The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider scores his first points after finishing in thirteenth position.

The Grand Prix of The Americas concluded this Sunday for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders, with the unexpected absence of Jose Antonio Rueda in the race meaning Xabi Zurutuza was the sole representative of the team on the grid. The rookie had an outstanding performance, climbing positions from the beginning and finishing in thirteenth position.

Zurutuza was making his debut as a full-time rider in the Moto3 World Championship. He started from the last row of the grid, in 22nd place, and got off the line well to move into the points. Numerous crashes split the group on several occasions, but the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider handled the situation very well and fought to stay in the Top 15. After constant changes in positions, Zurutuza finally gained a total of 10 places throughout the 14 laps and crossed the finish line in 13th. He thus earned his first points in the World Championship.

Rueda was unable to participate in the Grand Prix of The Americas race. After taking second in qualifying yesterday, the Spanish rider began to feel unwell, undergoing further examinations and being diagnosed with appendicitis, for which he had to undergo emergency surgery. Rueda is now recovering and hopes to return home with the team as planned.

The next event for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team will be the Spanish Grand Prix, at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, from April 26-28th.

Results Race
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 31:38.427
2. Daniel Holgado (GasGas) +5.163
3. Angel Piqueras (Honda) +5.176
4. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) +5.676
5. David Muñoz (KTM) +13.285
13. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +22.869
Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) Unfit

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2024
1. Daniel Holgado (GasGas) 65 points
2. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 63 points
3. Joel Kelso (KTM) 28 points
4. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 23 points
5. Tatsuki Suzuki (Husqvarna) 22 points
7. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 20 points
20. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 3 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2024
1. Red Bull GasGas Tech3 – 84 points
2. CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team – 83 points
3. BOE Motorsports – 46 points
4. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP – 43 points
5. MT Helmets MSI – 36 points
7. Red Bull KTM Ajo – 25 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager:

“It was a shame that Rueda couldn’t ride today, but it was really good that the doctor found the problem early and everything went well with the surgery. Now we need to focus on a quick recovery for him to be back soon. Xabi had a very special weekend here in Austin, as it was his first Grand Prix ever. I have to say that he rode the race very well, fighting with more experienced riders. He did a good job, taking his first points, and the next steps will be to continue working and progressing this season.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“It was a pretty hectic race, but I had a great time. This circuit is incredible, very long, with many corners, and especially on the straights there is a lot of contact with the rest of the riders because the slipstream plays a big part. It has been a bit of a tough weekend, but with hard work we have been able to get through it. We finished it in the best possible way, taking points, which was my goal at the beginning of the weekend. At the next GP we will try to qualify better, since we started from very far back. Many thanks to the team for the great work they have done.”