Veijer and Rueda arrive in Texas with the aim of achieving a good result on a circuit where both have fond memories from last year.

Red Bull KTM Ajo travel from South America to North America to complete the first double-header of the season this weekend. Collin Veijer and Jose Antonio Rueda will try to continue their progress at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, where both achieved great results last year, albeit in very different circumstances to those they face in 2026.

Veijer arrives to Texas being one of the regular riders near the top of the intermediate class. After a fifth-place finish in Thailand, he finished eighth in Brazil, which puts him sixth in the overall standings. The Dutchman has achieved four Top 10 finishes in a row, carrying his form over from 2025. Last year in Austin, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider scored his first Moto2 points with a strong 10th finish in the rain. Now, much more established in the class, he has 13.5 points in just two races in 2026.

Rueda arrives in Austin after taking solid steps forward in his three rides to date, at Jerez, Thailand, and Brazil. He experienced his first Grand Prix in Buriram and managed to finish a race for the first time in Brazil, very close to the Top 20, after battling for 16th place for much of the race. The reigning Moto3 World Champion has good memories of last year’s trip Stateside, where he achieved his second victory of the Moto3 season with a dominant display from start to finish. Now, in a very different context, he seeks to open his Moto2 points account at the Circuit of the Americas.

In conclusion, interesting weekend ahead for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team, which arrives to a track that saw them celebrating some rostrums in the past: two victories with Raul Fernandez (2011) and Pedro Acosta (2013), and three further podium finishes: two by Johann Zarco in 2015 and 2016, and one by Miguel Oliveira in 2018.

Both Collin Veijer and Jose Antonio Rueda will be looking to get the weekend off to a good start this coming Friday. Free Practice 1 will take place from 9:50 a.m. (local time). The 16-lap race will be held on Sunday at 1:15 p.m.

Circuit information – Circuit of The Americas (COTA)
Length: 5.513 m. / 3.426 miles
Width: 15 m. / 49.21 ft.
Left corners: 11
Right corners: 9
Longest straight: 1.200 m. / 0.746 miles
Built: 2012

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“We’re going to Texas with the goal of using the positive things we’ve learned from Brazil. The race there wasn’t as good as we wanted, but we’re already thinking about this next challenge, so we’ll try to improve a little in terms of our performance in the United States. Austin is a completely different track from Goiânia, so we will need to work hard to be competitive also there. Last year I achieved in COTA my first Moto2 points with a Top 10 in the rain, so we’ll try to transform this into good energy to face the weekend with more confidence and motivation.”

#98 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We finished the weekend in Brazil well, so we need to build on that momentum in the United States. We learned a lot during the race, as it was my first full Moto2 contest, so I’ll try to take all those lessons and apply them in Texas. The circuit is completely different to Brazil, much longer and more demanding, so I’ll have to adjust my approach a bit. The goal is the same as in these previous races, but I do want to try and put up a bit more of a fight. I have great memories from last year, and that always helps.”