Celestino Vietti completes the race tenth, with Marcel Schrötter eighteenth.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team competed in the Dutch TT race on Sunday at the legendary TT Circuit Assen. Celestino Vietti finished the day in bittersweet fashion after a small mistake that distanced him from the Top 5, crossing the finish line in tenth place. Marcel Schrötter went from strength to strength in his first race with the team, claiming 18th.

Vietti had enjoyed a good feeling throughout the weekend and, starting from tenth position, got off the line well. After the opening laps, Vietti recovered positions and tried to reach the Top 5, although a mistake caused him to go wide and drop to 14th. Vietti did not give up before this new situation and kept pushing until the last lap, coming home in tenth position, and earning further points.

Marcel Schrötter faced his first race with Red Bull KTM Ajo. The German rider made progress throughout the weekend and did his best to adapt to the team and the bike as quickly as possible. Schrötter was forced to start from near the back of the grid, but he approached the race with the determination to make a comeback and try to achieve the best possible result. The German Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider managed the tyres well from start to finish and was very consistent, moving up the order and crossing the finish line in 18th.

The German Grand Prix takes place from July 5-7th at Sachsenring.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“We need to be happy about Celestino’s weekend and his Top 10 finish here at Assen. We feel that we needed to perform better in some points during the weekend, but he has the speed and pace. He made a small mistake on the last chicane during the race and could not fight for the top positions. Marcel Schrötter faced a challenging weekend on his return to Moto2, He did really well and was very professional during the whole weekend. We expect to keep improving next weekend at Sachsenring.”

#32 MARCEL SCHRÖTTER

“I am satisfied with today’s performance. It’s a pity that on the first few laps we lost too much time with the group in front of me, because our pace was quite similar to theirs. It could have been better, but overall, we finished the race and we understood a lot about the bike and the tyres. It has been a solid weekend to get things underway, so I am quite happy. Thank you to everyone for supporting me and to the team. I can’t wait for next week and my home GP.”

#13 CELESTINO VIETTI

“I am a bit disappointed with myself because I made some mistakes on the last corner and I went into the gravel, so I lost a lot of time. My pace and feeling with the bike was good and I was able to get some positions back, but it was not enough. I want to apologise to the team and thank them for their great job.”

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider finished fourth, with his teammate in 19th position.

The Dutch TT came to an end this Sunday for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders. Jose Antonio Rueda disputed an intense race from start to finish and he opted for the podium until the last corners, crossing the finish line in fourth position. Xabi Zurutuza did not have the expected result, incurring two long lap penalties and finishing nineteenth.

Rueda, who started from the fourth row of the grid, made a good start that allowed him to stay in the front group. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider moved into the Top 5 in a very large group, with up to 13 riders all at a high pace together and with the aim of maintaining all his options until the end. On the closing laps, he dropped to tenth after an intense fight but Rueda was able to recover and use all his potential to reach the last corners with options pushing his way back up into third. Eyeing up the rostrum, contact with a rival ahead of the final chicane kept him in fourth.

Xabi Zurutuza was forced to make a comeback from the start after failing to make it out of Q1 yesterday. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider maintained his position in the early stages, concentrating on making up positions before taking the long lap penalty he received on Saturday. With the sanction completed, Zurutuza felt comfortable and increased the pace trying to reach the points zone. The Moto3 rookie continued to give his best, climbing positions and looking for the best possible result, but unfortunately he suffered another setback when he incurred a second long lap penalty for exceeding the track limits. He made one final effort and the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider finished the Dutch TT in nineteenth.

The Moto3 duo will compete in the next round at Sachsenring. The GermanGP takes place from July 6-7th.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“Rueda had a strong race. We are getting better and better after his surgery at the beginning of the season and he was very consistent during the race, fighting for the podium until the last corner. I believe we will be even stronger in the coming races, and that we will fight for the podium and also for the victory. He had a solid performance this weekend. Xabi was at another new track. He did well during the race, although the long lap did not allow him to fight for higher positions. Sachsenring will be a new track for him, but we expect to keep improving.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“We made a good start and on the first lap we were able to gain places. The group was very large because a lot of riders had gone with the soft tyre, but our choice of the hard compound was the correct one since it is the tyre we work best with. On the final laps we were in the fight until there was contact with another rider, which made me drop back a little. I fought until the end and it was a race where we learned a lot. Thank you very much to the team for their great job.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“It has been quite a productive weekend, in which we have learned many things. We have also improved our feeling with the bike. The race didn’t go as we expected and the two long lap penalties didn’t allow us to fight for better results, but we gave it everything and I felt very comfortable in the race. In a week’s time we will race in Germany, another new circuit for me, so I really want to continue learning and improving.”