Once again no way past KTM at San Marino Grand Prix

Spanish KTM rider Alex Rins on Sunday took his fourth win in the Moto3 GP World Championship on the Misano circuit in San Marino. Maverick Vinales was second and Alex Marquez completed the all-Spanish, all-KTM podium.

Championship leader, Red Bull KTM Ajo factory rider Luis Salom had a tough weekend at the Italian circuit, including a big crash in practice. He was in damage limitation mode and salvaged a well fought fourth place. Factory teammate Fahmi Khairuddin started fourth on the grid and had one of his strongest races this season to finished sixth, only losing a place to Australian Jack Miller in the final corners.

Pole man Jonas Folger of Germany led the opening stages on his Kalex-KTM but had a massive highside in lap three and was stretchered off the track. Early reports suggested he might have a leg injury.

With Folger out of the running it was Rins and Vinales who dominated the action at the front of the race setting up a real dogfight for the closing stages. They worked themselves into a substantial 5-6 second lead, with a lonely Marquez in third while Salom, Khairuddin, Miller and Manuel Oliviera fought it out in the following pack for fourth place.

KTM has now on the last 16 successive Moto3 races, the third third-longest sequence of successive GP wins in the lightweight class by one manufacturer. Another win can equal Honda’s second place of 17 consecutive wins between 1992 an 1993.

Salom, still riding with an injured heel continues to lead the championship points by 19 points and with home crowd support will be a strong contender for the next round at Aragon Spain on September 29.

Aki Ajo, manager of the Red Bull KTM Ajo Factory Team also announced at Misano that the team had signed Jack Miller for the 2014 season. He replaces Salom who moves up to Moto2 next season.

Aki Ajo: “We are very happy to have signed Jack Miller to ride for us next season. I think that everyone has seen that he is one of the biggest talents for the future in the World Championship. We are very proud to have Jack as one of Red Bull KTM Ajo’s riders for 2014.”

Source: KTM