Deniz Öncü finishes the Moto3 race in sixth place, with Jose Antonio Rueda tenth.

The Moto3 race at the Grand Prix of the Americas took place this Sunday, and the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders put in an outstanding performance. Deniz Öncü moved up from the fifth row of the grid to finish in sixth place, whilst Jose Antonio Rueda continued to take steps forward and earned tenth position.

Deniz Öncü started from the fifth row of the grid after crashing in Q2 while on his hot lap. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider gained several positions off the line and maintained a good pace whilst trying to stay in the group. The Circuit of the Americas witnessed an intense race in which Öncü gave his best to stay consistent. He broke into the Top 10 just past the midway mark, and he would rise to sixth before the chequered flag. After this race, Öncü occupies thirteenth place in the overall standings with 16 points.

Jose Antonio Rueda was contesting his first race at COTA. The Moto3 rookie started from the fourth row of the grid and maintained his position in the early stages. Rueda felt more and more comfortable, increasing his pace and moving into the Top 10 with eight laps to go. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider lost ground in an intense fight in his group, but recovered to clinch tenth on the final lap. He is now eighth in the standings with 19 points and is the best rookie in the class.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo will return to Europe for the next round of the season: The Spanish Grand Prix, from April 27-30th at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto.

Results (Race)
1. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 32:01.062
2. Jaume Masia (Honda) +0.457
3. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto) +0.558
4. Diogo Moreira (KTM) +0.567
5. Daniel Holgado (KTM) +0.657
6. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +9.493
10. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +10.085

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2023
1. Daniel Holgado (KTM) 49 points
2. Diogo Moreira (KTM) 49 points
3. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto) 32 points
4. Jaume Masia (Honda) 31 points
5. Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda) 27 points
8. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 19 points
13. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 16 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2023
1. Leopard Racing 58 points
2. MT Helmets – MSI 54 points
3. Red Bull KTM Tech3 49 points
4. Angeluss MTA Team 44 points
5. CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP 39 points
6. Red Bull KTM Ajo 35 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“First of all, we need to be satisfied that both riders were in the Top 10 today and that they finished the race, as there were so many crashes during this weekend in Austin. To be honest, we expected to have a chance to fight for the podium, especially with Deniz. Both he and Jose Antonio had good performance in the practice sessions but we maybe weren’t strong enough to be at the front during the race. The positive is that we feel that we had a good performance and we are on the right path. For sure we will fight for the podium in Jerez.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“We started 14th, and I made some mistakes at the start so I lost some positions. I tried to be as fast as possible to get to front but I didn’t manage to pass a lot of riders. I was stuck in the group and I couldn’t reach the front pack. I tried to have a good pace and in the end I gained some places. We took some points today, but this result isn’t what we had hoped for. We will come back stronger at Jerez for the next race”.

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“It’s my first race in Austin and we’ve finished in the Top 10. On the opening laps I struggled a bit more and I lost some places. We were in the second group and we finished in a good position. We are improving the bike every weekend and I feel more comfortable all the time, so I’m happy with how the weekend went. The next race is at home, in Jerez, so it will be special for me. We have to keep on the same path and do the best we can.”