31.03.2025

Bastianini rallies to MotoGP™ top seven at COTA for Americas Grand Prix as Rueda wins in Moto3™ again

MotoGP 2025 - Round 03 of 22, Circuit of the Americas, USA – Race

Enea Bastianini 2025 MotoGP USA Sunday © KTM Images/Polarity Photo

This press release has: 20 Images

Enea Bastianini grabbed 9 points for a 7th position finish at a chaotic but exciting Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas today. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider steered his KTM RC16 to the top seven and his best result to-date, classifying seven places ahead of teammate Maverick Viñales (who had to start from pitlane) at a warm and changeable Circuit of the Americas for the 37th premier class Grand Prix on American soil. The KTM GP Academy picked up more silverware with Jose Antonio Rueda swooping to his second Moto3™ victory of the year with an all-KTM RC4 podium.

Enea Bastianini leads a determined charge and long path of progression to P7 after starting from 17th on the grid and after wet/dry conditions delay the race start
Maverick Viñales acquires two points after making Q2 entry on Friday and launching from the pitlane after suffering a stall on the grid upon returning from the warm-up lap
Pedro Acosta started 4th place on the grid but then crashes on entry to Turn 1 halfway through the GP and had to retire
Brad Binder powers through from the 16th slot on the start grid to vie for the top six but then stops with a technical issue with a third of the distance left
Jose Antonio Rueda continues to lead the Moto3 championship after his second win of the season and third consecutive podium appearance. Collin Veijer made the top ten for the first time in Moto2™

Thailand, Argentina and now the USA: MotoGP continued its transcontinental trek in 2025 and arrived at the vast expanses of the Circuit of the Americas where the 5.5km layout again promised a challenging and mixed allotment of 20 corners and varying cambers. After rain-hit sessions on Friday, qualification and the Sprint was run in dry and hot conditions but the climate twisted again on Sunday with a damp Moto2 race causing indecision for tire choice for MotoGP. The race was delayed as riders left the grid to make last minute changes and then Viñales had a glitch on the reformed line-up. He started from pitlane and had to blast back from last through the 19-lap distance.

Acosta, from P4, was into the heart of the leading group from the opening uphill Turn 1. The youngster forced some early moves but Turn 1 would be a fateful spot as the Spaniard slid out of contention. The race developed into a more strategic chase of pace and tire wear control while Binder made his customary lunge past other riders to make impressive ground. The South African was heading for the top six until a mechanical issue prematurely ended his chase. Viñales worked his way from last to 14th but Bastianini harnessed his tire potential to make inroads from P17 and rode solidly and steadily to arrive all the way to 7th: his best standing yet after 9th in Thailand and 17th in Argentina.

MotoGP will head east this week and will cross Europe to head to Qatar. The impressive and floodlit Lusail International Circuit is the host of round four in two weeks.

Enea Bastianini, 7th and 12th in the championship standings: “I’m happy with my race. It’s been the best one so far this season but also for my feeling on the bike. I was riding well and it was the first time I felt like one package with the bike. We had made improvements, and the front end was working better after we changed the balance. We need to check this now for the next race.”

Maverick Viñales, 14th and 17th in the championship standings:“A lot of things happened but I’m happy because we improved the feeling and the rhythm was good. My plan was to start the race and come in and change the bike with dry tires but then everyone left the grid, there was a red flag and we had the chance. Unfortunately, the bike then stopped when we came around again and I was in the pitlane. Anyway, from there it was good!I think we had the level for the top five. We need to keep believing and Qatar is a nice track. I think we can do it.”

Brad Binder, DNF and 11th in the championship standings: “A chaotic start! Nobody knew what was going on but when the race did start I got away really well and fought with the guys earlier on. I took my time to see where I could push with the wet patches on the track and after about half-race distance I felt I could push-on. I moved up another position but then we had an electrical issue and had to stop. Really unfortunately because we would have been guaranteed a top five. But, anyway, from yesterday to today we made an important step forward and the bike was a lot more how I wanted it, so hats-off to my team.”

Pedro Acosta, DNF and 13th in the championship standings: “Difficult to understand. I had a lot of front locking and we don’t know why. Quite tough and strange. The bike was working better until we had this problem. It is what it is. We need to try and understand what was happening and be stronger next time.”

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Our performance today was bit better than yesterday here at COTA: we cannot be happy with the final results or what happened but it hides some of the progress we are making. We have to examine why Pedro was struggling in what were difficult conditions between the dry of warm-up, the rain of the Sighting Lap and then a drying track that cause the race delay. On the other side of the box, Brad had much more feedback from his bike after some changes to the setting and this was more positive and we want to see how it will work in Qatar. We should have made the top five with him. It’s good to see that both Maverick and Enea are also making forward steps in their performance: Maverick in Q2 and showing a strong pace and Enea again really strong in the race. We’re in the right direction.”

Grand Prix of Americas photographs can be found HERE

Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Americas

1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati 39:00.191

2. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati +2.089

3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) Ducati +3.594

7. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +12.815

14. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3 +42.724

DNF. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

DNF. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

World Championship standings MotoGP

1. Alex Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 87 points

2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 86

3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 75

11. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 19

12. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 16

13. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 16

17. Maverick Viñales (ESP) Red Bull KTM Tech3, 6

KTM GP Academy

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s shimmering start to 2025 extended into round three of the campaign. Series leader Jose Antonio Rueda gunned his KTM RC4 close to the peak of the Moto3 pack and a group that extended to six riders and included teammate and rookie Alvaro Carpe. The Spaniards took turns to make passes, hold slipstreams and keep their positions. Rueda made an early break and established a two-second lead by lap five. From there #99 massaged the cushion and celebrated the first view of the checkered flag for the second time this term, complimenting his success at the season-opening Thai Grand Prix. Carpe classified a steady 6th.

The grand prix winner now tops the standings by 24 points with Carpe in 5th place. KTM are also P1 in the Constructors table

Red Bull KTM Tech3 also made their presence felt in the Moto3 dispute. 2025 rookie Valentin Perrone tackled COTA for the first time and kept pace to touch the edge of the top ten until a fast crash into Turn 6 with five laps to go. The Argentine had Jacob Roulstone in the pitbox this weekend for the Aussie’s maiden outing this term after recovering from off-season injury. Roulstone, missing valuable track time, but still managed to race to 14th and collect two points.

Jose Antonio Rueda: “I’m really happy to have been able to make the break and stay at the front. Last year I could not race here because of an appendicitis just before the GP so I’m very happy to come back and to win again. Thanks to the team for all their work: we have pushed a lot to be in this position.”

Moto2 rounded COTA for two more laps but a rain shower prior to the start caused official ‘wet race’ status. Red Bull KTM Ajo pairing Deniz Öncü and Collin Veijer were aiming for points and improved speed. Öncü wanted to better his first taste of the American circuit in 2024 when he crossed the line in 22nd place; the Turk was initially able to slither into the top ten to contest 8th position but tumbled out of the race with four laps to go. Veijer is the rookie for the team in the intermediate class this year and the Dutchman is still accumulating important mileage and experience on the larger machine after his star turns in Moto3 in 2023 and 2024. Veijer passed the flag in 10th in Austin for his first points in the class and a ‘personal best’ to-date.

Results Moto3 Grand Prix of Americas

1. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo 31:23.456

2. Joel Kelso (AUS), KTM +2.399

3. Matteo Bertelle (ITA) KTM +4.200

5. Maximo Quiles (ESP) CFMOTO Aspar Team +5.522

6. Alvaro Carpe (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +7.309

7. Dennis Foggia (ITA) CFMOTO Aspar Team +21.815

14. Jacob Roulstone (AUS), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +25.592

DNF. Valentin Perrone (ARG) Red Bull KTM Tech3

World Championship standings Moto3

1. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo 66 points

2. Angel Piqueras (ESP), KTM, 42