Mike Di Meglio, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Sandro Cortese, Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) are the names that occupy the impressive list of World Champions who have beaten the elite thanks to a helping hand from Aki Ajo. By the looks of it, we could be adding some more names to that list very soon.
2021 couldn’t have started any better for the experienced Red Bull KTM Ajo Team Manager, especially in the Moto3™ class. On his debut with the team, Jaume Masia jousted his way to a superb opening night victory, as the Spaniard looks set to have all the tools available to him to fight for the 2021 lightweight class title.
His teammate this season is Pedro Acosta. The 2020 Red Bull Rookies Cup winner notched up six victories on his way to the title last season, and made it a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 in the Moto3™ race on his Grand Prix debut despite starting P11. The Masia-Acosta double act is a very, very promising line-up for Aki Ajo and his team.
Soon after celebrating a 1-2 in the Moto3™ class, Aki Ajo and his team would have more reason to be pleased in the Moto2™ encounter. Nothing could be done about Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) winning the race, but Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) stormed his way through the pack from P6 on the grid to claim a commanding second place finish. Like Masia, Gardner has taken no time at all to feel at home in the team and is one of the favourites for the title.
It’s experience alongside youth in both the Moto3™ and Moto2™ garages for Aki Ajo. In the intermediate class, Raul Fernandez has taken to Moto2™ like a duck to water. Kalex engineers have said that Fernandez is looking like he’s been riding the Triumph for years. And after qualifying second for his debut race, a fifth place finish is more than an excellent job from the talented Spaniard, with next best rookie Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) claiming P11.
Repeating the success will, of course, not be easy for Aki Ajo’s men at the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha. But all four riders properly impressed last time out in Qatar, and the quartet look set for marvellous seasons in 2021.