Honda 43.50,885
2. Luis Salom Spain, RW Racing GP, Kalex KTM + 36,139
3. Sandro Cortese Germany, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM + 36,895
4. Alex Rins Spain, Estrella Galicia 0,0, Suter Honda + 37,061
5. Alexis Masbou France, Caretta Technology, Honda + 49,036
6. Maverick Vinales Spain, Blusens Avintia, FTR Honda + 55,857
7. Alberto Moncayo Spain, Bankia Aspar Team, Kalex KTM + 57,505
8. Niccolo Antonelli Italy, San Carlo Gresini Moto3, FTR Honda + 1.03,683
9. Hector Faubel Spain, Bankia Aspar Team, Kalex KTM + 1.15,351
10. Zulfahmi Khairuddin Malaysia, AirAsia-Sic-Ajo, KTM + 1.35,650
11. Alessandro Tonucci Italy, Team Italia FMI, FTR Honda + 1 kierros
12. Alex Marquez Spain, Estrella Galicia 0,0, Suter Honda + 1 kierros
13. Ivan Moreno Spain, Andalucia JHK Laglisse, FTR Honda + 1 kierros
14. Alan Techer France, Technomag-CIP-TSR, TSR Honda + 1 kierros
15. Giulian Pedone Switzerland, Ambrogio Next Racing, Oral + 1 kierros
16. Marcel Schrotter Germany, Mahindra Racing, Mahindra + 1 kierros
17. Jasper Iwema Netherlands, Moto FGR, FGR Honda + 1 kierros

Not classified:
Niklas Ajo Finland, TT Motion Events Racing, KTM.
Arthur Sissis Australia, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM.
Danny Kent Great Britain, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM.
17 riders did not classified.

World championship standing:
1. Fenati 45
2. Vinales 35
3. Salom 33
4. Cortese 32
5. Rins 19
6. Khairuddin 11
11. Sissis 9
12. Kent 8
19. Ajo 3

Next GP: 6.5. Estoril, Portugal.