Jose Antonio Rueda crashes on the opening corners, while Xabi Zurutuza finishes eighteenth.

The San Marino Grand Prix did not end in the way that Red Bull KTM Ajo had hoped, as following a solid weekend of practice sessions, Jose Antonio Rueda crashed out of the contest early on. Xabi Zurutuza finished in eighteenth position. 

Rueda started the race from the fourth row of the grid. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was involved in a tight main group, in which unfortunately a collision with another rider ended his morning prematurely on the second corner.

Zurutuza had not secured a place in Q2 on Saturday, leaving him 22nd at the start. The Moto3 rider gained positions off the line and moved closer to the points, keeping up the pace and staying in his group. Despite dropping back several places over the course of the contest, he was able to recover and climb back up to eighteenth. Missing out on points, Zurutuza came home in eighteenth. 

Red Bull KTM Ajo will be back at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in two weeks, for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix from September 20th-22nd.

Moto3 Results Race
1. Angel Piqueras (Honda) 34:02.766
2. Daniel Holgado (GASGAS) +0.035
3. Ivan Ortola (KTM) +0.226
4. Taiyo Furusato (Honda) +0.259
5. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) +0.491
18. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +32.041
DNF. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2024
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 246 points
2. Daniel Holgado (GASGAS) 176 points
3. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 173 points
4. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 173 points
5. David Muñoz (KTM) 117 points
6. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 99 points
22. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 11 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2024
1. CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 288 points
2. MT Helmets MSI – 258 points
3. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP – 231 points
4. Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 – 226 points
5. BOE Motorsports – 210 points
7. Red Bull KTM Ajo – 113 points

AKI AJO  – Team Manager

“It was not our day today in Moto3. We expected a lot more from the race and, of course, in Jose Antonio’s case it was a real pity that it finished early because of a mistake by another rider. But that’s Moto3 and that happens a lot with the traffic on the first few laps. Unfortunately, he didn’t do anything, it was the other rider who made a mistake and his bike took Jose Antonio out. After the win last time, the feeling was good, and also it was a collective experience on a different track. Our performance was maybe not the same as in Aragon, but still at a good level and it was a shame that we couldn’t show it. For Xabi, after a great race in Aragon, it was not an easy weekend, as this track is very different. At least the positive is that it is a collective experience and he finished the race. With both riders we feel that we have improved in recent races and we are really positive about coming here for the second time in two weeks’ time, to be able to improve our results.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“This weekend I felt in very good shape, and I came out very motivated and eager to fight with the riders at the front. I got off to a very good start but then another rider knocked me off at the first corner and that was the end of my race. In two weeks we will ride here again and show our pace.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“We’ve finished the San Marino GP. It was a Grand Prix that was a little more difficult for us. We worked hard to try to get the best result. I’m not completely happy but my team and I will keep working. In two weeks we’ll be back at this circuit and we’ll do our best to take a bigger step forward. That’s the goal.”