Jaume Masia and Pedro Acosta finish first and second, respectively, on the combined timesheets for the final round of the 2021 pre-season.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo team put the finishing touches to the 2021 pre-season this Sunday, leading the way in the Official Test in Qatar. Jaume Masia was the fastest rider of both the day and of the entire test at the Losail International Circuit. The Spaniard showed that he is in top form and one of the most consistent riders in Moto3. Just behind him on the timesheets was his teammate, rookie Pedro Acosta, who has adapted perfectly to the class so far and enjoyed his first contact with the Qatari track.

The last day of testing started well for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo, with Acosta and Masia finishing the session in fourth and fifth position, respectively. The former posted a best time of 2:06.170 and gained valuable experience as well, completing a total of 9 laps. His teammate stopped the clock at 2:06.355 on his penultimate attempt of 9.

Acosta and Masia set the pace in the midday session, placing first and second, respectively. Acosta put in a 2:05.626 lap unmatched by the rest of the field, on his 15th of 17. Only 6 thousandths slower was his teammate, with a 2:05.695, completing 19 attempts.

In the afternoon, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo did not let up, occupying the top spots again through Masia and Acosta. On his 12th lap of 19, Jaume set a personal best of 2:04.263 took him to the pinnacle of the timesheets for the entire three days in Qatar. Pedro was not far behind, just 3 tenths slower with a 2:04.569, after 19 attempts.

With the 2021 pre-season over, in less than a week the Moto3 field will face the first race of the year, at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar from March 26th to 28th.

DAY 1, 2, & 3 – COMBINED SESSIONS
1. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:04.263
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:04.569 +0.306
3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 2:04.703 +0.440
4. Izan Guevara (GasGas) 2:04.718 +0.455
5. Gabriel Rodrigo (Honda) 2:04.790 +0.527

Aki Ajo – Team manager
“It was a very positive three days for us. Our riders were focused on setting a strong pace, and on finding a good setup for the race. We worked with both soft and hard compounds and both combinations worked well. We feel ready for the first round of the year.”

#5 Jaume Masia
“I’m very happy with the feeling I got at this test. For every problem that arose, we provided a solution. That is important, since we were never stuck at any time. All weekend we worked with used tyres and riding alone, with the aim of finding a good base setup and being able to improve our times afterwards. I’m satisfied for both the team and myself, and I am looking forward to the first Grand Prix of the 2021 season next week.”

#37 Pedro Acosta
“We had a good test. It was my first time riding in Qatar and we still did a great job. It was tricky to start with, but eventually we went even further than we could imagine. This was the result of the efforts of the entire team. In these three days we took a great leap forward and we are ready for the first two races of the year at this track.”