A great Sunday for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 sees both riders finishing in the points following excellent tyre management during the final laps of the race.

Collin Veijer took seventh place and Jose Antonio Rueda finished eleventh at the Malaysian Grand Prix, as the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders managed tyre wear perfectly in the final stages of the race: The Dutchman did three overtakes and the Spaniard four in the last four laps before taking the chequered flag. The result marks the fifth time this season that both riders have finished in the points.

In the intermediate category, riders faced track temperatures reaching as high as 53ºC at the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.

Off the start, Veijer lost two positions, dropping from sixth to eighth. The Dutchman managed to settle into the group fighting for sixth place, and by the halfway point, he was running in tenth -at the back of the Top 6 group. He held back until the final laps to preserve his tyres, then launched an attack with four laps to go, moving into ninth before quickly setting his sights on eighth, a position he secured with three laps remaining. Feeling much more comfortable than his rivals, Veijer pulled away from those behind him and caught the rider in seventh on the final lap. This was his fourth-best result of the season, bringing his total to 89.5 points and moving him up two spots in the overall standings.

Rueda made a strong start from 20th on the grid -a position he had gained following a penalty handed to another rider. He moved up three positions in the opening metres, allowing him to join the battle for the Top 15. By Lap 4, the Spaniard had reached 15th place, leading a group of five riders. With only six laps remaining, tyre wear began to play a factor; however, building on the progress shown throughout the weekend, Rueda maintained a strong pace in the final third of the race, which enabled him to consistently be among the six fastest riders on track and pull away from those behind him. After closing a gap of more than two seconds to the rider in 14th, eventually overtaking him with four laps to go, Rueda set his sights on two other rivals. He caught them on the final lap and crossed the finish line in 11th place. These 5 points bolster his chances of becoming Rookie of the Year; with 48 points in the overall standings, he now holds a 19-point lead over his closest challenger. He currently sits 16th in the series.

In conclusion, it was an excellent end to a demanding and very positive weekend for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team. After two days of constant evolution, both Collin and Jose Antonio have made a strong Sunday to demonstrate their current good shape. The team picked up 14 points in the Team standings, bringing their total to 137.5. They currently hold tenth place, just 5 points shy of seventh. After finishing the overseas rounds, next up, they travel to Qatar for the 20th round of the season, which will take place at the Lusail International Circuit from November 6–8th.

Race Results
1. David Alonso (Kalex) | 35:44.732
2. Daniel Holgado (Kalex) (+1.932)
3. Angel Piqueras (Kalex) | (+3.565)
4. Izan Guevara (Boscoscuro) | (+6.182)
5. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex)| | (+14.130)
7. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | (+17.705)
11. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | (+20.150)

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2026
1. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) | 276.5 points
2. Izan Guevara (Boscoscuro) | 273 points
3. Ivan Ortola (Kalex) | 199.5 points
4. David Alonso (Kalex) | 191 points
5. Daniel Holgado (Kalex) | 190 points
10. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 89.5 points
16. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 48 points

Moto2 Teams World Championship Standing 2026
1. Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP | 442.5 points
2. CFMoto RCB Aspar Team | 381 points
3. BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 | 290.5 points
4. QJMotor – MSI | 219.5 points
5. OnlyFans American Racing Team | 199 points
10. Red Bull KTM Ajo | 137.5 points

NIKLAS AJO – Team Manager

“We are fully aware of our weaknesses at the moment, which are definitely our grid positions and our starts. In any case, we can be happy about the performance from both riders today. Obviously, Collin had a good qualifying yesterday, but he was just missing a little something at the beginning of the race and lost a few positions. In the end, he still managed to climb up the order and finish in a good position. Jose Antonio had a disappointing Qualifying yesterday, but managed to have a good race today. It’s not easy to fight at the back of the group, but he managed to move forward consistently and finish in the points today, so we’re happy with this. We really have to look ahead now, to try to improve our single-lap performance and our first race laps. I think this can give us the keys to to get really close to fighting for those podiums and victories again.”

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“I’m happy with today. I think we made some important progress over the weekend. We also tried out a few things that were outside my comfort zone, and they all worked out well. The opening laps weren’t easy, but I pushed myself to the limit and waited until the final stages, when tyre wear really kicked in. I didn’t have the best feeling with the front end, but we managed to stay with the lead group and get faster as the race went on. I was able to catch some other riders, and the feeling was quite good, so it’s a very positive way to end the weekend. Now, we need to carry this momentum over to Qatar next weekend.”

#98 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“I’m very happy with how we wrapped up the weekend. I think we took a step forward at the start, as we managed to overtake several riders, which is vital when your grid position isn’t ideal. I pushed hard early on, before the tyres began to go off, and then I settled into my own pace to manage the degradation. It worked out quite well; I was in better shape than the riders ahead of me, and I managed to pass four of them on the final laps. Now, all of our focus shifts to Qatar. We need to keep working in the same way and maintain these results, as consistency is the most important thing in this class.”