Third place goes to the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider, who fought for victory until the final corner. Carpe crashes at the start of the final lap.

It was a bittersweet Sunday for Red Bull KTM Ajo in the Argentinian Grand Prix, as they maintained their lead of the Rider and Team standings with Jose Antonio Rueda’s podium finish, but also saw Alvaro Carpe crash out. The former led the Grand Prix into the penultimate corner, but a double overtake relegated him to third -his seventh podium finish as a Moto3 rider. Carpe also put in a strong performance, but crashed out at the first corner of the final lap just as he was closing out the Top 6 positions.

It was a perfect start to the race for both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders. Carpe quickly moved into second place, while Rueda settled in behind him to avoid problems on the opening laps. Carpe began to alternate positions with David Almansa, which nearly caused the first split in the pack. However, the significant slipstream at Turn 5 made it impossible to break away early.

From then on, Rueda was the one who never let go of the Top 3 positions. With Bertelle in the lead, the group finally broke up behind the eighth-placed rider.  However, with four laps remaining, a multiple overtake left Rueda in seventh, forcing him to fight back. He did that, catching all his rivals, including Bertelle and Piqueras, who had managed to open up a gap of a few metres in the lead. He reached the penultimate corner as the leader, but Piqueras caught him on the inside, including making contact, which caused him to lose positions to the race winner and also to Adrian Fernandez.

Despite leading on the opening laps, Carpe was caught up in the constant overtaking within the group. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie managed the situation perfectly and climbed into the Top 6 positions in the final third of the race. On the penultimate lap, aiming to move into the podium spots, he ran wide at Turn 5, which caused him to lose contact with the Top 3. From there, the rookie took a risk to make up time on the final lap and cut the outside of Turn 1 at the Termas circuit, which was dirty. Carpe suffered a highside, from which he escaped unhurt but left him unable to continue.

It was a third podium for Red Bull KTM Ajo in Moto3 at Termas de Río Hondo, in addition to the third places achieved by Jack Miller (2014) and Brad Binder (2016). Rueda maintains the lead in the overall standings with 41 points, whilst Red Bull KTM Ajo head the Team standings with 61 points. The World Championship returns to action in two weeks’ time at the Grand Prix of the Americas at Austin (28-29-30 March).

Race Results
1. Angel Piqueras (KTM) 32:31.938
2. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) +0.036
3. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.125
4. Matteo Bertelle (KTM) +0.373
5. Taiyo Furusato (Honda) +0.236*
DNF. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) (+1 lap)

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2025
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 41 points
2. Adrian Fernandez (Honda) – 36 points
3. Angel Piqueras (KTM) – 29 points
4. Matteo Bertelle (KTM) – 24 points
5. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 20 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2025
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo – 61 points
2. Leopard Racing – 55 points
3. FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI – 36 points
4. SIC58 Squadra Corse – 34 points
5. Level UP MTA – 32 points

NIKLAS AJO – Team Manager

“We had a very successful weekend again here in Argentina. On the first day both riders found speed easily and they worked very well during all the weekend. I’m very happy about how they worked yesterday in Qualifying helping each other. Teamwork is the key here and they need to continue this way, working together. In the race, both were fighting at the front from the beginning. Unfortunately, Alvaro had a small crash at the end of the race but this is part of the learning process for him, so it was a valuable experience for him for the future. Jose Antonio again showed the process he is going through during this first part of the season. He’s very mature on track and doing everything he has to do at every moment. It was a shame about the final corners, but we’re extremely happy with his weekend overall.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“I’m very happy to be able to place on the podium again. It wasn’t a weekend where I felt completely at my best, so third place is a good thing. I didn’t have good results here from the only time I competed before, but we leave here as leaders, and I’m eager to continue being consistent at the upcoming circuits, which will be key to staying in the title fight. It’s a shame about the last corner, but Moto3 races are like that; sometimes you win and other times you lose. The important thing is to be able to get there with a chance and leave here with 16 more points.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“It was a tough day today. We’re not happy with the result, obviously, but the work was good, so we should be satisfied with that. This weekend we were very consistent, and the team and I planned the weekend very well. Termas was another track I wasn’t familiar with, and we were fighting for the lead until the crash, so we have to take that away. I wanted to take a risk by entering the dirty section with a very worn tyre, and the bike threw me off. It’s time to learn from the mistake and focus on Austin.”