Red Bull KTM Tech3 completed a valuable day of Moto3 testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto today (28 April), with riders Valentín Perrone and Rico Salmela taking to the track to continue development work following the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
Jerez Moto3™ Test
Under favourable but often windy conditions, both riders were able to log consistent laps while working through an extensive testing programme focused on setup refinement and performance improvements.
Perrone completed a strong run plan, steadily improving his lap times while focusing on corner entry stability and race consistency. By the end of the day the Argentine had topped the timesheets with a 1’44.861.
On the other side of the garage, Salmela also made the most of the track time, concentrating on bike balance and rear grip, delivering the 7th quickest lap of the day with a 1’45.321.
Together with their crews, both riders worked methodically through setup changes, laying a solid foundation for the upcoming European rounds as the Moto3 season continues to intensify.
The Jerez test followed a hard-fought Grand Prix of Spain for Red Bull KTM Tech3, highlighted by a strong top ten finish for Perrone.
The Argentine delivered a determined and aggressive ride to secure seventh place at the flag, battling throughout the race in a tightly contested lead group. Showing resilience and race craft, he remained in the fight until the closing stages, ultimately coming away with valuable championship points after an intense Moto3 contest.
On the other side of the garage, Salmela continued his learning curve in the Moto3 category. The Finnish rookie focused on gaining experience and consistency at the demanding Jerez circuit, using the race as another key step in his development during his debut season. While outside the leading group, Salmela maintained a solid performance on his way to 15th and gathered important data to support his progress in the next rounds.
With important lessons learned from both the race weekend and the post-race test, Red Bull KTM Tech3 now turns its attention to its home race at Le Mans, aiming to convert progress into stronger results on track.
Valentin Perrone: "We’ve just finished the test here in Jerez. It went well, but at times there was too much wind, which made it difficult to be consistent and to know whether the changes were improvements or not. Overall, I do think we improved the bike slightly and, even with the wind, we were still able to be fast which is a positive. Also, riding on my own, I felt strong, so I’m happy with the test and the 52 laps we completed. I’m feeling confident and ready for Le Mans.”
Rico Salmela: "It was a positive test. We completed around 70 laps and tried a lot of new things, especially with the clutch and how I manage it myself. We made a good step there, which also improved my feeling under braking into corners - an area I’ve struggled with since the start of the season.
“I still need to work on consistency over long runs, but compared to last race weekend, the improvement in feeling is clear. Now we have a week in Spain to ‘rest,’ although I’ll be training hard to be as prepared as possible for Le Mans and arrive at 100%."
COMBINED SESSIONS RESULTS
1. Valentín Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +1'44.861
2. Álvaro Carpe (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, +0.019
3. Brian Uriarte (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, +0.042
7. Rico Salmela (FIN), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +0.460
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - D. Alonso (COL) - 1'43.710, 153.5 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2025 - J. Rueda (SPA) - 1'44.352, 152.5 km/h
Best Pole: 2024 - D. Alonso (COL) - 1'43.710, 153.5 km/h
Top Speed: 2026 - V. Pratama (INA) - 222.2 km/h
