Arenas third in Catalonia for first podium of the season
03/09/2023Pedro Acosta finishes sixth in the CatalanGP, with Albert Arenas third.
The Catalan Grand Prix ended well for home rider Albert Arenas. He completed his best weekend to date and was on the podium for the first time this season after finishing third. Pedro Acosta endured a tough race, in which he crossed the finish line in sixth and held onto the lead in the series.
Acosta was ninth on the grid, but had been very consistent throughout the weekend. He moved into the Top 3 after the first half of the race, then tried to maintain the position until the end and claim a podium finish. The intense fight with the rest of the riders caused him to lose several positions and fall to sixth, where he concluded the contest. Acosta now has 186 points, 22 ahead of his nearest rival.
Arenas started the race from the second row after setting the fifth best time in qualifying. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider lost some positions off the start, although he managed to recover and began to climb up the order. He felt increasingly more comfortable in front of the home fans and finally took third for his first rostrum with Red Bull KTM Ajo. With 59 points, he is thirteenth overall.
Red Bull KTM Ajo are now first in the Team standings with 245 points. The San Marino Grand Prix will be the next event for Acosta and Arenas, at the Misano Circuit Marco Simoncelli from September 8-10th.
Results (Race)
1. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 36:51.330
2. Aron Canet (Kalex) +0.205
3. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +1.027
4. Sergio García (Kalex) +2.258
5. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) +2.662
6. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +3.664
Moto2 World Championship Standing 2023
1. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 186 points
2. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) 164 points
3. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 142 points
4. Aron Canet (Kalex) 116 points
5. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 100 points
13. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 59 points
Moto2 Teams World Championship Standing 2023
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo 245 points
2. Elf Marc VDS Racing Team 238 points
3. Beta Tools SpeedUp 184 points
4. Pons Wegow Los40 174 points
5. Asterius GasGas Aspar Team 145 points
Aki Ajo – Team Manager:
“In Moto2 we had a good weekend. Qualifying could have maybe gone better for Pedro, but in any case we were confident that even from ninth position he could do well. I’m really happy about the pace of our riders in the race. Unfortunately on the last laps Pedro made small mistakes and a small collision with other riders dropped him to sixth. Of course, even if the race didn’t finish as we had hoped, still we collected a good amount of points and we increase the lead in the championship. On other hand, Albert’s first podium is something that is really good, so I’m really happy and confident to go to Misano with our Moto2 team.”#37 PEDRO ACOSTA
“The race was quite good and I was consistent. I think we have to be happy because it is not one of our most favourable circuits and we managed to salvage something from the weekend. We were fighting for the victory and for the podium from the beginning, as was our goal. Sometimes these things happen, but we have to be happy with how the Grand Prix went. Now it’s time to think about Misano and the next race.”
#75 ALBERT ARENAS
“I could say many things about this GP, but the best was the happiness I felt on the podium. I enjoyed riding on a difficult weekend where there were many distractions, but I was able to handle them and be at my best. We achieved a good balance with the team and the bike, and I have been able to communicate to the team what I really need in order to ride well. I am very grateful to all the people who always support me and I am looking forward to the next Grand Prix. Misano is a circuit that I like and where we can do well.”