The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo start the PortugueseGP weekend in 10th and 25th.

Celestino Vietti and Deniz Öncü started the second round of the season at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve on Friday. The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo worked hard to find a good feeling despite tricky track conditions. Vietti managed to take tenth in Practice, while Öncü was 25th.

Vietti continues working hard in his first races with the team this season. Delicate track conditions, especially in the morning session, provided a challenge for the Italian, who avoided taking unnecessary risks. He was able to complete 17 laps, achieving his best time on the last attempt. His 1:46.776 allowed him to finish in ninth position. In the afternoon session, Vietti took another step forward, feeling very comfortable and maintaining a good pace during Practice 1. He moved up into tenth, thanks to a time of 1:43.008, achieved on his 16th lap of 19.

Öncü also showed his continued progress in a new class with numerous new features this season. He worked to find a setting with which he felt comfortable at the tricky Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. In Free Practice, Öncü finished 16th with a best time of 1:47.409, clocked on his last lap. After a notable improvement in track conditions, he tried to continue learning about the handling of the bike, to continue increasing his confidence. Despite a consistent run in the afternoon, a small crash late on prevented him from lowering his times. After putting in 19 laps, he was 25th with a time of 1:44.539.

On Saturday there will be an opportunity to secure direct access to Q2, before the qualifying sessions that begin at 1:45 PM, local time.

Results Practice 1
1. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) 1:47.362
2. Aron Canet (Kalex) 1:42.375 +0.013
3. Joe Roberts (Kalex) 1:42.545 +0.183
4. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) 1:42.559 +0.197
5. Marcos Ramirez (Kalex) 1:42:643 +0.281
10. Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:43.008 +0.646
25. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:44.539 +2.177

#13 CELESTINO VIETTI

“This Friday was not so bad. At the end of the day, we have improved a lot compared to this morning. The track conditions are much better, although the track was very dirty during the whole day. I am sure that tomorrow we can get a better lap time. The base was good, so we are working in the right way.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“That’s the first day done here in Portugal. Today was not the best day because of the weather and the dirty track, but at least we could do some laps. We have to understand some things to improve, but we are getting better every day. Today I had my first crash in Moto2, but hopefully this will be the first and the last one of the weekend.”