Celestino Vietti and Deniz Öncü will compete in the second event of the year, at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

The Moto2 World Championship returns to Europe after a hectic start to the season in Qatar. The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders, who had a solid race in Lusail, want to continue progressing and fight for the front positions this weekend, after Celestino Vietti finished in the Top 10 and Deniz Öncü got his first point in the class in the 2024 opener.

Vietti feels increasingly comfortable, and at the Qatar Grand Prix he finished in an outstanding ninth position. In a year full of technical innovations, with the incorporation of new tyres and suspensions a fundamental aspect to take into account, Vietti is working hard to be competitive from the get-go. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider was close to the Top 10 at Portimao last year, and was second in 2022 at the track. With 7 points, he is currently ninth in the overall standings, and this weekend will seek to fight at the front.

Öncü completed his first race in the intermediate class at the Lusail International Circuit. The Turkish rider ended the weekend well, climbing positions to reach the points on his debut in Moto2. Öncü arrives in Portimao highly motivated and eager to continue moving forward in every race, adapting as best as possible to his KTM. Öncü is fifteenth at present, with one point in the overall standings.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team are sixth in the Team standings. Last year Pedro Acosta took victory for them at the Portuguese Grand Prix. In 2021, the duo of Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner were first and third, respectively in the Portuguese Grand Prix, while in the Algarve Grand Prix at the same venue Remy Gardner took the victory, and Fernandez was second. The 21-lap Moto2 Portuguese Grand Prix will take place this Sunday, March 24th, at 12:15 PM local time.

Circuit information – Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
Length: 4.600 metres / 2.85 miles
Width: 18 metres / 59.06 ft.
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 9
Longest straight: 969 metres / 3179.13 ft.
Built: 2008

#13 CELESTINO VIETTI

“Portimao is a circuit that I like a lot. Everybody hopes that it will be a more ‘normal’ weekend, especially in terms of tyre management. Let’s see what happens; we have more experience with the bike and all the new features now. We will continue with our work and we will try to have a solid weekend.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“We’re heading to the second round of the year in Portimao. Our goal is to improve race-by-race and I’ll try to be at my best once again. In Qatar we felt good and we were able to take steps forward every day; we want to continue to do so in Portugal as well.”