The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider finished in third position at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya, with Xabi Zurutuza nineteenth.

The Catalan Grand Prix concluded with an exciting Moto3 race. Jose Antonio Rueda finished third after a great last lap, whilst Xabi Zurutuza made up positions to place 19th.

Rueda started from the front row for the fifth time this season. From the get-go, he was involved in a tussle that saw him lose some positions, although he remained in the leading group. Rueda fought with his rivals until taking third position past the halfway mark. High temperatures required good tyre management for the final stretch, and the Spaniard was still in the Top 5 as he went on to put in some outstanding final laps, closing the gap and improving his chances of reaching the podium. In an intelligent last lap strategy, Rueda took third, repeating his result from last year and achieving his second rostrum of the season.

Zurutuza, who started from 23rd, focused on maintaining a consistent pace and trying to make up positions. The rookie felt very comfortable with his bike and quickly began to climb positions and get closer to the Top 15. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider, who improved noticeably throughout the weekend, completed a solid race, although he lost some places in the final stretch. Zurutuza took the chequered flag in 19th, with a positive feeling ahead of the trip to Italy next weekend.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo will travel this week for the Italian Grand Prix, held from May 31st to June 2nd.

Results Race
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 32:25.084
2. Ivan Ortola (KTM) +0.242
3. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.513
4. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) +0.560
5. David Muñoz (KTM) +0.1.648
19. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +22.327

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2024
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 118 points
2. Daniel Holgado (GasGas) 104 points
3. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 75 points
4. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 70 points
5. David Muñoz (KTM) 49 points
6. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 44 points
22. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 3 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2024
1. CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team – 153 points
2. Red Bull GasGas Tech3 – 139 points
3. MT Helmets MSI – 110 points
4. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP – 106 points
5. BOE Motorsports – 91 points
7. Red Bull KTM Ajo – 50 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager
“We are very happy about Jose Antonio’s podium today. The whole weekend has been good for us and in the race he was doing a good job, and especially at the end he was very fast. If we could have fought a little bit more in the middle of the race for the top positions, I think we maybe would have had the possibility to place higher in the end. We need to be happy about this podium after his health problems as of late. We are looking forward to what is to come because he can do really well in the next few races as well. Xabi once again a weekend of learning. He has done a solid job, and when we are improving weekend by weekend that’s really positive for us.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“At first it was a bit crazy because no one wanted to push, as it was a very long race and with the new Pirelli tyres we didn’t know how they were going to go. Since the start of the race there was a lot of overtaking. In the end Alonso gave his all and managed to break up the group, leaving only 4 riders at the front. I had contact from another rider and I dropped back a little, but I pushed very hard to get to the front again. I knew it was tough, and in order to fight for victory I would have needed a couple more laps. I’m very happy with this podium. I want to thank the entire team, who do a very good job every weekend, and my family.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“It was a race in which I at least had a lot of fun. We started from very far back, and at the beginning of the race it was crazy trying to overtake people. Then we got into a group in which I felt quite comfortable, and I tried to improve my pace and my feeling with Mugello and the coming races in mind. It has been a fairly productive race, even though the result was not what I would have liked. Now we have our sights set on Mugello.”