Acosta closes on MotoGP™ podium potential with 4th place in Aragon as Öncü wins in Moto2™
Pedro Acosta scorched to a P4 finish at a steaming MotorLand Aragon today for the eighth round of 2025 MotoGP. The Spaniard blazed around the slick asphalt in eastern Spain for the Grand Prix of Aragon and for his second top five result of the season. The event was also notable for Alvaro Carpe claiming 3rd in the Moto3™ outing and Deniz Öncü’s amazing Moto2 success.
- Pedro Acosta is again the reference for the Red Bull KTM quartet and pursues a podium finish before sealing 4th at MotorLand
- Maverick Viñales shows formidable rhythm but has a late rare tumble out of Turn 14
- Enea Bastianini takes 12th as Brad Binder starts from the second row and holds a steady 5th until sliding out mid-race
- More plaudits for the reference-making speed of Red Bull KTM Ajo in Moto3 with Alvaro Carpe back on the podium in 3rd place as Deniz Öncü celebrates a first Moto2 win after a thrilling photo finish
Some progress, performance and points: the Grand Prix of Aragon was another beneficial episode for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 teams as the squads build their competitiveness to suit different circuits and different conditions. The race lasted for 23-laps, took place in hot summer temperatures and in front of 50,062 spectators around the 5km greasy track.
The South African made a better getaway from P6 for the Grand Prix and Pedro Acosta (P5) was also in the mix at the front. Maverick Viñales (P8) had to rally back from 12th on the first lap and Enea Bastianini had to recover ground starting from P17. The long distance was an exercise in grip management and tire preservation. Acosta and Binder hovered in the top five and with a close view of 2nd and 3rd until Brad crashed on lap 12. Pedro continued and went on to equal his season-best classification, achieved at Le Mans. Bastianini managed points with 12th.
Viñales had to chart a steady path back from 12th on the first lap. The Spaniard made some calculated passes and used his positive feeling to cut through to 8th but then spiraled out of the turning/braking phase into Turn 15 in the closing laps. He was able to recover the bike and ended the day 18th.
All four riders and the two teams will circulate MotorLand again on Monday for the second official one-day test of the season. MotoGP will next attack the Grand Prix of Italy in two weeks’ time. The date at Mugello will open a busy spell of four rounds in five weeks with trips to the Netherlands, Germany and Czech Republic to follow.
Pedro Acosta, 4th and 8th in the championship standings: “Taking the hard front tire was the right choice. I’m a guy that needs the front tire to go faster and yesterday it was a handicap. Today it was fantastic. We didn’t have the speed for the top three; it was a battle we would have lost but I really enjoyed the first five laps. We were losing a bit into the entry of the corners – we need traction and turning - but this was the race where we had a smaller gap to the winner. This is a positive.”
Enea Bastianini, 12th and 15th in the championship standings: “Not too satisfied with the feeling. It was the same as yesterday’s race but one good thing is that I was faster in the cooler conditions this morning and this is something the team can check. I had some vibration in the afternoon and it was a limitation when you need to fight because you need to be aggressive on corner entry. A difficult race. It’s good we have the test tomorrow. I think I will be one of the first out and last to go in!”
Maverick Viñales, 18th and 11th in the championship standings: “I don’t know how I crashed. It was so smooth, I didn’t feel it. I was braking on the same marks and speed. I just got sucked by the slipstream of Joan [Mir] and lost the front. A shame. I think we lost the GP due to the issue with the two qualifying tires on Saturday morning because there was huge potential again today to be on the podium. I was riding in low 1min 47s quite easily. I was hit at the start and lost four-five position on the first lap. This is racing though, and the next GP something like that can fall your way. I told the team: we need to be on the first two rows, and we need to change it for that key fast lap. Once we have the medium tires [for the race] then the bike is really on-point.”
Brad Binder, DNF and 14th in the championship standings: “Today started well: no spin, I felt normal and everything was going to plan. But then I lost the front into Turn 3. I thought ‘what the hell happened?’ I later saw the data and I had less speed, less brake and less pressure on the tire. It’s tricky because every time I gain some confidence with the front end it tends to give up on me! I need to take the positives from the weekend and I was able to take what I needed from the bike: every time I needed a quick lap I was able to be in the mix. If we can hold the performance from this weekend going forwards then things can only get better.”
Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “This weekend in Aragon has been really positive for us because, from Friday, our riders had the performance to chase the top positions right up until the critical point: today. Unfortunately, Brad and Maverick had crashes but Pedro provided the highlight with the 4th position. Generally, the project is going forwards and the progress has been clear to see over the last month. We now have an important few weeks ahead with five riders on track tomorrow and the test team also in action in Barcelona shortly. We’ll then hope for more in Mugello.”
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati 41:11.195
2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati +1.107
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +2.029
4. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +7.657
12. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +24.624
18. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1:26.319
DNF. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
World Championship standings MotoGP
1. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 233 points
2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 201
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 140
8. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 76
11. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 48
14. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 35
15. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 35
KTM GP Academy
Partisan fans waited for the ‘Jose Antonio Rueda Show’ Sunday morning at MotorLand and the Moto3 championship leader lunged into the 17-lap race from Pole Position (his third of the season). Rueda had marked the pace with his KTM RC4 through Friday and Saturday but he was not entirely alone. Teammate Alvaro Carpe qualified a strong 4th and Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Jacob Roulstone was also in the groove with P6 on the grid: his best Saturday ranking yet. Rookie Valentin Perrone was on the fifth row.
The Moto3 front-running pack consisted of eleven hungry racers eying silverware. Rueda established a clear view of the track from the first lap until the twelfth when he took a more strategic approach and had to conserve his tires. Carpe was also in the midst while Roulstone had a technical issue and pulled out of the running. Jose Antonio later ran wide into Turn 1 on the last lap and that limited him to 8th place. Carpe picked his gaps and did well to capture the final step of the podium. The recently turned 18-year-old picked up his second trophy of the year in his debut term. Perrone grabbed points for 13th.
Rueda tops the Moto3 table by a margin of 52 points; more than two Grands Prix. Carpe is 4th. Red Bull KTM Ajo maintain their status as the best team in the championship (by 88 points) and KTM remain as the lead Constructor.
Alvaro Carpe: “This podium is very important to me. We’ve been working so much to improve the setting on the bike with the team and with my Crew Chief. This was the gift for all that work. It was also my birthday on Thursday! I’m very happy. It was a difficult race to manage the tires and the group was bigger than I thought. In the last three laps I could move forward and overtake some others. Thanks to the team for the incredible job.”
Deniz Öncü shimmered with potential at the top of the Moto2 sessions through Friday and then a decent qualification performance on Saturday to earn a spot on the front row of the grid. Öncü has good previous form in Aragon thanks to podium trophies in Moto3 and his first as a member of the intermediate class in 2024. The Red Bull KTM Ajo man leapt into the lead and then had to ride with more restraint to stretch the Pirelli tire life the full 19-laps. His tense duel with Diogo Moreira in the last two laps went down to a drag race out of the final corner and Öncü became the first Turkish Moto2 winner by the closest margin ever: 0.003 of a second. It was also his second visit to the rostrum in 2025 and the 25 points elevates him to 7th in the series in his second year. Collin Veijer’s vacant saddle was occupied by promising European Championship Moto2 rider Dani Muñoz at MotorLand. The Spaniard qualified on the fifth row and then sealed the last point in 15th.
Deniz Öncü: “This is how we do it! A very nice race. I tried to manage the tires but in the last eight laps I knew I needed to push. I also knew I was stronger in the final corner…but I’d finished the grip! I had to try. When the doors were closed I thought ‘what do I have to lose? I’m 2nd, just push and try the outside.’ I’m really happy. The last two GPs were hard and my team is working good. Thanks to all the people behind me. It’s not easy to win here but we made it. We’re back.”
The sixth race of the 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup was clinched by championship leader Hakim Danish by less than two tenths of a second from next nearest challenger (and winner of the fifth outing of the season on Saturday) Brian Uriarte. The series provided plenty of entertainment during the first race of the day at MotorLand with nine riders jostling for the checkered flag. Thai youngster Danish has a 30-point cushion in the standings with the next fixture coming in Italy, followed by dates in Germany, Austria and San Marino this summer.
Results Moto3 Grand Prix of Aragon
1. David Muñoz (ESP), KTM 33:33.745
2. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team +0.050
3. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.381
8. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.860
13. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +6.581
15. Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Aspar Team +15.449
DNF. Jacob Roulstone (AUS), Red Bull KTM Tech3
World Championship standings Moto3
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo 149 points
2. Angel Piqueras (ESP), KTM, 97
3. Joel Kelso (AUS) KTM, 86
4. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 85
8. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 60
13. Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 33
16. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 27
20. Jacob Roulstone (ESP), Red Bull KTM Tech3, 17
Results Moto2 Grand Prix of Aragon
1. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo 35:12.600
2. Diogo Moreira (BRA) +0.003
3. Barry Baltus (BEL) +1.949
15. Dani Muñoz (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +17.601
DNF. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team
DNF. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team
World Championship standings Moto2
1. Manuel Gonzalez (ESP), 118 points
2. Aron Canet (ESP), 118
3. Diogo Moreira (GBRA), 90
7. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 62
13. Daniel Holgado (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 36
15. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO Aspar Team, 28
19. Collin Veijer (NED) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 11
