Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rookie crashes out on the opening laps after colliding with another rider.

The challenging Circuit of The Americas played host to the third round of the 2019 Moto3 World Championship on Sunday. It proved to be a tough day for Can Öncü, who crashed on the second lap after contact with another rider. Despite trying to rejoin the race, the Red Bull KTM Ajo youngster was forced to retire.

Starting from the seventh row of the grid, Can Öncü did not have much time to make progress, the incident coming on just the second lap on the way in to turn 4. The Turkish rider returned to the track to try to finish the race, but two laps later he was forced to enter the pits.

After the first three races of the year, the World Championship now returns to Europe for the Red Bull Spanish Grand Prix, which takes place from 3rd to 5th May. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team and Can Öncü will look to continue taking steps forward at a familiar circuit for both: Jerez Circuit-Angel Nieto.

Results Moto3 Race
1. Aron Canet (KTM) 39:06.761
2. Jaume Masia (KTM) +0.909
3. Andrea Migno (KTM) +1.077
4. Gabriel Rodrigo (Honda) +1.104
5. Niccolo Antonelli (Honda) +1.187
DNF. Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2019
1. Jaume Masia (KTM) 45 points
2. Aron Canet (KTM) 45 points
3. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Honda) 32 points
4. Niccolo Antonelli (Honda) 32 points
5. Kaito Toba (Honda) 31 points
-. Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 0 points

AKI AJO – TEAM MANAGER

“Another learning weekend for Can [Öncü]. It clearly hasn’t been an easy Grand Prix for him because this is a very demanding track. The weather conditions yesterday led to FP3 being cancelled and that made things even more tricky for Can. This also put more pressure on him for the race. Unfortunately, he had a collision with another rider and wasn’t able to save the crash.”

61 CAN ÖNCÜ

“It hasn’t been an easy day for us, I am a little dissatisfied. The important thing is that I have realised I need to keep my cool more and stay calm. After these first three rounds I have learned that I need to manage the races better and from now on I will put these lessons into practice. If we are smart in the future I am sure that things will go better and we will soon be in the points.”