Deniz Öncü finishes in fifth position in his final Moto3 race, with Jose Antonio Rueda in sixth.

The Red Bull KTM Ajoc Moto3 duo competed in their last race of the season at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. Deniz Öncü fought for the podium until the last lap in his farewell from the class, finishing in fifth position. Jose Antonio Rueda crossed the line in sixth position after competing in the front group.

Öncü took off from the front row of the grid and made a great start, in which he was able to remain in the front group. After the opening laps, he took second place and tried to secure the position and even fight for the victory, despite feeling discomfort from a crash suffered on Friday. After dropping several places, he rejoined the leading riders and tried to regain positions until the last lap. Öncü finally crossed the finish line in fifth position.

Jose Antonio Rueda had one of his most complete races of the season. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider started from seventh position, and he held the place after the initial laps. Rueda was able to stay in the front group to try to fight for podium positions. However, he was not able to keep up with the pace set by the leading riders and rode alone in the final section of the race. Rueda took sixth position, completing a great rookie season in the World Championship.

With these results, Öncü finished the season fourth overall with 223 points, while Rueda was ninth with 121 points. Red Bull KTM Ajo thank both for the great work that they have done with their respective crews in 2023.

Results (Moto3 race)
1. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 33:03.409
2. David Alonso (GasGas) +0.082
3. Ivan Ortola (KTM) +0.128
4. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) +0.266
5. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.384
6. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +3.589

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2023
1. Jaume Masia (Honda) 274 points
2. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 268 points
3. David Alonso (GasGas) 245 points
4. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 223 points
5. Daniel Holgado (KTM) 220 points
9. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 121 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standings 2023
1. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intanct GP 417 points
2. Leopard Racing 349 points
3. Red Bull KTM Ajo 344 points
4. Valresa GasGas Aspar Team 329 points
5. Angeluss MTA Team 289 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager:
“We are very happy to have our two riders in the Top 6 here in Valencia, after a very long season. We feel that our pace and performance was enough to fight for even higher positions today. Deniz’s crash in P2 affected him a lot, so we are so happy that he could finish the race in that position. During this year Deniz has improved a lot, he has shown many times that he’s one of the fastest riders in Moto3 and he totally deserves to be in Moto2. Personally, I think that for Jose Antonio it was a really good race, although he expected to have an even a higher position. This is a process, it has been his rookie season, so he has learned a lot of things and, personally, my expectations are really high for him for next year”.

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ
“We have finished the year and, also, my time in Moto3. We have had ups and downs during the year but I think that it has been a really positive season to gain experience and to see what our potential is. In this race I had pain in my back because of Friday’s crash and maybe we couldn’t finish the year in the way we wanted, but it’s ok. I have to thank all the people who have been supporting me during the year and, also, thanks to the team.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA
“Today we felt good, and from the beginning we were in the front group and I felt comfortable with the bike. From the middle of the race onwards, we lost ground a little and that made it difficult for us to overtake. We went with a short shift so as not to risk it, and otherwise we would have lost more time. Despite everything, we finished happy and in a good position, although I thought I had enough pace to fight for the podium. I thank the team for everything they have done for me; my first year in the world championship is something I will never forget. We have had a good season, finishing ninth in the standings. I want to thank everyone who has supported me and trusted in me, and to Aki for all the things he has taught me, which will surely help me continue to improve next year.”