The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider finishes the Grand Prix of Styria in 8th position, whilst Kaito Toba suffers a crash on the last lap.

The Moto3 Grand Prix of Styria ended three consecutive weeks of intense work for the Red Bull KTM Ajo team. Following the sixth round of the 2020 season, Raul Fernandez remains one of only two riders to have scored points at every race, finishing eighth this Sunday. His teammate, Kaito Toba, was running in 18th position until a last lap crash forced him to retire.

Raul Fernandez made a good start from the front row of the grid. During the opening third of the contest the Spaniard dropped several places, but always maintained contact with the lead group. At the halfway point the 19-year-old switched up his pace and began to move up the field, although a mistake then left him adrift and he crossed the line in 8th.

Taking off from Row 6, Kaito Toba held his grid position and was 17th after Lap 1. The Japanese was part of a large group of competitors in which the overtaking was constant and fierce. Unfortunately, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider was in 18th place by the time he crashed out on the final lap.

After today’s race, Raul Fernandez occupies 7th position in the overall standings with 51 points, whilst Kaito Toba is 20th with 12 points. Now the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo will enjoy a two-week break before the next round, the San Marino Grand Prix, which will take place from September 11th to 13th at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Results – (Moto3 Race)
1. Celestino Vietti (KTM) 37:10.319
2. Tony Arbolino (Honda) +0.410
3. Ai Ogura (Honda) +0.938
4. Gabriel Rodrigo (Honda) +1.182
5. Albert Arenas (KTM) +1.380
8. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +4.265
DNF. Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2020
1. Albert Arenas (KTM) 106 points
2. Ai Ogura (Honda) 81 points
3. John McPhee (Honda) 67 points
4. Celestino Vietti (KTM) 66 points
5. Tony Arbolino (Honda) 60 points
7. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 51 points
20. Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 12 points

AKI AJO – TEAM MANAGER

“We expected a little more from Moto3; above all, because Raul [Fernandez] showed a very strong pace in practice. However, we still need to take a step forward with him in the race. His contest was looking good at the beginning, but after several incidents with other riders – and perhaps some mistakes by him – it was impossible to fight for the top positions. We have to keep working and learning and try again at the next Grand Prix. As for Kaito [Toba], it was a tough weekend for him. I am sure that at Misano we will see him fighting for places higher up the order.”

25 RAUL FERNANDEZ

“It was a tough race. I felt very strong, but we still have room to learn more. We must continue working in the same way as we have been and continue to gain experience. I leave here with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, since in the warm-up I was riding comfortably, but in the contest itself, it was a bit more difficult for me to stop the bike. Nevertheless, I am fairly satisfied with our performance, because I showed that I can be aggressive and that I can fight. Now we have to fine-tune some details to get ready for the next round at Misano.”

27 KAITO TOBA

“It was not a good contest for us. Overall, it was a difficult weekend although, as at every race, we took steps forward on Sunday. We need to improve our braking, and that will be our goal for the coming rounds. I am going to mentally reset ahead of Misano, where I will do my best once again to try to get a good result.”