The Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie secures five points at Lusail, while Rueda suffers a mechanical problem when fighting for victory.

There was an unfortunate Sunday for Red Bull KTM Ajo in the Qatar Grand Prix. Alvaro Carpe completed the race in Lusail eleventh, but had to fight back from two Long Lap penalties. Meanwhile, Jose Antonio Rueda missed out on points for the first time this season, after suffering a mechanical problem with one lap remaining.

Carpe started from 7th on the grid, and moved up to fourth in the opening sectors. He took advantage of the opportunity to carry out the two Long Laps he had been penalised with ahead of the race. Carpe didn’t make it to the lead group, but was able to make a great comeback to score points at Lusail. The Spaniard made contact with the third group, went from 21st to 12th in just eight laps, and led the chase for the Top 10. With three laps remaining, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider caught those fighting for seventh place, but when he snatched the position he was muscled back down to eleventh on the final lap. He collected five points for his showing in the Qatar Grand Prix.

From 3rd on the grid, Rueda was second early on, behind leader Ryusei Yamanaka. With the third lap completed, he moved in front of the Japanese rider for the first time, and an incident between David Muñoz and Dennis Foggia reduced the chasing group to just seven riders. Rueda led the way for much of the remainder of the race, but suffered a mechanical issue in the run-up to the closing lap and was unable to take the chequered flag when he was fighting for the victory. He missed out on points for the first time this season as a result.

Rueda drops to second in the overall standings with 66 points, one behind the series leader. Carpe is seventh with 35, and still top of the Rookie of the Year ranking. Red Bull KTM Ajo are top of the Teams standings, and will return to action at the Spanish Grand Prix, held at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto on April 25-27th.

Race Results
1. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | 33:17.268
2. Taiyo Furusato (Honda) | +0.009
3. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) | +0.042
4. Joel Kelso (KTM) | +0.097
5. Riccardo Rossi (Honda) | +7.295
12. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +12.165
DNF. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +1 lap

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2025
1. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | 67 points
2. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 66 points
3. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 41 points
4. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) | 40 points
5. Matteo Bertelle (KTM) | 40 points
7. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 35 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2025
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo | 101 points
2. FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI | 90 points
3. Level UP MTA | 81 points
4. Leopard Racing | 62 points
5. SIC58 Squadra Corse | 51 points

NIKLAS AJO – Team Manager

“After a really good and promising weekend, we had a very unlucky Sunday. Jose Antonio was very fast during the entire weekend, he did everything well here in Lusail, both during the Qualifying and also managing the race, but unfortunately we had a technical problem and we couldn’t finish. Alvaro started the weekend struggling, but yesterday he had a good Saturday. It’s a shame about the Long Laps, but he had a very good race until the last lap. We know that both guys have a lot of potential at the moment, so the unlucky days are part of the journey. We have to look forward to doing better in Jerez.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“The feeling from today’s race was good. Unfortunately we had a mechanical problem in the last laps and we couldn’t finish the race, so there’s not much more we can say. What happened to us today is something that can always happen in this sport, so let’s hope the next race goes better. The weekend was quite good, and we have to take that away to stay focused on the championship. We have another opportunity in two weeks, at Jerez, so we’re already thinking about the fifth round of the season.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“Today’s result isn’t all that bad considering we had a double Long Lap penalty to carry out. We made up for lost time and were able to run at the front of the field very well, so we’re leaving here happy. We have to keep working to fine-tune some details and avoid making mistakes that could punish us so much. It’s a shame because it was a race where we could have fought higher up, but it wasn’t to be. I’m already thinking about Jerez, which is our home race, so I can give 100% and get back to fighting for everything. ”