The Dutchman was able to finish a survival race with a lot of incidents. His teammate, Öncü, crashes while running fifth.

There was a bittersweet Sunday for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 at the Dutch TT, as they scored points through Collin Veijer but Deniz Öncü came away empty handed. Veijer climbed eight places to score two points on raceday, whilst his teammate crashed out of the race with nine laps remaining after his best start of the season, moving from 10th to third in just one lap.

There were great starts from both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders, who made up six and five positions, respectively, to move into 4th and 17th during the opening lap.

Veijer rose into the Top 15, although the strong pace at the front quickly stretched the field, causing the young Dutchman to struggle to stay in the fight for points. In the second half of the race, taking additional risks on a crash-filled Sunday, Veijer climbed the ranks, moving up to 15th on the penultimate lap. He then overtook Ayumu Sasaki at the final corner, giving him 14th place at his home race and enabling him to score points for the fourth time this season. He now has 13 points in total, placing him 20th in the overall standings.

Öncü went unrewarded for a solid race. The Turkish rider made one of his best starts this season, gaining six places before reaching the first corner, and was up into fourth. He waited patiently to attack Ivan Ortola and move into third, but as the laps passed, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider was left in no man’s land, as Diogo Moreira and Aron Canet began to pull away ahead of him and those behind held each other up. Unfortunately, tyre wear forced Öncü to drop back during the second half of the race, and he was engulfed by the chasing pack. Manu Gonzalez and Joe Roberts caught up with him, and, under pressure, he crashed at the last turn. He was unable to remount, having to retire with nine laps remaining. Öncü remains on 72 points, occupying eighth place overall.

The Moto2 World Championship heads to the Sachsenring on July 11-13th, for the German Grand Prix. There, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team will try to get back to winning ways with its two riders, who will once again take on two consecutive Grands Prix: Germany and the Czech Republic.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider extends his lead in the Moto3 standings. Carpe, after coming up from 18th place, placed in 4th.

The Dutch TT saw a sixth win of the season for Jose Antonio Rueda in the Moto3 World Championship, as he took advantage of a red flag on the final lap to score 25 points at Assen. Alvaro Carpe, after an incident in the second lap, fought back from 18th place to finish fourth, just off the podium.

Both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders made great starts and took the top two positions during the first lap at Assen. However, after that, Carpe had a collision with David Almansa, who, in turn 8, nearly made contact with Rueda. Following this incident, Carpe dropped to 18th.

At the front, Rueda tried to stretch the group, but the slipstream on the back straight made it impossible for the leading riders to escape. He held onto the top spot for the first few laps, steadily establishing the pace. After eight laps, with the front group still consisting of 18 riders, Maximo Quiles overtook Rueda, who dropped to seventh in the space of just two laps. Unwilling to take too many risks, Rueda stayed in tenth place until the final section, saving his energy to attack at the crucial moment. He regained positions to take the lead again with three laps remaining, and held onto it until the final lap. David Muñoz overtook him at the final chicane, but Race Control decided to wave the red flag due to an incident on the penultimate lap, awarding Rueda the win due to his lead on the last crossing of the finish line. With the victory, his sixth of the season, World Championship leader Rueda now has 187 points and a 69-point advantage over his teammate Carpe, now his closest challenger in the standings.

Carpe, meanwhile, began his comeback from 18th by setting the fastest lap of the race. After four laps, he had moved up to 14th, improving to 12th halfway through the race. The rookie waited until the right moment to attack, and as the final third of the race got underway, he steadily reeled in his rivals and moved into the lead before Rueda’s spell at the front. Unfortunately, at the chicane leading into the final lap, Luca Lunetta hit Carpe from behind, causing two more riders to crash and creating a split between the top three and Carpe in fourth. Due to the red flag, Carpe had to settle for fourth. He moves into second place in the overall standings with 118 points, and is 32 points clear in the Rookie of the Year ranking.

The first double of the 2025 season came to an end with a great Sunday for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team at the Cathedral of Motorcycling. Rueda’s victory, the sixth for the team so far this season, means the tenth podium in ten races, adding Rueda’s seven and team-mate Carpe’s three. With 305 points, Red Bull KTM Ajo are 128 points ahead of their nearest rivals in the Teams standings.

The next round of the Moto3 World Championship is the German Grand Prix  on July 11-13th, followed by the Czech Republic Grand Prix a week later.

Race Results
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 32:12.319
2. David Muñoz (KTM) | +0.144
3. Valentin Perrone (KTM) | +0.245
4. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +1.087 
5. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | +1.296

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2025
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 187 points
2. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 118 points
3. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | 117 points
4. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 100 points
5. Maximo Quiles (KTM) | 86 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2025
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo | 305 points
2. FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI | 177 points 
3. Level UP MTA | 153 points
4. CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team | 143 points
5. Leopard Racing | 127 points

NIKLAS AJO – Team Manager

“Once again we can be very happy about the weekend. We had a great qualifying yesterday, with our riders finishing in first and second after using very good tactics. Today, it was a very hectic race, but both riders worked very well. Jose Antonio showed great pace and he believed in himself until the end. Good luck only helps when you are in a position to benefit from it, and he achieved a super result. Alvaro did great as well. He did an incredible comeback to get back to the front after an unfortunate incident at the start. He had a little bit of bad luck on the last corner before last laps and lost the chance to fight for a podium, but it’s a great result for the team because we’re first and second in the Moto3 World Championship now.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Having Collin Veijer with us was key, as he knows this circuit well and told us the keys to doing everything right at Assen. It was vital to get into the second half of the race strong, especially with this wind blowing today, but we were able to do that. On the last two laps, I pushed hard and set good times, also taking advantage of a big incident behind us. The end was a bit strange because I suddenly saw the red flag and immediately saw a rider on the ground, so I cut the throttle before entering the chicane. It was a bit of a shock because I didn’t know which section or lap would count, so everything was a bit uncertain until they confirmed the victory for me. Winning here in this 100th edition of the Dutch TT is very special, so I’m very happy to be able to get my sixth win of the season.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“I’m very happy. Today we had to make up some lost ground after the incident at the beginning, which temporarily left us out of the points. We had the pace to fight at the front on every lap, but we had to fight from the back of the pack. You always have to take the positives from these races, and today we learned to manage a race differently. It’s a shame about what happened at the chicane, as I lost the front and I was hit from behind. We have to learn from these situations to be more competitive in the coming weekends. We’re second overall, which is something I didn’t expect, so we’ll have to keep looking for this consistency in the upcoming races.”

The Turkish rider makes a step forward on Saturday to advance to Q2. Collin Veijer will start 22nd after a positive day.

Saturday was a day of progress and hope for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2, who managed to get Deniz Öncü into the Top 10 in Q2. The Turkish rider managed to advance from Q1 and put in a strong lap that will allow him to fight for a good position in Sunday’s race. Collin Veijer also made improvements, lowering his best time from Friday by 7 tenths and gaining several positions. The Dutchman will start 22nd on the grid at his home Grand Prix.

FP2 conditions were considerably better than Friday’s, allowing the Moto2 grid to enjoy a productive morning session in preparation for Sunday’s race.

Veijer had a positive run, gradually improving his times. Initially outside the Top 20, the Dutchman focused on completing a long run before putting on new tyres for a Time Attack simulation. He shaved 5 tenths off his best time from Practice and clocked his fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:36.287, just 7 tenths off the top spot in the session. Veijer was 15th after putting in a total of 16 laps. Öncü also rode 16 laps, but failed to find the improvement he was looking for compared to Friday. The Turkish rider, who also opted to prepare for the race in the first half of FP2, was unable to put together a perfect lap in the final minutes, despite setting his best time on his final attempt. With a 1:36.458, he finished 21st.

Track conditions for Q1 were the best of the weekend so far, and the two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders tried to make their way into Q2.

Öncü was up into fourth after a strong start, then made a trip to the pits. When he reemerged, he could not lower his time, but made the cut for Q2 as several rivals had their laps cancelled out due to yellow flags. He advanced to the grid-deciding session, and from a 1:35.680 in Q1 he improved to a 1:35.367, his best time of the weekend by far. It put him into the Top 10 on the grid, just 5 tenths off Pole Position after a difficult start to the weekend. Öncü had significant track time, with 14 laps over the two sessions. Veijer’s best time of the weekend came in Q1. The Dutch rider clocked a 1:36.133, just 1.3 seconds off the best Q2 time, but it wasn’t enough to make the cut. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rookie finished eighth in Q1 after eight laps, giving him 22nd place on the grid.

After a difficult Friday, Saturday saw the two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders grow, not only in terms of time, but also in terms of positions ahead of tomorrow’s grid. Öncü and Veijer will take part in the 22-lap Moto2 race on Sunday, from 12:15pm (local time).

Qualifying Results
1. Diogo Moreira (Kalex) | 1:34.777
2. Ivan Ortola (Boscoscuro) | 1:34.849 (+0.072)
3. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) | 1:34.985 (+0.208)
4. Aron Canet (Kalex) | 1:35.414 (+0.223)
5. Albert Arenas (Kalex) | 1:35.053 (+0.276)
10. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:35.367 (+0.590)
22. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:36.133 (+1.356)

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“Qualifying is done here in Assen. It was not an easy Saturday but we took a step forward in the morning to prepare the afternoon sessions, and also another one during Q1 and Q2. We will keep working for tomorrow to improve a little more and stay closer to the front. We just need to get a good start and keep a good pace up during the race, which will be quite long. We will try to take as many points as possible and enjoy ourselves here at such an special track.”

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“Today we made a big improvement from yesterday. The feeling with the bike is much better, so we just need to see if we can find the final steps to get the chance to get closer to the front. We will be ready for tomorrow. Let’s see what the race brings. We just want to take valuable information from the weekend and also enjoy the race to the maximum in front of my home crowd. I hope to have a nice day tomorrow.”

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders earn their second qualifying 1-2 of the season at the Dutch TT.

Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 had a stunning Saturday in Assen at the Dutch TT, as Jose Antonio Rueda secured his fourth Pole Position and Alvaro Carpe was just 0.041 seconds behind in second place after making the cut from Q1. The team achieved their second consecutive front row 1-2, following that achieved just seven days previously at Mugello.

Unlike on Friday, the second day at Assen saw dry asphalt and sunshine in the morning, with temperatures up to 8ºC warmer -despite the earlier time schedule for FP2 than for FP1.

Rueda initially focused on running a race simulation during the first part of the session, but also quickly placed himself inside the Top 10. With a competitive and consistent pace, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider took a little longer to move up among the leaders, but he did so in the final minutes, improving his best time lap after lap to finish third. The World Championship leader completed 17 laps and posted a 1:40.485, slightly slower than his time from Friday afternoon.

Carpe was very competitive from the start, putting his traffic issues from Friday afternoon behind him and immediately being among the three fastest riders on his second flying lap. Unlike his teammate, he spent the second part of the session working on worn tyres, demonstrating a strong pace through to the end. With his best time set at the start of FP2, Carpe ultimately finished fourth, just 0.035 seconds behind Rueda. With a 1:40.520 and 14 laps completed, the young Spanish rider shaved three tenths off his best time from Friday.

For Qualifying mode, the track was in optimal conditions, with temperatures rising to 32°C. Rueda emerged from the pits without hesitation, as always, and pushed hard. He had Quiles and Carpe behind him, and they moved into front row positions, while he remained in tenth place. After a trip to the pits, Carpe returned the favour and gave him an important tow. The World Championship leader was able to move into second place, and then Rueda put in his scorching Pole lap, besting Carpe by just 0.041 seconds. His 1:39.757, from 8 laps, put him just 0.054 seconds off the all-time track record, set last year by Collin Veijer.

It reversed the order of the one-two from the Italian Grand Prix, and secured Rueda’s fourth Pole Position of the season -the fifth of his World Championship career.

Carpe made his way out of Q1 with relative ease, leading the way early. Although three of his rivals passed him before he pitted, the Spaniard’s 1:40.911 earned him fourth place, almost half a second ahead of the rest of the field. In Q2, he snatched first place immediately after leaving the pits, with the help of Rueda’s tow. Carpe then assisted his teammate to secure the one-two finish. The class’s top rookie tried to take Pole, but the traffic on track left him without the possibility, despite being on pole position pace in the first two sectors. He will start second with a best time of 1:39.798, almost 8 tenths better than his previous best time from the weekend.

After one of the best Saturdays of the season, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team heads into the key day of the weekend with a double podium finish in mind. Jose Antonio Rueda and Alvaro Carpe will take part in the 20-lap Moto3 race on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. (local time).

Qualifying Results
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:39.757
2. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:39.798 (+0.041)
3. David Almansa (Honda) | 1:39.823 (+0.066)
4. Taiyo Furusato (Honda) | 1:39.954 (+0.197)
5. Ryusei Yamanaka (KTM) | 1:40.093 (+0.336)

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“Q2 went very well. I’m really happy to be on the front row once again and, of course, for this latest Pole Position. I want to congratulate Carpe once again, as we did a great job as a team. I hope to keep this up in the coming races and that we continue helping each other as we have so far. This morning we had a better feeling than yesterday, and that gave us a boost for the afternoon. We’ve also been finetuning our riding style as the sessions progress, so our pace is gradually improving. The race will be long, but I think we’re very well prepared to fight in the leading group. We’ll have to see what conditions we encounter, but we’re ready to do our best.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“We had good teamwork today once again. We’re unbeatable with this method. It took us a while to get through to Q1, but we managed to do it, which was key to a good finish for the rest of the session. It was a slightly dangerous session due to traffic, but once we got into Q2, we knew things were going to go well. I’m very happy to be on the front row and very happy with how we turned the weekend around. I’m living a dream, and I hope it continues that way. Tomorrow we’ll try to put on a show and get a good result. We have good pace, we’ve prepared well for the race, so all that’s left is to enjoy it and give it our all to fight until the last lap.”

Tricky track conditions cause problems for Öncü and Veijer, who place 23rd and 25th in Practice.

Deniz Öncü and Collin Veijer didn’t have an easy start at Assen, on a Friday that saw numerous crashes for other riders. The two Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders struggled to get into the Top 20 positions in both sessions. In Practice, they finished 23rd and 25th, and will have to go through Q1 on Saturday.

There was an atypical start to the weekend at Assen, with Moto2 FP1 starting an hour later than usual due to the delicate track conditions. Oil had been left on the surface after a spill in Moto3. Temperatures were also low, at around 20ºC.

Öncü completed his first laps of the Dutch track on a Moto2 bike in the morning. Despite not enjoying optimal track conditions, the Turkish rider worked on worn tyres and was able to reduce his time as the minutes passed, ending up with a 1:37.323 after 16 attempts. He was 1.2 seconds off the best time, but the close nature of the competition left him in 21st place. Veijer put in 17 laps at his home Grand Prix. He was closer to the frontrunners than in the first session at Mugello a week ago, improving his times in the final stretch of FP1. With a 1:38.548 his fastest lap, Veijer gained experience and data, as he placed 26th.

In the afternoon, the temperature rose up to seven degrees. Öncü focused on race pace on his first stint, before attempting a final Time Attack. However, a long sequence of crashes in the final five minutes prevented the vast majority of riders from improving their times due to the presence of yellow flags, so Öncü had to settle for a 1:36.277. He completed a total of 21 laps, more than anyone else in the intermediate class on Friday, and placed 23rd. Veijer made a significant push at the start of the session along with the fastest riders in the field, riding just 1.5 seconds behind on his first outing. After a trip to the pits, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rookie suffered the same problem as his teammate, having to settle for a time set on the sixth lap of the session. Veijer rode a total of 18 laps, with a best time of 1:36.837, almost two seconds faster than in FP1.

In conclusion, time to work for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team, who will be looking to get closer to the front with their two riders on Saturday at Assen. Öncü and Veijer will join FP2 on Saturday, starting at 9:25 a.m. (local time). Q1 will begin in the afternoon, at 1:45 p.m.

Practice Results
1. Filip Salac (Boscoscuro) | 1:34.869
2. Aron Canet (Kalex) | 1:35.215 (+0.346)
3. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) | 1:35.304 (+0.435)
4. Tony Arbolino (Boscoscuro) | 1:35.414 (+0.545)
5. Ivan Ortola (Boscoscuro) | 1:35:498 (+0.629)
23. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:36.277 (+1.408)
25. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:36.837 (+1.968)

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“It’s been a tricky day for us to start with here in Assen. I enjoyed myself a lot riding at a track like this with my Moto2 bike, but we have to improve for tomorrow. We will work harder during this afternoon and tomorrow morning to be better during the most important part of the weekend. It’s essential to make a step forward with my riding and also with the bike, so we will continue pushing to be closer in Qualifying.”

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“This morning was a little bit difficult because the session was shorter and I felt a little bit strange when I went out on track. However, in the afternoon, we improved quite a lot. We got a little bit stuck in the standings, but I didn’t have the feeling to improve any more. For sure, we’ll try to be closer tomorrow. We know our weak points at the moment, so we will try to make progress again during the second day here in Assen.”

The Moto3 leader felt comfortable in both wet and dry conditions. His teammate Carpe, despite leading FP1, could only finish 18th in Practice and will have to go through Q1.

Moto3 World Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda took fourth in Practice for the Dutch TT, securing his tenth involvement in Q2 this season. In FP1, in wet conditions, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider took no chances and rounded out the Top 10. Alvaro Carpe got off to a strong start on Friday, leading a session for the second time this season. Unfortunately, after a strange end of Practice and a run off the track that prevented him from a clean and smooth Time Attack, the rookie finished 18th and will have to go through Q1 for the second time this year.

A downpour until just before the start of the morning FP1 session left the asphalt completely wet and temperatures down to 17°C. 

Carpe was very competitive from the start, among the fastest riders after the first few flying laps. The series’ top rookie combined riding alone with working in a group, proving very comfortable in both situations. In the final part of the session, he managed to move into first place, just before suffering a fast crash at Turn 3 -his second fall of the season. Unscathed, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was able to top a Moto3 session for the second time this season having done so previously in Silverstone Practice. He set a time of 1:46.078 and put in 16 laps. Rueda employed a cautious approach, as he started from the bottom of the timesheets, but gradually climbed up the order to close in on the lead, eventually occupying the final position in the Top 10. Rueda completed 19 laps, the most in the class, with a best time of 1:47.515.

By the afternoon, temperatures rose some 11°C, and the track remained dry, although clouds and rain loomed throughout the session.

Rueda was in the Q2 positions from the off, and placed first after his Time Attack attempt. With a spot in the Top 14 already secured, he couldn’t improve further due to traffic, so had to settle for fourth at the end of the session. His 1:40.455, after 17 laps, took him into Q2 directly for the tenth time this year. Carpe took things more calmly, starting by working on his race pace. On his first run he was only 19th, so he went out for a Time Attack aiming for a direct place in Q2. Quickly, on his first flying lap, he rose to fourth, although he then lost a lap due to the yellow flags on the track. On his second attempt, Carpe encountered traffic in the third sector, sending him into the gravel to avoid a collision. Having had to abort his flying lap, he took gamble on his final run, and although he improved his time, his 1:40.850 wasn’t enough to break into the Top 14. He will have to go through Q1 after qualifying directly for Q2 at eight consecutive Grands Prix.

With the first day of work in Assen done, Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team will be aiming for a competitive Qualifying tomorrow in order to achieve good grid positions. On Saturday morning, both riders will take part in FP2 starting at 8:40 a.m. (local time). In the afternoon, Carpe will be first on track, at 12:50 p.m., for Q1, and would try to join his teammate Rueda, who will contest Q2 at 13:15 p.m.

Practice Results
1. Luca Lunetta (Honda) | 1:40.053
2. David Muñoz (KTM) | 1:40.262 (+0.209)
3. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 1.40.445 (+0.392)
4. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:40.455 (+0.402)
5. Valentin Perrone (KTM) | 1:40.462 (+0.409)
18. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 1:40.850 (+0.797)

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“This morning’s session was wet, which made setting up the bike a bit difficult, but things went well in the afternoon. It’s true that we didn’t do a huge amount of laps, but it helped us draw initial conclusions and identify where we can improve. The feeling from Practice was good, so we have to keep working to take another step forward tomorrow. We’ll have to see what track conditions we encounter on Saturday, but we’ll try to keep everything under control so that external factors surprise us as little as possible.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“We had some bad luck this afternoon. We looked for a clean lap, but we didn’t find it. The first attempt we had was taken away due to yellow flags on the track, and on the second, I ran into traffic, so I had to go into the gravel to avoid a collision. We know where we can improve and we’re confident we’ll have a great Q1 tomorrow, so we’re going to work on that to improve during Saturday and arrive at Sunday’s race as close to the front as possible. It hasn’t been the best Friday for us, but I’m sure we’ll take a step forward tomorrow.”

The Dutch rider, who returned to action in Italy, arrives in Assen ready to race in front of his home crowd. Teammate Deniz Öncü will aim for a third consecutive positive result.

Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 conclude a two-weekend run of races this weekend, with the team taking part in the DutchGP. Colin Veijer approaches his home round further along the road to full recovery from his arm injury, whilst Deniz Öncü will be looking to achieve his third consecutive good result in the tenth round of the season -as he targets a place in the Top 5 in the Moto2 standings.

Öncü arrives at Assen confident of continuing his solid form. After achieving two strong results in Qatar and Spain, the Turkish rider struggled in France and Great Britain. Now, following an upturn in fortunes in Aragon and Italy -where he placed sixth- he makes the trip to the Netherlands. Öncü knows Assen very well and has fond memories of the track, having competed there since his time with the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2017. Except for one occasion, he has managed to finish in the points on every visit to the historic track, including third in 2023 in Moto3. Injury sidelined him for last season’s Dutch TT, so this will be his first time with a Moto2 bike at the track. He is currently seventh in the overall standings with 72 points.

Veijer will be one of the main attractions of the Dutch round. This will be his third time racing at his home track in the World Championship, and his first in the intermediate class. After returning from injury in Italy and making steady progress session after session, Veijer was 20th in the race, just 16 seconds off the winner. Although the heat and demanding track characteristics at Mugello posed a challenge, the weekend was a good opportunity for him to get some experience after five weeks of inactivity. Whilst he never rode at Assen in either the Red Bull Rookies Cup or Junior GP at Assen, he has competed there in two seasons as a Moto3 rider: In 2023 he placed seventh, while last year he started from the front row and managed to finish second in the race, just 12 thousandths of a second behind the winner. Veijer is 19th overall in Moto2, with 11 points.

In a special Grand Prix for Collin Veijer, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team wants to leave Assen with two good results. Deniz Öncü and the Dutch rider, who arrive from Italy with a good feeling after a competitive race last Sunday, will be fighting for it. The team is seventh in the Team Standings with 83 points, and have enjoyed good results at Assen: In the last ten editions of the Dutch TT, they have three wins, with Johann Zarco (2015), Raul Fernandez (2021), and Augusto Fernandez (2022). In addition, they have three second places through Zarco (2016), Brad Binder (2019) and Remy Gardner (2021), and a third place for Pedro Acosta (2023).

The intermediate class action starts on Friday at 9:50 a.m. (local time) with Free Practice 1. On Sunday, the 22-lap race takes place at 12:15 p.m.

Circuit information – TT Circuit Assen
Length: 4.5 km. / 2.8 miles
Width: 14m. / 45.93 ft.
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 12
Longest straight: 0.48km. / 1597.77 ft.
Built: 1955

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“We travel to Assen this week to finish the first double-header of the season. We want to keep pushing like we did at the last two rounds, so the goal for the Dutch TT is to be consistent throughout the weekend, achieve a good grid position and come home with the maximum points possible. We’ve been finding the way forward these last few weeks, so the most important thing is to be competitive from the first session and prepare for the race as much as we can to fight with the frontrunners.”

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“I’m very excited about my home Grand Prix -my third in the World Championship. It’s going to be a nice weekend with everyone around and a little bit busy, but we’ll try to enjoy it to the maximum and of course try to get a good result from it. Assen is a very nice track where the races are always fun, so l hope this year we can repeat that and put on a good show for all the fans who will be coming along to watch.”

With a 1+2 in Q2 and a podium finish under their belts, Carpe and Rueda will attempt to carry over their good showing from Mugello at Assen.

The Moto3 World Championship completes its first back-to-back run of races this weekend, with the series heading to The Netherlands for the Dutch TT. Red Bull KTM Moto3 riders Jose Antonio Rueda and Alvaro Carpe arrive at Assen with confidence, as the former is more leader in the overall standings and the latter is in third place and on a podium streak.

The top rider in the Moto3 standings visits the Netherlands convinced that he can achieve a good result at the cathedral. Rueda feels comfortable at Assen, one of the oldest and most legendary tracks on the calendar. He will be be aiming for a strong result to return to the podium positions, having missed out in the last two Grands Prix after achieving five victories and one third in the first seven races of the year. At the circuit that hosts this weekend’s event, he finished sixth in his rookie year and fourth in 2024, both times coming close to victory. Rueda was fourth in a hotly contested Italian Grand Prix, having started from second on the grid. After nine races, Rueda remains top of the overall standings, with 162 points and a 56-point lead over his closest rival.

Carpe enters the tenth Grand Prix of the season in top form. After consecutive fourth-place finishes in France and Great Britain, he now has two successive podium finishes from the trips to Aragon and Italy. The series’s top rookie is looking for his first win, something that eluded him at Mugello by just six thousandths of a second. He knows Assen well, after two years visiting the Dutch track in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. In that competition, he took a second and a sixth place finish in both the 2023 and 2024 editions. Carpe heads into the Dutch TT third in the standings with 105 points, just one off second place.

In conclusion, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team visits one of the most traditional motorcycling venues on the calendar to try to consolidate its role as favourite in the category. In addition to continuing to led the Rider and Rookie classifications, Red Bull KTM Ajo recently extended their lead in the Team standings, with 267 points and a 106-point advantage. In the last years, the team have achieved a victory for Miguel Oliveira (2015) and a third place for Deniz Öncü (2023) at Assen.

Action at the Dutch TT starts on Friday at 9:00 a.m. (local time), with Sunday’s 20- lap race starting at 11:00 a.m.

Circuit information – TT Circuit Assen
Length: 4.5 km. / 2.8 miles
Width: 14m. / 45.93 ft.
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 12
Longest straight: 0.48km. / 1597.77 ft.
Built: 1955

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We’re off to Assen, a track I really like. I hope the weather is good and we can enjoy a dry weekend. We want to continue working along the same lines as what we’ve been doing at all the previous Grands Prix, so we’ll give it our all from the start to prepare for Sunday in the best possible way. The goal is the same as always: to be at the front and fight for the top positions until the end. This is a track where slipstreams don’t have as much of an impact, so we’re going to try to take advantage of that and work on our pace.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“I’m looking forward to arriving in Assen, after achieving our first Pole Position in the World Championship and our second consecutive podium. I’m eager to continue learning and improving to fight for the victory at every track, so we’re going to keep working just as hard. We have to make the most of our good form to transform motivation into ambition and, above all, good results before the summer break.”

A solid Grand Prix sees the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 pair finish the race at Mugello, with Öncü racking up good points.

Sunday at the Italian Grand Prix ended with both Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders taking the chequered flag at Mugello. Deniz Öncü continued his improvement from Saturday to place sixth, whilst Collin Veijer was able to finish in the Top 20 in a tough race -due to the weather conditions and five weeks out following surgery on his right arm.

At the front, Öncü made a great start from fifth on the grid, moving into second place at the first corner. After the first lap, the Turkish rider decided to take the lead and try to stretch the field, but it was very difficult to maintain his advantage amidst many overtaking moves among the frontrunners. Öncü settled in fifth place and decided to bide his time, riding with a steady pace. However, a scare at Turn 10 caused him to concede two more positions, dropping to seventh, and lose contact with the four leading riders. The Turkish rider moved back up to fifth and pushed to get back into contention for the podium, but was unable to do so. In the final stretch, suffering from tyre wear, he was overtaken by Celestino Vietti, leaving him in sixth place. Nevertheless, he finished just six seconds behind the race winner. After scoring 10 points at Mugello, Öncü is now up to 72, in seventh place overall and closer to the Top 5.

Veijer also got off to a good start, making up three positions from 22nd and moving into the Top 20. After the first third of the race, the Dutchman continued in the fight for 19th place with two other riders. As the laps passed, the heat and the difficulty of Mugello gradually sapped the strength from the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rookie, who was in just his third day back on the bike after five weeks out through injury. He was able to maintain his pace throughout the second half of the race, securing 20th place, less than five seconds outside the points. Veijer, with 11 points so far this year, remains in 19th place in the overall standings before facing an always special home Grand Prix in Assen.

After a difficult Grand Prix start, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team finished on a good way with both riders having completed a weekend of progress and consistency. With 84 points in the Team standings, Red Bull KTM Ajo now head to the Dutch TT -Veijer’s home round and the second race of the season’s first double-header. It takes place at Assen from June 27-29th.

Race Results 
1. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) | 35:34.695
2. Albert Arenas (Kalex) | +1.409
3. Aron Canet (Kalex) | +3.648
4. Diogo Moreira (Kalex) | +3.745
5. Celestino Vietti (Boscoscuro) | +3.813
6. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +5.091
20. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +18.830

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2025
1. Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex) | 143 points
2. Aron Canet (Kalex) | 134 points
3. Diogo Moreira (Kalex) | 103 points
4. Barry Baltus (Kalex) | 94 points
5. Jake Dixon (Boscoscuro) | 85 points
7. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 72 points
19. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 11 points

Moto2 Teams World Championship Standing 2025
1. Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO | 228 points
2. Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP | 223 points
3. ELF Marc VDS Racing Team | 137 points
4. Beta Tools SpeedRS Team | 113 points
5. Italtrans Racing Team | 108 points
7. Red Bull KTM Ajo | 84 points

NIKLAS AJO – Team Manager

“The weekend didn’t start in the best way. Both riders were struggling during Friday, with the low grip level and the heat, but to be honest, yesterday we made great progress with Deniz and Collin in terms of setup -and also understanding the correct way to ride in the low grip conditions. Deniz had a great Qualifying throughout Q1 and Q2 to start from fifth on the grid, and today the race was also very positive. The conditions were hard and he struggled a little bit more, but he rode a very good race. Collin did as well; he was out for more than a month and to comeback like this is great, so we’ll try to continue like this next week at the DutchGP.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“That’s another Grand Prix finished for us. I think we could have taken a better result today, but it wasn’t possible. I was a little bit worried about the tyres in the race. I could stay at the front of the race at the start, but then I preferred to save tyres for the last part of the race. I thought I was doing a good job with that, but during the last laps, when I wanted to push, I realised that they were worse than I expected, especially the front. Maybe if we were not behind all the other riders and I chose to push at the front of the field, we would have had a better race, but anyway, we will learn from this one and focus on the next race.”

#95 COLLIN VEIJER

“During the race, I tried to feel good during every lap. After Lap 10 I found a stable position in 20th. It’s not what we’re aiming for, but for the moment, considering the injury and those 5 weeks out, it was always going to be a little bit difficult. We suffered a lot during the last five laps, but that’s normal. I’m happy overall with this comeback weekend. It was not an easy one, because the track is quite physical and the temperatures are very high here, but overall our feeling was really good. We need to improve in Qualifying and to focus more on my riding. I want to thank everyone who believes in me and who has helped me to come back faster.”

The Italian GP polesitter earns his second consecutive podium, with Rueda extending his lead in the overall standings.

Alvaro Carpe took his third podium of the season at the Italian Grand Prix, in a close race that saw him miss out on a first win by just 0.006. Jose Antonio Rueda battled in a large group and placed fourth, 0.102s off the top spot, and continues to lead the way in the Moto3 standings.

Carpe had started from Pole Position at Mugello, and led the field heading into the San Donato corner. After taking the holeshot, he would be overtaken at the end of the straight by some seven riders, who made the most of his slipstream. He regained the lead on the second lap, although the group of 21 riders behind him remained intact. In the second section of the race, several crashes narrowed the field, leaving it at twelve, and Carpe held onto the lead. However, the final lap offered a great fight between Carpe, Quiles and Foggia. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider managed to squeeze in between them, taking second place, just 0.006s away from his first World Championship win. With his second place, Carpe achieved his second consecutive podium finish and his third rostrum of the season. Not only is he currently the series’ top rookie, but also now finds himself in third place in the overall standings with 105 points, one point off second place.

Rueda also got off to a good start, from second on the grid but like his teammate, he was unable to hold off several rivals at the end of the straight. From then on, the Moto3 World Championship leader refused to give up on trying to head the field during the first section of the race. A crash involving other riders in the middle of the pack and several overtakes dropped Rueda to 15th, forcing him to fight back on the final laps. He was able to reconnect with the frontrunners, gradually recovering several positions until he moved into the Top 6. On the final lap, and after several risky but well-executed overtakes, he came home in fourth place. Rueda now increases his points tally to 162, and his advantage over his nearest rival to 56.

The ninth Grand Prix of the season closes at Mugello to make way for the tenth. However, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 team ends another weekend with another podium finish, their ninth of the season, to consolidate their lead in the overall team standings with 267 points and a 106-point advantage. They now move on to Assen and the Dutch Grand Prix, which will take place from June 27-29th, to close the first double-header of the season.

Race Results
1. Maximo Quiles (KTM) | 33:17.697
2. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +0.006
3. Dennis Foggia (KTM) | +0.066
4. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +0.102
5. David Muñoz (KTM) | +0.212

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2025
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 162 points
2. Angel Piqueras (KTM) | 106 points
3. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | 105 points
4. Joel Kelso (KTM) | 93 points
5. Maximo Quiles (KTM) | 85 points

Moto3 Teams World Championship Standing 2025
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo | 267 points
2. FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI | 161 points 
3. Level UP MTA | 140 points
4. CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team | 134 points
5. Leopard Racing | 117 points

NIKLAS AJO – Team Manager

“Overall, we had another very good weekend. Both riders found their rhythm from the first Practice and we made all the correct choices with the bike setup. Both riders were also very strong during Qualifying, and taking first and second was a very good result for the team yesterday. Of course, Mugello is a special place in terms of the slipstream and the big groups, but to be honest, overall we can be very happy. Alvaro had a great race, fighting for the victory from the first lap, and was very close to achieving it in the last moment, and Jose Antonio made a great comeback during the last lap. He finished strongly and was very near to the podium, and with this result we are further clear of second position in the championship. Alvaro is only one point behind second place too, so we’ll try to continue in this same way next week at Assen.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We managed the race well, despite the difficulty. There were a lot of riders close together, the group was very large, and the slipstream was hugely decisive. I think we ended the weekend very positively; it’s a shame we missed out on the podium by a few thousandths of a second. On the last lap, there was a slight slowdown at the front, and that limited our comeback a bit, as we lost speed, but we finished close to the rostrum and with a good feeling, which is the most important thing. We got this track out of the way, which is surely the most dangerous in terms of how tight the field is, and we’re also more leaders, so the overall assessment is very positive. I want to thank the team for all the work they’ve done and hope to continue like this next weekend.”

#83 ALVARO CARPE

“We were very close to winning today. I had a small scare on the last corner, and I think that hindered us a bit in our ability to take the win. The race was fun, and we did a great job, trying to stay among the front positions at all times. The group was very large, and several riders were constantly passing me at the end of the straight, but it was vital to be well positioned to avoid problems. I thought a lot about how to approach the final laps, and that’s an important aspect, so we will continue to improve and learn. Our position can be improved, but the work we’ve done has been impeccable, so we have to keep going and wait for our moment to arrive.”