The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo start 2024 with two days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

Red Bull KTM Ajo got their 2024 season preparations underway during this weekend. Celestino Vietti and Deniz Öncü travelled to Portimao for the opening test of the year, but rainy conditions meant they could only participate in one of the two scheduled days.

Vietti faced the weekend with a lot of motivation and focused on adapting to the team’s methodology. The Italian, in his first season with the structure, did not take to the track until Thursday afternoon, when conditions had improved after morning rain. Vietti made the most of the final hours of the session and completed a total of 37 laps, posting his best time on his 31st attempt with a 1:44.701 and feeling good with the bike. Unfortunately, the intense rain on Sunday prevented him from riding on the final day.

Öncü continued his adaptation to a new class. The Turkish rider, who moves up to Moto2 in 2024, followed the same strategy as his teammate and worked intensely during the final stretch of Saturday’s session. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider had a good feeling despite the fact that the track was not the most favourable for the task at hand, making progress before the end. On the second day, Öncü also did not go out on track, continuing to work with the team in the box to get ready for the next test. He leaves Portimao after having completed 39 laps and setting a best time of 1:47.287.

Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team travel directly to Jerez for the Moto2 Official Test next week, from February 28th to March 1st.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager
“Unfortunately the weather hindered these days of testing with the Moto2 team. At least on Saturday we were able to do some laps in dry conditions at the end. Even it wasn’t the whole day, it was an important job in order to get information about the new tyres and the new suspension. We decided to not test on the second day to keep one more day of private testing available for fully dry conditions. We will continue testing at Jerez next week to prepare for the 2024 season in a good way”.

#13 CELESTINO VIETTI
“Finally we got back on track and I’m really happy about that. We were a bit unlucky because of the weather, but we could do some laps on Saturday. We still need more laps and more time to understand everything in order to adapt to the bike and the team. Unfortunately, today we couldn’t ride due to the weather and we waited for the track to dry, but it wasn’t possible. We stayed in the box checking some data and looking at some new things that we can try out in Jerez. We are on the right track with our work and we hope for good weather for the next test.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ
“The first day wasn’t a long one because of the weather conditions, but at least we were able to do some laps. I’m in the moment of understanding the riding style needed and the bike, but I enjoyed myself quite a lot. Unfortunately, we couldn’t ride today due to the heavy rain, so we decided to work with the team and prepare more things for the Jerez test next week. We still have three more days before the season starts, so let’s keep working to make more progress.”