Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Luis Salom holds onto lead of Moto3 World Championship. Zulfahmi Khairuddin equals best result of the season and Arthur Sissis returns to the points with fifteenth.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo team completed a positive weekend at Misano in the twelfth race of the 2013 season. Luis Salom was just off the podium at the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Grand Prix, having started from tenth on the grid. Zulfahmi Khairuddin had one of his best performances of the year and Arthur Sissis was able to finish fifteenth, taking a point for his 2013 haul. Salom continues to lead the overall standings, with a 19 point advantage over Maverick Viñales.

The race began with a good start made by Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Luis Salom, who occupied fourth and seventh place, respectively, alter the opening lap. The two Red Bull KTM Ajo riders occupied spots in the second group, alongside three other riders. The fight for fourth place was intense, and both the Spaniard and the Malaysian had spells in the lead of the pack. Following a breathtaking final lap, Salom crossed the line in fourth, with Zulfahmi Khairuddin in sixth.

Arthur Sissis started from eighteenth on the grid, but had a spectacular opening lap and overtook six rivals. The Australian kept up with the third group in the race, in the fight for tenth. He eventually placed fifteenth and claimed a valuable point.

Luis Salom continues to lead the overall standings, with 246 points to his name. He is 19 ahead of his nearest rival. Zulfahmi Khairuddin —60 points— moves up to ninth, whilst Arthur Sissis lies twelfth with 52.

Results (Race)
1. Alex Rins (KTM)   39:50.516
2. Maverick Viñales (KTM)   +0.050
3. Alex Marquez (KTM)   +6.434
4. Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo)  +17.297
5. Jack Miller (FTR Honda)   +18.011
6. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Red Bull KTM Ajo)  +18.133
15. Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +27.899

Moto3 World Championship
1. Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo)   246 points
2. Maverick Viñales (KTM)   227 points
3. Alex Rins (KTM)   225 points
4. Alex Marquez (KTM)   133 points
5. Jonas Folger (Kalex KTM) 120 points
9. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 60 points
12. Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 52 point

Luis Salom >> Audio
“This wasn’t my best weekend, but despite everything a fourth place isn’t all bad. Our worst results so far have been fifth at Indianapolis and fourth today, so we have to be happy and keep on working. I knew that after the crash on Friday this weekend was going to be tough. I will take the positives from fourth place. Now we have just five races left and we have to take them one-by-one. We have to fight hard, because this will be a tough, close end to the season

Arthur Sissis >> Audio
“I didn’t finish where I would have liked, and I think that was for the same reason as at other races. I didn’t qualify well and that makes it difficult to reach the leading riders, because you get trapped amongst the slower ones. After a few laps I was able to put in a pace faster than the second group, but they ended up breaking away and I couldn’t improve.”

Zulfahmi Khairuddin >> Audio (Eng) // Audio (Bahasa)
“I made a good start and felt good on the bike. I was riding comfortably in the second group and I think that it was a very good race. On the last lap the other riders were a little stronger than I was and I couldn’t close the door on two corners —and so first Luis (Salom) and Jack Miller got past. It was by no means a bad race —in fact, it was one of my best weekends of the year so far and I can’t wait for the next Grand Prix.”

Aki Ajo >> Audio (eng) // Audio (Fin)
“It wasn’t the easiest weekend of the season for us, but we should be happy; fourth place [Luis Salom] and 13 points isn’t so bad. Yesterday, Luis didn’t feel completely comfortable, so this is a positive result because the season is very long. Sometimes you have perfect races and other times you don’t, so this weekend I would rate as good. We are still leading the championship and we have to focus on each race, without paying too much attention to what is happening around us and keeping up our work in every session, lap and corner. It was a very good weekend for Zulfahmi Khairuddin. I am very happy for him, as he has been having a difficult season and is believing in himself again. He is back where he belongs and I congratulate him for his work. Arthur Sissis started very well, both on Friday and on Saturday, but unfortunately he didn’t have a great qualifying session and it was hard for him to come back from eighteenth on the grid. He placed fifteenth and I’m sure he was expecting better, but he has to keep his chin up and focus on the next race.”
*Audio solely for radio use