Ajo Motorsport is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racing team, currently competing in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes under the name Red Bull KTM Ajo. The team's founder and principal is former racer Aki Ajo. His son, former racer Niklas Ajo, is also involved in the team as crew chief and race engineer in the Moto3 programme.
The team's debut at a world championship race was at Sachsenring in 2001, where the team entered Mika Kallio as a wildcard rider. The team and Kallio also took part in the competition in Valencia later in the year. The team's bikes were labelled with the Honda brand name, even though the engines were supplied by Ajo. The year 2002 was the first season in which Ajo was a regular competitor in the World Championship, with Kallio as their main rider. Their best result that season was fifth place in Jerez, and Kallio was named "Rookie of the Year", beating riders such as Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo.
In 2003, the team expanded to two bikes, with Kallio being joined by the Japanese competitor Masao Azuma. Kallio then left the team in August after receiving an offer from KTM. He was replaced by Andrea Ballerini. In Australia, the team achieved a 1–2 victory, with Ballerini in first place and Azuma in second. Ajo attributed a large portion of their success to the combination of wet conditions and Bridgestone tyres, which are optimal for damp weather. For the 2004 season, the team had two new riders in Lukáš Pešek and Danish Robbin Harms. The season was a disappointing one for Ajo, as Pešek crashed repeatedly and as Harms suffered several injuries. Pešek moved to the Derbi team for the next season.
Japanese Tomoyoshi Koyama and French Alexis Masbou were Ajo's riders in the 2005 season. Koyama won the "Rookie of the Year" title, the team's second in four years. His best results were second place in Australia and third in Turkey; in overall standings he held eighth place. The team kept the same riders for the following year but obtained new bikes from Malaguti. Both riders suffered many injuries which affected their season. Masbou was only able to ride eight races and did not score any points. Koyama's best result was sixth in Estoril, and he ended in 15th place in the championship standings. In 2007, the team raced with Derbi bikes, driven by Michael Ranseder and Robert Mureșan. Ranseder finished in the points 13 times, while Mureșan failed to score.
Ajo Motorsport continued with Derbi for the 2008 season, with Mike Di Meglio and Dominique Aegerter as their riders. Di Meglio won four races (France, Catalonia, Germany and Australia) and clinched the world championship in Australia, two races before the end of the season. Aegerter finished eighth twice. Sandro Cortese accompanied Dominique Aegerter in 2009. The team scored several podiums this season but did not manage to win any races. In the 2010 season, Ajo Motorsport fielded Marc Márquez, Sandro Cortese and Adrián Martín. The season was a big success for the team. Márquez scored twelve poles and ten victories, and brought the team its second title in three years.
Five riders across two teams were run by Ajo for the 2011 season with the Avant-AirAsia-Ajo team remaining with the Derbi and the Red Bull Ajo Motorsport on Aprilias. Despite missing out on winning the championship, future Moto2 champion Johann Zarco finished second with a run of podiums and a win in Japan on the Derbi. On the Aprilia was future Moto3 champion Danny Kent, and Jonas Folger who also bought the team a podium and a win at the British GP.
The year 2012 was the championship move from 125cc to Moto3 and the team went with the KTM. The season was a full return to form with Sandro Cortese winning the championship with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team taking five wins and nine podiums. Danny Kent also took fourth with consistent point scoring and two wins.
The 2013 season saw Ajo cut back to a single team fielding three riders, and with two wildcards in Malaysia. Luis Salom joined the team to replace the departing Cortese and Kent. Salom managed seven wins and five podiums but this only got him a third overall.
Ajo expanded greatly for 2014 fielding four teams with five full time riders and two wildcards. Jack Miller joined and took second overall missing out on first by only two points. Ajo also took on Husqvarna as a make with the team's founder Aki's son, Niklas, Danny Kent making a return riding them.
The year 2015 saw the Moto3 teams take a cut but expansion into the Moto2 class. The team's entry into Moto2 was spectacular with Johann Zarco rejoining the team and winning the championship taking eight victories, six podiums, and finishing every other race in the points. The Moto3 effort saw another strong season with Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira joining the team and taking sixth and second respectively in the championship. Bo Bendsneyder also joined for Moto3 to replace the departing Oliveira.
The year 2016 was another excellent season with Zarco winning his second Moto2 championship, and Binder winning the Moto3 championship.
A season of contrasts came in 2017 with Binder and Oliveira joining the Moto2 effort taking 8th and 3rd respectively. They saw three wins and seven podiums between them. The Moto3 team retained Bendsneyder and had Niccolo Antonelli join, and Kent return for two wildcards, however, the season was a disappointment with Bendsneyder being the highest finisher in only 15th.
The year 2018 mirrored the previous season. Binder and Oliveira continued to perform well in Moto2 ultimately taking third and second in the championship with another six wins and eight podiums to their combined tally. Darryn Binder was the only full time Moto3 rider taking 17th with 57 points. Wildcards Raúl Fernández and Can Öncü saw respectable results with a ninth and a win resulting in placements of 28th and 24th overall.
Another near miss came in 2019 with Binder taking second overall by three points. Jorge Martín replaced Oliveira. Can Öncü became a full time rider but could not replicate his previous success managing only eight points across the season. Can's twin brother Deniz Öncü also rode at six events. Ajo also expanded into the MotoE championship and started strong with rider Niki Tuuli winning the opening round but not being able to replicate the success and the Jerez fire putting a stop to the MotoE season.
The shortened 2020 season saw a low for Ajo with no riders managing to finish in the top 3 overall in any class. Tetsuta Nagashima started Moto2 well with a win and scored points across the season to take eighth, and Martín taking two wins and four podiums for fifth. Moto3 saw Raúl Fernández take two wins and two thirds to manage a fourth overall. In the MotoE championship, Niki Tuuli finished the season with a third and a win for sixth overall.
A resounding return to success came in 2021. Fernández was promoted to Moto2 and joined by seasoned Moto2 rider Remy Gardner. Gardner took the championship by four points from rookie Fernández after a season long battle with both taking multiple wins and podiums. The Moto3 team consisted of Jaume Masià and rookie Pedro Acosta. Masià had a reasonable season with two wins and four podiums but Acosta took the championship by storm with six wins and two podiums to make him the second youngest championship winner ever. The team remained in the MotoE class with Hikari Okubo taking 11th overall.
The year 2022 was another strong season for Ajo. Pedro Acosta was promoted to Moto2 and had a strong first season with three wins and two seconds taking him to fifth overall. He was joined by Augusto Fernández whose four wins and five podiums gave him the championship. Masià remained with the team and despite two wins and regular podiums and points only managed sixth. He was joined by Daniel Holgado. Hikari Okubo remained with the team in MotoE and his season long point scoring resulted in a sixth overall.
Mika Kallio is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer, currently serving as the lead test and development rider for the Red Bull KTM team in MotoGP. He debuted in the 125cc World Championship with the Finnish rookie team Ajo Motorsport in the 2001 German Grand Prix and was awarded the "Rookie of the Year" with the team in 2002. After moving to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team during the 2003 season, he finished runner-up in the 125cc class in both 2005 and 2006, and also finished runner-up in the 2014 Moto2 World Championship. Moving up to MotoGP full-time for 2009 and 2010, he obtained the "Rookie of the Year" award in his first season in the premier class.
Alessandro "Sandro" Cortese is a retired German motorcycle racer, who last competed in 2020 World Superbike Championship for Team Pedercini. Cortese won his first world title in the Moto3 class, in 2012, and his second in the Supersport World Championship, in 2018. He lives in Berkheim, Germany.
Miguel Ângelo Falcão de Oliveira is a Portuguese professional motorcycle racer who competes in the MotoGP World Championship for Trackhouse Racing, getting the step up from KTM Tech3, a satellite team, for whom he secured both the team's, and his, first and second win.
Niccolò Antonelli is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer set to compete in the 2023 FIM CEV Moto2 European Championship for Team MMR. He most recently competed in the 2022 Moto2 World Championship, riding for Mooney VR46 Racing Team. Antonelli won the Italian 125GP Championship in 2011.
Brad Binder is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He is most-known for winning the 2016 Moto3 World Championship. In November 2019 he was confirmed as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider in MotoGP class for the 2020 season, replacing Johann Zarco who had abandoned his factory ride earlier during that year.
The 2016 FIM Moto2 World Championship was a part of the 68th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The season was marred by the death of Luis Salom during a free practice session, at the Catalan Grand Prix.
The 2016 FIM Moto3 World Championship was a part of the 68th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Danny Kent was the reigning series champion but did not defend his title as he joined the series' intermediate class, Moto2.
Bo Bendsneyder is a Dutch motorcycle racer. He was the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion in 2015.
Remy Christopher Gardner is an Australian motorcycle racer, best known for winning the 2021 Moto2 World Championship with Red Bull KTM Ajo. He is the son of 1987 premier class world champion, Wayne Gardner.
The KTM RC16 is a prototype grand prix racing motorcycle which was developed to race in the MotoGP series by KTM, starting from the 2017 season.
The 2017 FIM Moto2 World Championship was a part of the 69th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Iker Lecuona Gascón is a Spanish motorcycle racer, who competes in the Superbike World Championship for Honda Racing Corporation, on a CBR1000RR-R. He spent two seasons in MotoGP, from 2020 to 2021 with KTM Tech3.
Raúl Fernández González is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing in the MotoGP World Championship with Trackhouse Racing. His younger brother, Adrián, is also a motorcycle racer. They are not related to MotoGP rider Augusto Fernández. He was 2018 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Champion.
The 2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 71st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is the factory team of KTM active in the MotoGP World Championship supported by sponsor, drinks manufacturer Red Bull.
The 2019 FIM Moto2 World Championship was a part of the 71st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Francesco Bagnaia was the reigning series champion but he was unable to defend his title as he joined the series' premier class, the MotoGP.
Pedro Acosta Sánchez is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing in MotoGP for the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 team. Acosta took his maiden win in only his second Moto3 race at the 2021 Doha motorcycle Grand Prix after starting from the pitlane for irresponsible riding in free practice. In the same season, he won the 2021 Moto3 World Championship becoming the first rookie champion since Loris Capirossi in 1990, and the second youngest ever champion, just one day older than Capirossi was at the time of winning. In 2023, Acosta won the Moto2 world championship with 2 races to go. Acosta is also a champion of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, having won the title in 2020.
The 2022 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix was the eighth round of the 2022 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and the third round of the 2022 MotoE World Cup. All races were held at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in Scarperia e San Piero on 29 May 2022. The Grand Prix saw the retirement of Valentino Rossi's racing number 46 in the MotoGP class.
The 2022 British motorcycle Grand Prix was the twelfth round of the 2022 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It was held at the Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone on 7 August 2022.
The 2022 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix was the thirteenth round of the 2022 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and the fifth round of the 2022 MotoE World Cup. All races were held at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on 21 August 2022.
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