The two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders will try to start the overseas season on a high note at Motegi, where Deniz Öncü will not be available yet due to his injury.

Red Bull KTM Ajo head to Japan this weekend, to contest the 17th round of the 2025 Moto2 World Championship. The event will be the first of four outside Europe, as part of the flyaway series of rounds for the intermediate class. Collin Veijer, who is 100% fit following the crash he suffered at the beginning of the San Marino Grand Prix, will be accompanied by Daniel Muñoz -who will replace the injured Deniz Öncü for the next two weekends again.

Veijer wants to get back on track with good results after a blip at Misano. Following three Top 10 results, including a front row start in Barcelona, the Dutchman could only place 21st in San Marino. Despite having a good pace for the race, a heavy crash on Friday morning and run-off at the beginning of the Sunday race left him out of the fight for the points. Veijer is taking part in his first Japanese Grand Prix in Moto2, but has great memories of Motegi, where last year he was second – only half a second off the victory. In 2023, on his first visit there, he was 11th. This season, he is currently 19th overall, with 39 points.

Muñoz will accompany Veijer during the next two rounds, with Deniz Öncü delaying his comeback from the fracture suffered in early August in his left leg. The young Spanish rider will step in for both Japan and Indonesia, two rounds with which he is familiar since 2024 season, after replacing Bo Bendsneyder. Nevertheless, he was unable to ride much in Motegi last year: a leg injury in Practice 2 left him unfit for the rest of the weekend. Anyway, Muñoz is now in a great form, with a series of great performances after the summer break that has boosted his confidence: A podium (Catalan GP), two points-scoring showings (Austrian GP and San Marino GP) and another in which bad luck denied him a score (Hungarian GP). In his five appearances so far for Red Bull KTM Ajo this year, he has 23 points and is 20th overall, just behind his teammate Collin.

In short, Red Bull KTM Ajo will field the same line-up at Motegi as in the last four races, while Deniz Öncü continues to finalise his recovery in order to be ready for the final stretch of the season. The team have 162 points in their tally, and are 8th in Teams standings. In the last 8 visits to Motegi (the Grand Prix didn’t take place in 2020 and 2021), they have taken a win through Johann Zarco (2015) and five other podiums: The Frenchman repeated in 2016 (2nd), followed by Miguel Oliveira in 2018 (3rd), Jorge Martin in 2019 (3rd), Augusto Fernandez in 2022 (2nd) and Pedro Acosta in 2023 (3rd).

With four consecutive races at unusual times, the intermediate category will open the Japanese Grand Prix with the Free Practice 1, which will take place on Friday from 9:50 a.m. (local time). Sunday’s 19-lap race gets underway at 12:15 p.m.

Circuit information – Mobility Resort Motegi
Length: 4.801 m / 2.983 miles
Width: 15 m / 49.21 ft.
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 8
Longest straight: 762 m / 0.473 miles
Constructed: 1997
Modified: 1997

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“I’m happy to start the overseas rounds, where we visit tracks that are different to the European circuits and which are very fun. We’re coming from a week off in which we trained good, so we arrive to Japan in better physical conditions after a difficult round in San Marino. Last year we achieved a great result in Japan in Moto3, so I’m very motivated to get started there with a Moto2 bike for the first time there. As we tried in the last rounds, the goal will be to stay closer to the front guys, so let’s see what we’re capable of there. I want to be competitive throughout the three days of the Grand Prix.”

#17 DANIEL MUÑOZ

“I’m very happy to be able to have another opportunity with the team, this time in Japan and Indonesia. As always, I thank the entire Red Bull KTM Ajo team, since I feel very comfortable with them. This will be my second time at Motegi, so I’m very happy to visit again this track in which last year I only could take part in three sessions due to a heavy crash. I’m looking forward to riding there for the second year in a row and having a positive weekend, in which we can grow session after session and get to Sunday able to fight for a good result.”