The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo finish 16th and 22nd, respectively.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders competed in the Spanish Grand Prix race this Sunday. Vicente Perez was just outside the points after gaining several positions and placing 16th. Xabi Zurutuza suffered from a lack of feeling and was 22nd.

Perez started the race from the back of the grid. The stand-in rider made a good start and began to make up positions on the opening laps, taking advantage of the fact that the group was very closely packed. He maintained a consistent pace and felt very comfortable, despite having hardly had time to work with his team over the weekend. The Spaniard demonstrated his perseverance, going on to take the chequered flag 16th, just outside the points. With 2 points, he is 22nd in the overall standings.

Zurutuza did not have his best day at Jerez. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider started from 26th, maintaining his position off the line. Whilst he gained places early on, a lack of feeling prevented him from taking greater strides. The Moto3 rookie nevertheless gained pace and experience in the class, finishing 22nd. After the Spanish GP, Zurutuza is 21st in the overall standings with 3 points.

Next on the calendar is the French Grand Prix, which will be held from May 10-12th at Le Mans.

Results Moto3 Race
1. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 33:29.725
2. David Muñoz (KTM) +0.045
3. Ivan Ortola (KTM) +0.826
4. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) +3.978
5. Joel Kelso (KTM) +5.329
16. Vicente Perez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +22.382
22. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +45.346

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2024
1. Daniel Holgado (GasGas) 74 points
2. David Alonso (CFMoto) 68 points
3. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 46 points
4. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 39 points
5. Joel Kelso (KTM) 39 points
13. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 20 points
21. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 3 points
22. Vicente Perez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2024
1. Red Bull GasGas Tech3 97 points
2. CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team 88 points
3. BOE Motorsports 77 points
4. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP 68 points
5. MT Helmets MSi 65 points
8. Red Bull KTM Ajo 25 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“This was quite a challenging weekend for us in Moto3, as we were prepared to have Jose Antonio back for this race and in good condition. He had been recovering well from the appendicitis surgery he underwent in Austin, but unfortunately he had an intestinal problem again on Thursday night and has been in the hospital since then. Fortunately, it seems that he is better now, but he is still under observation in the hospital. Xabi had another race weekend experience for his rookie season, and even though we were in Spain this Grand Prix is not the easiest. Of course, the weather conditions didn’t make it easier, as yesterday there was a wet practice. We will continue to work hard in the test on Tuesday to understand this class more and improve our performance. Our replacement rider Vicente Perez was doing a good job, although it was not easy for him to jump on the bike on Saturday morning. We want to thank him once again for his good job this weekend.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“It was a difficult race from the beginning. I didn’t feel comfortable with the feeling on the bike from the first lap. It was a long race in which we were able to gather a lot of information for Tuesday’s Test here. There, we will have an opportunity to try out different things for the future, for Montmeló and France, and to be able to improve. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday.”

#21 VICENTE PEREZ
“It was a difficult race for me, since I pushed my body to the limit and I need to get used to that. I felt much better than yesterday. For what was our first few minutes on the track, we did a good job. We had a lot of potential and I think we could have fought for the podium if we had ridden on Friday. I’m grateful to the team and for the chance to be able to work with everyone again. I thank Aki and the rest of the team for the opportunity. Let’s see if we see each other again and I wish Rueda a good recovery.”