The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo place 23rd and 24th, respectively.

On Friday at the Catalan GP, Red Bull KTM Ajo worked to setup their bikes for the weekend. On his return from injury, Celestino Vietti finished 23rd, with Deniz Öncü 24th.

The morning session was Vietti’s first since collarbone surgery, and in Free Practice he focused on regaining his feeling and not taking excessive risks. He completed a total of 17 laps and was close to the Top 10, achieving the eleventh best time thanks to his 1:43.604 on his penultimate lap. Öncü remained focused on taking small but firm steps in each session to consolidate his progress in Moto2. The Turkish rider worked on his setup for the first Practice of the CatalanGP and completed the session with a good feeling, in 23rd with a time of 1:44.218.

Practice 1 was the first opportunity for the Moto2 riders to set a good time ahead of qualifying. Vietti started the session with a clear strategy, but did not have as positive feelings as in the morning. After a pit stop, the Italian pushed until the final minutes, slightly improving his times and finishing 23rd with a 1:44.106. Öncü felt increasingly comfortable and focused his strategy on achieving the best possible setup for the rest of the Grand Prix. The rookie faced a demanding Practice, riding in times very similar to those from the morning. With his 1:44.248, Öncü finished just behind his teammate, in 23rd.

Both will try to reach Q2 when qualifying sessions for the intermediate class begin this Saturday, from 1:45 pm local time.

Results Practice 1
1. Jorge Navarro (Forward) 1:42.807
2. Joe Roberts (Kalex) 1:43.015 +0.208
3. Daniel Muñoz (Kalex) 1:43.044 +0.237
4. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) 1:43.076 +0.269
5. Fermin Aldeguer (Boscoscuro) 1:43.083 +0.276
23. Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:44.106 +1.299
24. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:44.248 +1.441

#13 CELESTINO VIETTI

“My shoulder is feeling okay and when riding the bike everything is pretty much okay. We started the weekend trying out something new, but it didn’t perform as we expected. But we know where we have to work and what we need to try to find the solution. We will continue to work and attempt to do better. We are getting closer and closer to the riders at the front, we just need to be a bit faster in order to get into Q2. We will work with that goal in mind.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“We have finished our first day in Barcelona and I am quite confident. Today I focused on trying to improve my riding style and adapting it to the bike. We also worked on the bike to try to find the best combinations for an optimal setup. I’m feeling better lap after lap and tomorrow I will push harder to see where we are compared to the others -and where we can improve more. I will try to have fun and, at the same time, try to get the best lap possible to go into Q2.”