Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team head to Motegi following a double podium in Austria, with both riders contending for second place in the Moto3 World Championship.

Alvaro Carpe and Brian Uriarte begin the Asian leg of the 2026 Moto3 World Championship this weekend with the Japanese Grand Prix. After an historic first double podium at their home round in Austria, Red Bull KTM Ajo head to Mobility Resort Motegi aiming to maintain the strong momentum shown in recent races. They come into the season’s sixteenth round separated by just a single point in the overall standings.

Carpe is back on form after his third place at the Red Bull Ring. He enjoyed a solid weekend in Austria, qualifying third and running in the lead group during the first part of the race. It was his sixth podium of the season and the eleventh of his Moto3 World Championship career, also allowing him to reclaim second place in the overall standings. Motegi is a familiar track for the Spaniard, who competed in his first Moto3 race there last year. After starting tenth, he had a great start to move up to sixth in the opening stages, though rain caused him to lose touch with the lead group and he ultimately finished fourteenth. Carpe will aim to improve upon that previous result and maintain his strong run this weekend. The Spaniard currently has 175 points, just one ahead of the riders behind him.

Uriarte is fresh from one of his best weekends as a full-time Grand Prix competitor. The rookie claimed a second Pole Position of the season in Austria, setting an all-time lap record at the Red Bull Ring. He further demonstrated his progress on Sunday by finishing second, having stayed part of the front group throughout the race and closing the gap to the leader in the closing stages. His fifth podium of the season -his second in a row- extended his lead in the Rookie of the Year ranking to 73 points, and he currently sits fourth in the Moto3 World Championship with 174 points, tied with third-placed David Almansa and just one point behind his teammate. Uriarte will be making his Motegi debut this weekend, and will have to quickly adapt to a technical track that differs significantly from European circuits.

Upcoming rounds see the team visit Indonesia, Australia, and Malaysia. Red Bull KTM Ajo remain second in the Moto3 Team standings with 349 points, whilst KTM already clinched the 2026 Moto3 Constructors’ World Championship in Austria. In previous editions of the Japanese Grand Prix, the team have five podium finishes: Second-place results for Miguel Oliveira (2015), Brad Binder (2016), Niccolò Antonelli (2017), and Jose Antonio Rueda (2025), plus a third-place finish for Binder in 2018.

Although the timings – for those in Japan – will be the same as usual,  for the rest, the Grand Prix will take part during the night. The Moto3 action kicks off on Friday morning with Free Practice 1 at 9:00 a.m. (local time). The 17-lap Japanese Grand Prix takes place at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“We’re coming off a solid podium finish in Austria and a good weekend overall, although we felt we could have achieved even more. We know we have more to offer, so that’s what we’ll aim for at Motegi, a circuit I really like. Things went well there last year, so I’m confident we can put in a strong performance. The key will be making the most of every session, getting in as many quality laps as possible, and preparing for the race in the best way so we’re in a better position to contend during the final laps.”

#51 BRIAN URIARTE

“Motegi looks like a really fun circuit, and I’m really excited to experience it for myself. We’ve already spent a week in Japan with my teammates, so we’ve had plenty of time to unwind, enjoy ourselves, and -most importantly- acclimatise after so many rounds in Europe. The goal is to learn the ins and outs of the track as quickly as possible, give it my all, and keep chasing the dream of fighting for the runner-up spot in the World Championship. Hopefully, we can maintain the same level of performance we’ve shown so far and battle with the frontrunners.”