Jose Antonio Rueda finishes ninth at the Australian Grand Prix, while Xabi Zurutuza is seventeenth.

The Australian Grand Prix came to a close on Sunday with the Moto3 race. The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo tried to make up as many positions as possible on race day, with Jose Antonio Rueda claiming ninth position at Phillip Island and Xabi Zuturuza seventeenth.

Rueda started from the fifth row, in fifteenth position. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider focused on staying in the front group and gaining as many places as possible on the first few laps. He fought his way into the Top10, staying in a large group and then pushing to keep up his pace on the closing laps. After 21 intense laps battling with his rivals, Rueda crossed the finish line in ninth position.

Zurutuza had a difficult weekend due to crashes he had suffered on previous days. The Moto3 rider started from 22nd on the grid and tried to make up positions early on, although physical discomfort did not allow him to perform at 100%. Despite this, Zurutuza had a good feeling with his bike during the race, and came close to earning points as he held a solid pace for 17th place.

The Thai Grand Prix will take place next week, from October 25-27th, at the Chang International Circuit.

Moto3 Results Race
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 33:49.557
2. Daniel Holgado (GASGAS) +2.936
3. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) +2.939
4. Stefano Nepa (KTM) +2.957
5. David Muñoz (KTM) +2.972
9. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +3.908
17. Xabi Zurutuza (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +30.611

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2024
1. David Alonso (CFMOTO) 346 points
2. Daniel Holgado (GASGAS) 232 points
3. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 209 points
4. Ivan Ortola (KTM) 191 points
5. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) 153
8. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 128 points
22. Xabi Zurutuza (Redd Bull KTM Ajo) 11 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2024
1. CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 391 points
2. MT Helmets MSI – 297 points
3. Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP – 291 points
4. Leopard Racing – 290 points
5. Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 – 285 points
7. Red Bull KTM Ajo – 142 points

AKI AJO – Team Manager

“It was a challenging weekend this year in Phillip Island due to the weather conditions. In any case it was quite a solid race for both riders. Rueda was in the top group and we are happy with his pace and performance. He also improved to fight for better positions on the last laps. Xabi had a really challenging weekend, as it was his first time at Phillip Island, with really tough conditions. After having some crashes during the weekend he had a solid race, although his performance was not enough to reach the points.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Today’s race was difficult, but the feeling was good. At the beginning of the race I felt quite comfortable and we managed to gain a lot of positions. But the final part of the race was tough, because I had a hard time overtaking due to the gear settings we had chosen. With the feeling I had today, I think we could have been fighting higher up, even for the podium. Today we took a chance and it didn’t work out, so we’ll learn from this race and hopefully Thailand will go better.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“We’ve finished up at Phillip Island. It’s been a very positive day, where we’ve taken a big step forward in terms of pace and race laps, so I’m very happy. It’s a shame that my physical condition hindered me, as I had a lot of pain in my neck and that prevented me from improving. However, I’m happy with the work that the team and I have done. It’s been a more difficult weekend than expected due to the crashes, but I’m really looking forward to the next Grand Prix in Thailand.”