Pedro Acosta finishes fourth, while Albert Arenas is eleventh.

Friday saw the on-track action for the Japanese GP get underway at Mobility Resort Motegi. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders had a good feeling and improved their times, making their way into Q2. Pedro Acosta set the fourth best time of the day, while Albert Arenas finished eleventh.

Practice 1 took place under good conditions at Motegi. The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders used the session as their first contact with the track, and began preparing for the race. Acosta worked focused on his pace and, after a pit stop, placed in second position, with a time of 1:50.617, from his penultimate lap. Arenas made use of the practice to get comfortable and make adjustments to his setup, putting in 16 laps. He finished in fourteenth place with a time of 1:51.567.

In the afternoon, Practice 2 enabled the riders to take another step forward and continue fine-tuning their setup for qualifying. Acosta had clear objectives in mind, and came close to improving his morning time, but he nevertheless remained in the top positions of the timesheets. Acosta finished in fourth position thanks to his 1:50.646 lap, clocked on his penultimate attempt. Arenas made great progress and was able to increase his pace after improving his feeling. The Spaniard continues to recover from injury, but is increasingly competitive and made his way into the Top 10 with a time of 1:51.082. Acosta and Arenas were fourth and eleventh on the combined timesheets.

Moto2 qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix will take place on Saturday from 1:45 PM, local time.

Results (Combined practice times P1 – P2)
1. Somkiat Chantra (Kalex) 1:50.396
2. Aron Canet (Kalex) 1:50.433 +0.037
3. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 1:50.546 +0.150
4. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:50.617 + 0.221
5. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 1:50.804 + 0.408
11. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:51.082 + 0.686

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“We have started the weekend well. We worked focusing on the pace for the race and the feeling was good. We have room for improvement, so tomorrow we will look to take one more step in qualifying and get a good starting position for Sunday.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“It has been a positive day for me. We continue to take steps forward in my recovery and pick up more and more pace. We will see tomorrow how the day goes, but I will continue working hard with the team and we will concentrate on taking more steps forward, to be in the best shape for qualifying.”

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders take on the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo move on from the Indian Grand Prix to a date at Motegi, as the Japanese Grand Prix continues the series of flyaway races. Pedro Acosta and Albert Arenas will both fight for the top positions in the race, which comes at the business end of the Moto2 season.

Acosta became the first ever winner of a Moto2 Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, writing his name in the history books. He led the race from start to finish and achieved his sixth victory of the season. Acosta now faces a new challenge at Motegi, where he will try to continue to extend his lead of the World Championship -in which he has 236 points. Last year he finished in seventh position in Japan, and this time around his objective is to challenge for the podium.

Arenas had a difficult weekend in Buddh, due to shoulder discomfort and following an injury. He improved his feeling throughout the weekend and managed to climb positions in the race, entering the points with a fourteenth place finish. This weekend he hopes to continue taking steps forward with the coming rounds in mind. Arenas was eighth in last year’s Japanese GP and he is currently fourteenth in the overall standings with 61 points.

Red Bull KTM Ajo were on the podium in Japan in 2022, thanks to a second position for Augusto Fernandez, and in 2019 with third place for Jorge Martin. The Moto2 team leads this year’s Team standings with 297 points. The 19-lap Japanese Grand Prix will take place on Sunday at 1:15 PM.

Circuit information – Mobility Resort Motegi
Length: 4.801 m / 2.983 miles
Width: 15 m / 49.21 ft.
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 8
Longest straight: 762 m / 0.473 miles
Constructed: 1997

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“Last year we had a good weekend in Japan, despite the rain. We were able to make up many positions and finished in the Top 10. We have to stay calm and continue working as we have been. It will be important to score as many points as possible and not make mistakes.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“I have tried to regain fitness after the Indian Grand Prix. It is important to do my best in Japan. I was able to pick up some pace in India and I am motivated. Motegi is a circuit that I like and where I have gone well in previous years. We will take things day-by-day and want to continue working on my recovery and gaining more pace with the bike, in order to have a good weekend.”

Deniz Öncü and Jose Antonio Rueda prepare for next round at Motegi.

After the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders are in Japan to compete in the fourteenth race of the season. Deniz Öncü and Jose Antonio Rueda’s main objective at a classic race on the calendar is to fight for the top positions at Motegi.

Öncü had a difficult weekend in Buddh. After starting from last on the grid, he adapted to the circumstances and managed to reach the points and finish fourteenth. This weekend he gets to start afresh at a circuit where he will compete for the second time. With 146 points, Öncü occupies fifth position in the overall standings.

Rueda continues to adapt to unfamiliar circuits, and had a good feeling throughout the weekend in India. He was able to round off the Grand Prix with another Top 10 finish, keeping up his notable progress in his rookie season. This time around he faces a new track for him, and at Mobility Resort Motegi he will have to work hard to continue a positive run of results. He is currently in eighth position in the overall standings with 94 points.

Red Bull KTM Ajo remains at the top of the Team standings with 240 points. The 17-lap Japanese Grand Prix will take place on Sunday at 12pm local time.

Circuit information – Mobility Resort Motegi
Length: 4.801 m / 2.983 miles
Width: 15 m / 49.21 ft.
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 8
Longest straight: 762 m / 0.473 miles
Constructed: 1997

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“We travelled straight to Japan after a difficult weekend. We have to forget about what happened in India, focus on the important things and concentrate on Japan. I am ready to fight for the top positions again and for the victory, so we will work with our objective in mind.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Now there are several races with new circuits for us rookies. I hope the conditions are not as tough as in India, and I will try to adapt quickly again at Motegi. It is important to continue moving forward to consolidate the progress we made last weekend.”

Acosta achieves his sixth victory of the year and Albert Arenas places fourteenth.

The Indian Grand Prix ended well for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team. Pedro Acosta once again demonstrated his talent by leading the race from start to finish, claiming his sixth victory of the season. Albert Arenas took another step forward in his recovery from injury and improved his feeling, climbing up the order and earning points.

The Indian GP race got off to a rough start, with multiple riders involved in a crash at the first corner, forcing the race to be stopped. After the restart, the contest was reduced to 12 laps. Acosta got off the line well and took the holeshot, going on to impose his own pace and set the fastest lap of the race. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider increased his lead to more than 3.5 seconds, and earned his sixth victory of the season. Acosta remains the leader of the Moto2 World Championship with 236 points, 39 ahead of his nearest rival.

Arenas continues to suffer discomfort in his shoulder, although the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider improved his feeling throughout the weekend. The Spaniard started the race from the back of the grid, although he managed to recover positions early on. Arenas tackled a demanding track, high temperatures and humidity, moving further up the order following the halfway mark and breaking into the points. He placed fourteenth in the race, and is also fourteenth in the overall standings with 61 points.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo team travel to Japan this week to compete at Motegi, from September 29th to October 1st.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager:
“This weekend has been really challenging for all of the teams and riders, because of the temperature and humidity. We are really happy that Pedro again took a beautiful victory, dominating the race from the first lap, even though it was one of the toughest races of the season. He showed once again what his level is like at this moment, how focused he is and how he can keep up his consistency all the time. We need to also be happy that Albert could finally take part in the race and that he was in the points in the end. After the injury at Misano we were not sure if he could participate, but we survived the weekend. We hope that his injury will bother him less next week in Japan.”

Results (Race)
1. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 22:29.844
2. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) +3.543
3. Joe Roberts (Kalex) +6.506
4. Sergio Garcia (Kalex) +7.377
5. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) +7.903
14. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +20.917

Moto2 World Championship Standings 2023
1. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 236 points
2. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) 197 points
3. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 146 points
4. Aron Canet (Kalex) 116 points
5. Alonso Lopez (Kalex) 116 points
14. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 61 points

Moto2 Teams World Championship Standings 2023
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo 297 points
2. ELF Marc VDS 271 points
3. GT Trevisan SpeedUp 204 points
4. Pons Wegow Los40 192 points
5. Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 164 points

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“The race was a bit crazy on the first corner. Once we passed that point we focused on the strategy of staying at the front and riding calmly so as not to overheat the tyres or the bike. We are happy with the result, we got another victory and now it is time to continue working in the same way for the next few races.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“The most important thing is that the feeling was similar to yesterday, although I felt some pain during the race. We have managed my recovery well and that has helped us. Earning two points after how hard the race and weekend was, I think it was worth it. It’s not what we want but we have to keep our feet on the ground and take things day-by-day. This race has helped us ahead of Japan and we can see how to continue improving.”

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider places second in qualifying, while Albert Arenas will take off from 29th.

Red Bull KTM Ajo had to contend with completely different weather conditions to the previous day in qualifying on Saturday at the Buddh International Circuit, as rain forced Pedro Acosta and Albert Arenas to adapt quickly. Acosta was the second fastest in the intermediate class, whilst Arenas will start 29th.

Practice 3 was used to fine-tune the setup for the Indian circuit. Acosta lowered his times and the Moto2 series leader remained one of the fastest riders as he worked on race pace. He set his best time, a 1:51.725, on his fifth lap, and finished in second place after being usurped in the final moments. Arenas continued to work on adapting to the track with discomfort in his shoulder. He managed to take another step forward and improved his bst time from Friday, with a 1:53.330 which placed him in 28th.

Arenas had to go into Q1 for the first time this season. Rain ahead of the session changed the conditions and forced greater precautions to be taken, as he finished in 29th position with a time of 2:05.562. In Q2, Acosta also had delicate track conditions to navigate, although in his case it was due to a mix of dry and wet areas. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider set the standout time and was on course for pole, until he was again bested in the closing moments. After trying to improve his time on the last lap, he missed out on pole by 0.032s, and will start from second position for the ninth time this year.

The Moto2 Indian Grand Prix will be run over 18 laps on Sunday, September 23rd at 1:45pm local time.

Results (Qualifying)
1. Jake Dixon (Kalex) 2:01.924
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:01.956 +0.032
3. Sergio Garcia (Kalex) 2:02.192 +0.268
4. Zonta Vd Goorbergh (Kalex) 2:02.271 + 0.347
5. Darryn Binder (Kalex) 2:02.602 +0.678
29. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:05.562 *Q1 time

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“It is a circuit where things could easily happen tomorrow, so it was important to get to the front. We have taken one more step forward in wet conditions, which is one of the points we are working to improve. At the end of the session the track was drier and that allowed us to push a little more. We are at the front, and tomorrow we will try to have a good race
and manage to hold on well in the final straight.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“We continue working on recovery. The most positive thing is that, after the way yesterday’s sessions went, today my shoulder felt better. I improved my feeling on the bike, although we know that it is a somewhat slow process. We are on the right path to continue improving everything, so it was important not to get worse. The conditions in qualifying weren’t the best because we had very few laps to adapt to the wet conditions. I didn’t want to risk anything. Tomorrow we will try to take another step forward in the race.”

Deniz Öncü finishes eleventh and Jose Antonio Rueda seventeenth in Buddh.

Saturday at the Indian GP tested the Moto3 riders with changeable conditions. After a dry Practice, qualifying was held in the wet following heavy rain. Deniz Öncü finished eleventh, although he will start from last place due to a penalty, whilst Jose Antonio Rueda will take off from the sixth row, in seventeenth.

Practice 3 took place with delicate track conditions and numerous crashes. Öncü had a better feeling than on Friday, which allowed him to climb positions on the combined timesheets. The Turkish rider suffered a crash, although he was able to rejoin the session. His best time was cancelled out and he finished in eighteenth position with a time of 2:00.608. Unfortunately, Race Direction decided to hand him a penalty after he failed to see a black flag, and he will start from the last row of the grid and will have to perform a long lap. Rueda took a big step forward and reached the top positions, as he continued to be very consistent, although unfortunately a crash prevented him from continuing to progress. He managed to stay in the Top 10 and finished in seventh position with a time of 1:59.775, achieved on his ninth lap of eleven.

Öncü competed in Q1 focused on preparing for Sunday’s race. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider enjoyed his best session so far in the Grand Prix, and improved his times lap by lap, establishing the new circuit record with a 1:59,070. Q2 was delayed due to intense rainfall, which made the conditions completely different to in previous sessions. Öncü worked on finding a good feeling in the wet and achieved his best time on his penultimate lap, with a 2:11.282 that placed him in eleventh position. Rueda, who has barely had the opportunity to ride in the rain, was slowed down by the situation, but put in a total of 7 laps. After his best lap was cancelled, he has set up the seventeenth best time with a 2:14.181 and he will start from the sixth row of the grid.

The Moto3 Indian Grand Prix race has been shortened to 16 laps, and will take place on Sunday at 12:30 PM local time.

Results (Qualifying)
1. Jaume Masia (Honda) 2:09.336
2. Matteo Bertelle (Honda) 2:10.063 +0.727
3. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 2:10.104 +0.768
4. Scott Ogden (Honda) 2:10.126 +0.790
5. Kaito Koba (Honda) 2:10.735 +1.399
11. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:11.282 +1.946
17. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:14.181 +4.845

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“Today we made a big improvement compared to yesterday. I changed my riding style to adapt to this circuit and I was able to go faster. Unfortunately I had a crash during P3 and my best lap was also cancelled. I had to go through Q1 and I did some really good lap times. With the penalty in place tomorrow and the rainy conditions, I didn’t want to take any risks.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Today was a bit of a strange day, since we had a first dry session and qualifying was delayed due to the rain. I feel more and more comfortable, and that is very positive. In Q2 it was a little difficult for me because there was a lot of water on the track, so we didn’t start as high up the order as we would have liked. Tomorrow we will have to fight back and make a good start to be in the front group, but I am very confident that we can be at the front.”

Pedro Acosta finishes Friday in second position, while Albert Arenas is thirtieth.

The Indian Grand Prix began this Friday with Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Pedro Acosta and Albert Arenas trying to adapt to the Buddh International Circuit on it’s first appearance on the calendar. Acosta was very consistent and placed second overall, whilst Arenas returned from injury and improved progressively, finishing thirtieth.

The high temperatures from early in the morning made the day a demanding one. Acosta took to the track with determination and quickly adapted, going on to lead the way in the final minutes and eventually clock the second best time of the first session with a 1:52.878. Arenas, back after his injury at the last Grand Prix, focused on getting used to the new layout and also on getting his feel for riding back. He racked up a total of 14 laps, and on his last attempt he set a 1:55.864 that put him 29th.

The second and final practice of the day saw conditions similar to those of the morning. Acosta centred his work on his pace and preparing for the race, with the Moto2 World Championship leader lowering his times and fighting for the top spot until the end. After achieving his best time on his last lap, with a 1:52.170, he was only +0.065 off the fastest rider of the day, concluding Friday in second position. Arenas did not have a good practice despite pushing hard. He managed to improve his times by more than a second, although this was not a big enough step forward to put him into Q2, as his 1:54.398 left him 30th.

Moto2 qualifying takes place on Saturday from 2:15pm local time at the Buddh International Circuit.

Results (Combined practice times P1 – P2)
1. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) 1:52.105
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:52.170 +0.065
3. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 1:52.188 +0.083
4. Celestino Vietti (Kalex) 1:52.451 +0.214
5. Somkiat Chantra (Kalex) 1:52.451 +0.346
30. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:54.398 +2.293

#37 PEDRO ACOSTA

“The adaptation to the circuit has been quite good and the feeling has been very good too. We still have to fine-tune some details, but we have worked a lot on our pace in order to see what tyre we will use in the race. Tomorrow I think we can have a good qualifying session, and we will continue working with Sunday in mind, since we have no references; however, I feel good.”

#75 ALBERT ARENAS

“I really wanted to come back, although I knew it wouldn’t be easy after the injury in Misano. I have been working hard at home to be able to return in the best possible shape. It is a new circuit, which is also very technical and physically demanding. I have discomfort in my shoulder that prevents me from riding easily, but we are working on it to be able to improve more tomorrow.”

Jose Antonio Rueda finishes in eighth position, with Deniz Öncü tenth.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 duo had their first experience of the Buddh International Circuit this Friday, as Deniz Öncü and Jose Antonio Rueda completed the first sessions of the Indian Grand Prix. Both improved their times in the afternoon and finished in the Top 10, with Rueda in eighth position and Öncü tenth.

The first session featured high temperatures and was a longer runout than normal, in order to familarise the riders with the track. The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders focused on adapting and improving progressively and, whilst Öncü did not find the best feeling in this first practice, he did lower his times lap after lap, ending Practice 1 in sixteenth position with a time of 2:01.708 on his 15th attempt of 18. Rueda felt more comfortable and soon climbed up the order, maintaining consistency from start to finish and chasing the top spots. After completing a total of 17 laps, the Moto3 rookie achieved his best time on his final run, with a 2:01.060 for eighth position.

The afternoon session allowed for a fine-tuning of the setup and faster times. Öncü still struggled in the first few minutes, although the Turkish rider did his best to lower his times. After a pit stop, he managed to take a big step forward, improving his time by a second and placing himself tenth thanks to a 2:00.607, achieved on his 12th lap of 17. Rueda was again consistent during the 50-minute session, upping a steady pace as time progressed.  He was up into fourth, before a crash at Turn 11 in the final stretch deprived him of one of the top positions. Despite the incident, Rueda finished in an outstanding eighth position, through his 2:00.530 lap.

Qualifying sessions for the Indian Grand Prix will take place this Saturday from 1:20  PM local time.

Results (Combined practice times P1 – P2)
1. Collin Veijer (Husqvarna) 1:59.566
2. Jaume Masia (Honda) 1:59.752 +0.186
3. Stefano Nepa (KTM) 2:00.122 +0.556
4. David Alonso (GasGas) 2:00.195 +0.629
5. Riccardo Rossi (Honda) 2:00.328 +0.762
8. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:00.530 +0.964
10. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:00.607 +1.041

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“It wasn’t the best day for me because I expected a bit better. It’s a new circuit and I enjoyed myself a lot, as I didn’t expect as nice a track here in India. For sure, tomorrow there is something which we have to focus on and improve. We have been consistent in many races and we are always fighting. We didn’t start in the best way here but we will improve tomorrow for qualifying.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“The first day went quite well, despite it being a circuit that we didn’t know before. I felt comfortable on the bike, although we needed some things to improve. We didn’t manage to perform at 100% due to some mistakes, but it made me feel better. I really liked the circuit and I think we can have a good qualifying tomorrow.”