Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo finish Andalucia Grand Prix in sixth and eleventh place, respectively.

High temperatures at Jerez made the Andalucia Grand Prix a true test of endurance for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders. Jorge Martin finished in a creditable sixth position and took further points for his tally, whilst Tetsuta Nagashima remains the World Championship leader after fighting back from 19th to 11th. The team keep the first place in the Team Standings.

Jorge Martin made a good start from the second row of the grid, holding position – 6th – on the opening corner. The Spaniard tried his best to stay in the leading group, but the intense heat and heavy tyre wear made it a tough task. Finally, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 talent rode alone until crossing the finish line in 6th.

Tetsuta Nagashima, who started from the fifth row, had a tough start to the race, dropping to 19th place. However, the Japanese kept his focus and mounted a comeback from the second lap onwards. Halfway through the contest he caught and passed the group fighting for the Top 10, eventually losing a position on the last corner and finishing 11th.

Following the Andalucia GP, Nagashima maintains the lead of the series with 50 points, whilst Martin climbs to 6th place in the overall standings with 26. The next round for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team will be the Czech Grand Prix at Brno from August 7-9th.

Results (Moto2 Race)
1. Enea Bastianini (Kalex) 39:23:922
2. Luca Marini (Kalex) +2.153
3. Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex) +3.243
4. Sam Lowes (Kalex) +3.817
5. Aron Caet (Speed Up) +9.155
6. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +11.988
11. Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +20.447

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2020
1. Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 50 points
2. Enea Bastianini (Kalex) 48 points
3. Luca Marini (Kalex) 45 points
4. Aron Canet (Speed Up) 30 points
5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 28 points
6. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 26 points

AKI AJO – TEAM MANAGER

“It was a tough day for us in Moto2. With Tetsuta [Nagashima], I am happy that he was able to finish the race, considering that yesterday he suffered a crash and hit his head. He rode a very good contest and managed to pick up some points that help him maintain the lead in the championship, so we have to be satisfied with that. As for Jorge Martin, he suffered some issues with the front tyre. We have to analyse what happened to be prepared for the coming rounds. Jorge showed that he has the power and the speed, so I am sure that in the next few races he will be able to fight for the podium.”

88 JORGE MARTIN

“It was a tough race due to the intense heat. I had expected to do a little better, especially in the final part of the contest, but a 6th position is fine. I suffered with my tyres, since I think that this time we didn’t choose the best compound for the front. We are gaining experience with the 2020 bike, and have learned a lot from this GP. The important thing is that we have more points and knowledge.”

45 TETSUTA NAGASHIMA

“Today was a tough day for me, as I didn’t feel well. Nevertheless, I tried and gave my all in the race. We had expected better than 11th place but the important thing is that we still have the lead in the overall standings.

We can take away some very positive points from these two weeks in Jerez, as well as others that we will try to improve for the next GP. At Brno we will be at 100% and try to fight for the top positions again.”