The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider finished fourth, with his teammate in 19th position.

The Dutch TT came to an end this Sunday for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders. Jose Antonio Rueda disputed an intense race from start to finish and he opted for the podium until the last corners, crossing the finish line in fourth position. Xabi Zurutuza did not have the expected result, incurring two long lap penalties and finishing nineteenth.

Rueda, who started from the fourth row of the grid, made a good start that allowed him to stay in the front group. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider moved into the Top 5 in a very large group, with up to 13 riders all at a high pace together and with the aim of maintaining all his options until the end. On the closing laps, he dropped to tenth after an intense fight but Rueda was able to recover and use all his potential to reach the last corners with options pushing his way back up into third.  Eyeing up the rostrum, contact with a rival ahead of the final chicane kept him in fourth.

Xabi Zurutuza was forced to make a comeback from the start after failing to make it out of Q1 yesterday. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider maintained his position in the early stages, concentrating on making up positions before taking the long lap penalty he received on Saturday. With the sanction completed, Zurutuza felt comfortable and increased the pace trying to reach the points zone. The Moto3 rookie continued to give his best, climbing positions and looking for the best possible result, but unfortunately he suffered another setback when he incurred a second long lap penalty for exceeding the track limits. He made one final effort and the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider finished the Dutch TT in nineteenth.

The Moto3 duo will compete in the next round at Sachsenring. The GermanGP takes place from July 6-7th.

Results Moto3 Race
1. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 33:45.971
2. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) +0.012
3. David Muñoz (KTM) +2.197
4. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +2.430
5. David Alonso (CFMoto) +2.460
19. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +31.102

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2024
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 154 points
2. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 115 points
3. Daniel Holgado (GasGas) 111 points
4. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 105 points
5. David Muñoz (KTM) 76 points
7. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 58 points
22. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 3 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2024
1. CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team – 190 points
2. MT Helmets MSI – 167 points
3. Red Bull GasGas Tech3 –155 points
4. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP – 146 points
5. BOE Motorsports – 126 points
7. Red Bull KTM Ajo – 64 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“Rueda had a strong race. We are getting better and better after his surgery at the beginning of the season and he was very consistent during the race, fighting for the podium until the last corner. I believe we will be even stronger in the coming races, and that we will fight for the podium and also for the victory. He had a solid performance this weekend. Xabi was at another new track. He did well during the race, although the long lap did not allow him to fight for higher positions. Sachsenring will be a new track for him, but we expect to keep improving.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We made a good start and on the first lap we were able to gain places. The group was very large because a lot of riders had gone with the soft tyre, but our choice of the hard compound was the correct one since it is the tyre we work best with. On the final laps we were in the fight until there was contact with another rider, which made me drop back a little. I fought until the end and it was a race where we learned a lot. Thank you very much to the team for their great job.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“It has been quite a productive weekend, in which we have learned many things. We have also improved our feeling with the bike. The race didn’t go as we expected and the two long lap penalties didn’t allow us to fight for better results, but we gave it everything and I felt very comfortable in the race. In a week’s time we will race in Germany, another new circuit for me, so I really want to continue learning and improving.”