The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo finish in third and ninth position, respectively.

The Misano World Circuit hosted a frantic Moto3 race on Sunday. Deniz Öncü led during the final laps and fought for the victory until the last corner, finishing in third position. Jose Antonio Rueda climbed positions and placed ninth.

Deniz Öncü started the race from fifth position, but lost several places off the line. The Turkish rider managed to recover quickly and in just four laps was up into the podium places. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider closed a big gap behind the race leader and overtook him with 9 laps to go. Öncü tried to increase his advantage, but on the last lap a small mistake relegated him to third. Öncü has five podium finishes this season and is fourth in the overall standings with 144 points.

Rueda started the San Marino Grand Prix from the fourth row of the grid, but he felt comfortable and increased the pace to break into the Top 10. The Moto3 rookie managed to catch the group after the first half of the race and completed a solid race to get the best possible position. In a race run at a high pace, Rueda finished in ninth position, further consolidating his progression. With 88 points, he is eighth in the Moto3 World Championship.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3  riders will next tackle a new circuit for the championship at the Indian Grand Prix from 22-24 September.

Results (Race)
1. David Alonso (GasGas) 34:04.490
3. Jaume Masia (Honda) +0.036
3. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.237
4. David Muñoz (KTM) +0.764
5. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) +4.800
9. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +8.167

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2023
1. Daniel Holgado (KTM) 161 points
2. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 157 points
3. Jaume Masia (Honda) 149 points
4. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 144 points
5. David Alonso (GasGas) 140 points
8. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 88 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2023
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo 232 points
2. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP 215 points
3. Angeluss MTA Team 202 points
4. Leopard Racing 199 points
5. Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team 194 points
 

Aki Ajo – Team Manager
“Once again, it was an exciting race in Moto3. Of course, we are very happy about the performance by our riders. First of all, Deniz showed that he is one of the fastest riders after leading the race for many laps. As we saw many times in Moto3 there is always a group at the front, so you can’t make any mistakes on the last lap. Deniz had a small error, he ran a bit wide and that cost him the win. In any case, I’m really happy about the podium, his performance and his situation in the championship. Rueda’s weekend was positive as well. He improved his riding style; we have to remember that it’s his rookie season and progress is important. We still have to improve many things but he is fighting in the Top 10 and in the first or second group. I’m sure that he will improve more in the following races and we expect more top positions in the future.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“Today I had one of my best race paces of the season, and was even faster than in the qualifying. The race was positive for us, we are very strong at every track, and this is very important. We fought for the victory, I did my best but a small mistake cost me the win. I tried to make a perfect exit out of the corner and brake as late as possible to not get passed by other riders. It’s good to see that we are closing the gap in the championship and we are ready for the next race.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We were able to gain some positions in the first few laps, it was important because we started a little far behind. I think we are on the right way, we have to keep improving, although we know which is the direction to keep going. We were able to catch up the group, but in the last five laps the front riders started to push very hard. The positive thing is that we are still scoring points and we finished in the Top 10 again. Now it’s time to keep working and continue adapting a little bit more.”