Jose Antonio Rueda and Xabi Zurutuza worked with their new teams ahead of next season.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo team completed two days of testing this week, just after finishing the last race of 2023. A Monday and Wednesday test served as the first contact for the team with the new riders for 2024: Jose Antonio Rueda will compete in his second year, accompanied by Spanish rookie Xabi Zurutuza.

Rueda is already fully focused on next season after concluding his first year in the Moto3 World Championship last Sunday. With hardly any rest, he got to work on Monday with his new crew to begin preparing for the 2024 season, which features several novelties for the Red Bull KTM Ajo structure. He not only tested the new Pirelli tires, but has also focused on KTM’s new features for next season, in two very positive and satisfactory days to conclude 2023.

Xabi Zurutuza is the new addition to the Red Bull KTM Ajo ranks for next season. The 17 year old Spanish rider focused on getting to know the bike and adapting to what will be his team in 2024. He also had the opportunity to learn first-hand about KTM’s improvements for their Moto3 machine in 2024. Both the future rookie and his teammate completed two intense days, full of work for all members of the team.

With this test, Red Bull KTM Ajo conclude 2023 and will work to prepare for the 2024 season in the best possible way.
 

Aki Ajo – Team Manager
“It has been a very important test for our Moto3 team, as we have many changes in the structure. We’ve brought in Xabi Zurutuza as the new rookie rider, while Jose Antonio Rueda will complete his second year with the team. During the second day we focused on development with a complete new bike for next season. Both Jose Antonio and Xabi were really happy with the performance and ended the test with a good feeling. I want to thank KTM racing service for their work and their support on the track during this couple of days.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA
“We are very happy. We have managed to go fast with the new bike. In each run we tried new things; some were better and others worse, but we achieved a good setup for the bike with which I felt comfortable.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA
“These two days of testing have been very positive. I have a very good feeling, which gives me confidence and helps me to adapt quickly. The work we are doing is very good and we are making progress little-by-little. Today we tested the new bike and we drew very positive conclusions; I liked it from the first lap that I tried it out. Now all that remains is to continue improving and enjoying ourselves with the team for next year.”