Bo Bendsneyder and Niccolo Antonelli complete two days of testing in Valencia, in which they rode for the first time in the wet.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 lineup for 2017 returned to Valencia this week, for their final two days of testing before the winter break. Bo Bendsneyder and Niccolo Antonelli were able to continue the work with their new KTM begun last week at the Jerez Circuit, and additionally had the opportunity to test for the first time in the wet.

The pair put in more than 80 laps on Monday, as well as 40 in the wet on Tuesday, as they continued looking for the perfect setup for their new chassis and new engine for 2017. Bendsneyder and Antonelli gathered important data that their crew will use over the next two months to analyse and develop the behaviour of the KTM.

Due to the winter testing ban, the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders will not get back on their bikes until next February. Until that time, they will be resting and training on their own.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager
“These testing days in Valencia for the Moto3 team have been very good. It was dry on Monday and wet on Tuesday. I am happy that we have had these different conditions because we are testing the new chassis, the new engine and many other new parts for the bike in all kinds of conditions. This is very useful to get as much information as possible for the winter break. It has also been important for our riders. Bo [Bendsneyder] continues to progress and has shown great potential for the future, and Niccolo [Antonelli] has shown great improvement, taking a step forward and working very well with the team.”

#23 Niccolo Antonelli
“We had a very good two days of work here at the Valencia circuit. We have improved our feeling with the KTM with respect to the first day of testing. Day after day, lap after lap, I felt better on the bike and with the team we have found a good path to going faster. I am very happy to go into the break having found such a good feeling on the bike; I will have to work hard this winter, but I am happy with the final result of these first few tests with the team for the 2017 season.”

#64 Bo Bendsneyder
“These two days of testing in Valencia have gone well: The first day was dry and the second was wet. This helped us in the end, as we were fast in both sets of conditions, we have had a good pace and we have worked well on our setup. We’ve tried a lot of things and all the data we’ve gathered is very good for next season. Now we have a little break, but I’m looking forward to training again in order to face next season well.”