Gardner takes second Moto2™ win in a row as Öncü claims first Moto3™ podium finish

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Remy Gardner owned the Moto2 class for the second time in a week at the seventh round of MotoGP for what was the second visit to Spain this season and in grey but warm conditions near the Catalan capital. Red Bull KTM Tech3’ Deniz Öncü earned his very first Moto3™ podium trophy with 3rd place.

  • Gardner extends Moto2 championship lead with sixth podium from seven races
  • Red Bull KTM Ajo go 1-2 with Raul Fernandez in 2nd for the third consecutive GP
  • Öncü 3rd after frantic Moto3 Grand Prix with less than a second covering the top ten riders
  • Acosta blasts back from 25th on the grid to 7th, just three tenths of a second from victory

 

Moto3

Deniz Öncü was the top KTM RC4 rider the Moto3 affair delivered some exciting moves and race action through 21 gripping laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The young Turk was moved up from 4th to 3rd a few minutes after the checkered flag when brand mate and Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Jaume Masia was demoted one position for exceeding track limits. Masia was only three places ahead of championship leader Pedro Acosta who rode superbly to force his way to the front of the pack despite starting from almost the last row of the grid. Unfortunately, Öncü’s teammate, Ayumu Sasaki, crashed out on Turn 8 on the final lap.

Acosta maintains a healthy lead in the points table with a margin of 39 over Sergio Garcia and with KTM filling 1st and 3rd positions.

Deniz Öncü: “I cannot believe I am on the podium! I cannot speak! Thank you to everyone who has helped me to get here: my father, my family and my team, this is amazing.”

 

Moto2

Red Bull KTM Ajo maintained a firm grip on the Moto2 division through the latter stages of Free Practice and then into qualification as Remy Gardner locked his second Pole Position of the season just ahead of Raul Fernandez. The Australian then sprinted free of his teammate during the latter phase race as the team were undisturbed at the front.

Gardner followed his first triumph of 2021 in Mugello last week with another confident display to make six rostrum appearances from a possible seven and to extend his championship lead over Fernandez – himself now owner of five trophies in his Moto2 rookie term – to 11 points.

Remy Gardner: “I thought I could fight for the victory but I wasn’t sure I could bring it home. I got through the first corner in the lead although I couldn’t pull away. The track conditions were not great. Raul passed me at half race distance and I decided to follow him for a few laps to study him. I saw him struggling a bit so decided to attack with three laps to go and pushed real hard from there on and managed to stay up!”

The Italian, Catalan, German and Dutch stint of the MotoGP calendar this month means the championship now heads to the Sachsenring on June 20th for round eight.

 

Results Moto3 Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya 2021

1. Sergio Garcia (ESP) GasGas 38:33.760

2. Jeremy Alcoba (ESP) Honda +0.015

3. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +0.118

4. Jaume Masia (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.079

5. Darryn Binder (RSA) Honda +0.125

7. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.380

DNF. Ayumu Sasaki (JPN) Red Bull KTM Tech3

 

Results Moto2 Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya 2021

1. Remy Gardner (AUS) Red Bull KTM Ajo 38:22.284

2. Raul Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.872

3. Xavi Vierge (ESP) +2.866