Deniz Öncü finishes 19th, with Celestino Vietti crashing out late on.

The Catalan Grand Prix did not end as the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders had hoped. Celestino Vietti suffered a crash while fighting for the Top 5, while Deniz Öncü finished in 19th place in Barcelona.

Vietti started from the front row of the grid for the first time this season at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya. The Italian lost some positions at the start, although he remained in the front group, in fourth. High temperatures and tyre management affected the race, in which Vietti tried to maintain a consistent pace and reduce the gap to his rivals. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider felt comfortable and had no discomfort in his previously injured shoulder, and continued fighting in seventh position. Unfortunately, a crash at Turn 10 late on deprived him of his best result of the season to date.

Öncü had to face a challenging race from far back on the grid, but he felt very comfortable and was able to gain positions quickly. After just 6 laps he had already climbed 10 places and, with the points in his sights, maintained a good pace to close in on his rivals. After the first half of the race, the Turkish rider was handed a long lap penalty for exceeding the track limits, dropping him to twentieth -his final position. However, following the disqualification of another driver after the race, Deniz’s definitive position was 19th.

The next round of the season, the Italian Grand Prix, takes place next weekend at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“We had some positive moments this weekend in Moto2. Unfortunately the race was not good for us, as Celestino had a technical problem that caused his crash, after a strong qualifying session and a good beginning to the race. I have to say that Deniz was also doing a really good job at the beginning of the race but unfortunately, he touched the track limits too much and he received the long lap penalty. In any case, this weekend brought us more information about our package and we are really looking forward to being even stronger at Mugello.”

#13 CELESTINO VIETTI

“At the beginning of the race I felt quite good. We were not the fastest we could be, because we can always improve, but we were fast and we tried to catch the leaders. But there was contact early on in the race and we lost some positions. From there we remained calm and tried to close the gap with the frontrunners, and we tried to manage the tyres as best as possible. Unfortunately, late on I lost the front at Turn 10 and I crashed. I am so sorry for the team. It’s something that we need to understand and continue working and learning by doing more laps. We missed out on some laps due to my injury, so we will try our best to improve and move forward at Mugello.”

#53 DENIZ ÖNCÜ

“Today I had a really good race until the long lap penalty. I was doing a really good job, passing some riders and getting closer and closer to the front group. I was really enjoying myself on the bike and I was catching the riders at the front, so that’s very positive and I am very happy. When I got the penalty, I just lost too much time and I was struggling to get back into the mix. At the end of the race I had to manage the tyres a lot, because I was suffering from a lot of sliding. But I gained experience today and we keep on learning. I am motivated for the next round at Mugello.”

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider finished in third position at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya, with Xabi Zurutuza nineteenth.

The Catalan Grand Prix concluded with an exciting Moto3 race. Jose Antonio Rueda finished third after a great last lap, whilst Xabi Zurutuza made up positions to place 19th.

Rueda started from the front row for the fifth time this season. From the get-go, he was involved in a tussle that saw him lose some positions, although he remained in the leading group. Rueda fought with his rivals until taking third position past the halfway mark. High temperatures required good tyre management for the final stretch, and the Spaniard was still in the Top 5 as he went on to put in some outstanding final laps, closing the gap and improving his chances of reaching the podium. In an intelligent last lap strategy, Rueda took third, repeating his result from last year and achieving his second rostrum of the season.

Zurutuza, who started from 23rd, focused on maintaining a consistent pace and trying to make up positions. The rookie felt very comfortable with his bike and quickly began to climb positions and get closer to the Top 15. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider, who improved noticeably throughout the weekend, completed a solid race, although he lost some places in the final stretch. Zurutuza took the chequered flag in 19th, with a positive feeling ahead of the trip to Italy next weekend.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo will travel this week for the Italian Grand Prix, held from May 31st to June 2nd.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“We are very happy about Jose Antonio’s podium today. The whole weekend has been good for us and in the race he was doing a good job, and especially at the end he was very fast. If we could have fought a little bit more in the middle of the race for the top positions, I think we maybe would have had the possibility to place higher in the end. We need to be happy about this podium after his health problems as of late. We are looking forward to what is to come because he can do really well in the next few races as well. Xabi once again a weekend of learning. He has done a solid job, and when we are improving weekend by weekend that’s really positive for us.”

#99 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA

“At first it was a bit crazy because no one wanted to push, as it was a very long race and with the new Pirelli tyres we didn’t know how they were going to go. Since the start of the race there was a lot of overtaking. In the end Alonso gave his all and managed to break up the group, leaving only 4 riders at the front. I had contact from another rider and I dropped back a little, but I pushed very hard to get to the front again. I knew it was tough, and in order to fight for victory I would have needed a couple more laps. I’m very happy with this podium. I want to thank the entire team, who do a very good job every weekend, and my family.”

#85 XABI ZURUTUZA

“It was a race in which I at least had a lot of fun. We started from very far back, and at the beginning of the race it was crazy trying to overtake people. Then we got into a group in which I felt quite comfortable, and I tried to improve my pace and my feeling with Mugello and the coming races in mind. It has been a fairly productive race, even though the result was not what I would have liked. Now we have our sights set on Mugello.”