After struggling to find the ideal set-up on Friday and Saturday, Valentín Perrone emerged from the Czech Grand Prix with a hard-fought tenth place after spending much of the ninth race of 2026 battling in a hectic nine-rider fight for seventh.
Grand Prix of Czechia
Team-mate Rico Salmela’s first visit to the track ended in heartbreak. Starting from the back of the grid due to a twelve-place grid penalty, the young Finn had fought his way up to the top ten before a crash while trying to avoid another rider ended his hopes on the final lap.
Practice
After the slow, technical Balaton Park Circuit two weeks ago, the wide, flowing Brno Circuit was a contrast for Red Bull KTM Tech3 to get used to on Friday.
In high track temperatures of 47 degrees, Salmela clicked with the undulating 4.5km layout just outside Czechia’s second-largest city even though he crashed at Turn 6 in FP1. Despite feeling some discomfort, he was able to sit ninth at the end of the afternoon. Perrone was a place behind in tenth despite not feeling fully comfortable with his bike.
Qualifying
The temperatures didn’t relent for qualifying on Saturday. After receiving a boost in FP2, when he set the sixth fastest time, Perrone still didn’t feel entirely positive about his set-up come qualifying time. The 18-year-old showed good speed early in Q2 by setting his best time on his second flying lap. He was then unable to better that on his next attempt, meaning he qualified 14th, 1.4s from pole sitter David Almansa, who had shattered last year’s lap record by a full second.
After a promising Friday, hopes were high for Salmela. But inexperience cost him as he was unable to find a decent reference ahead to gain from the all-important slipstream in the final sector of the track. And while the Moto3™ rookie qualified 18th, he was unfortunately handed a 12-place grid penalty on Saturday evening for riding extremely slow in more than one section of the track.
Race
Despite threats of thunderstorms, blue skies greeted riders for the 16-lap Moto3 race on Sunday morning. Again, conditions were punishing for the riders racing over 33 and a half minutes.
Starting in a revised grid position of eleventh due to penalties for other riders, Perrone had a strong start and was in the mix at the end of lap one. The pack was unrelenting though, meaning the Argentinean was soon shuffled back to 16th.
Salmela meanwhile had an amazing first lap, as he jumped from 26th on the grid to 19th. And he continued recovering ground from there. After a lead group of six had escaped at the front, both riders were quickly involved in a massive fight for seventh. At half-race distance, a single second covered all nine riders involved.
It was just as close starting a frantic final lap. Making a series of nice, clean passes, Perrone was able to rise from 14th with two laps to go to come home in an important tenth place, just 0.6s back from the head of the group.
Unfortunately, luck deserted Salmela on the final lap. Again, the 18-year-old showed great race craft and excellent speed to sit in ninth starting the final circuit. But he was forced to take avoiding action when Eddie O’Shea crashed in front of him at Turn 8, depriving him of another brilliant result.
Salmela and Perrone have little time to rest before returning to action for the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Assen from 26-28 June. After today’s result, Red Bull KTM Tech3 remains fourth in the Team’s Championship.
Valentin Perrone: "It’s been a difficult weekend here in Czechia. Starting on Friday I didn’t feel super good with the bike. We struggled a lot. I went directly to Q2, but I don’t know how. I did just one good lap and that was it. Then on Saturday the feeling with the bike improved a bit, but I was a bit late with the speed - I was finding it difficult to match the front riders.
“Then in the race I struggled and suffered a lot. Fighting in the second group, I was on the limit. I didn’t feel that comfortable to be fighting as I know I can. Anyway, it was a really difficult weekend but we’ll learn from this. It was a good battle with many riders and I think I learned quite a lot. Now it’s time to work harder than ever to get back to where we know we can be.”
Rico Salmela: "We’ve finished the weekend in Brno. We started with a big crash. Luckily, I was fit to ride after, even if I had some pain. Qualifying was not so good and I had to start at the back of the grid, so that made my life a bit more difficult.
“But we made a good comeback in the race. I arrived to P8 and I was there, fighting on the last lap for seventh place. Then I had to avoid another crash just in front of me. If I didn’t brake more, I would’ve hit the other guy. I braked as hard as I could and lost the front. Still, the feeling in the race was super good. With a better qualifying I’m sure we could have fought up at the front. The speed is there – we just need to put everything together and finish the race. We go to Assen now with positive feelings. We know we have the speed so we just have to work well through the weekend and show everyone what we can do. The team’s working really hard and I’m happy with how this weekend overall."
QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. David Almansa (SPA), Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP, 2'04.069
2. Hakim Danish (MAL), AEON Credits - MT Helmets - MSI, +0.017
3. Maximo Quiles (SPA), CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team, +0.421
14. Valentín Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +1.445
18. Rico Salmela (FIN), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +2.028
RACE RESULTS
1. Hakim Danish (MAL), AEON Credits - MT Helmets - MSI, 33'34.264
2. Brian Uriarte (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, +0.466
3. Maximo Quiles (SPA), CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team, +0.629
10. Valentín Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, +11.394
DNF. Rico Salmela (FIN), Red Bull KTM Tech3, 1 Lap
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Maximo Quiles (SPA), CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team, 186 pts
2. Álvaro Carpe (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 121 pts
3. Brian Uriarte (SPA), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 92 pts
8. Valentín Perrone (ARG), Red Bull KTM Tech3, 66 pts
14. Rico Salmela (FIN), Red Bull KTM Tech3, 35 pts
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2026 - D. Almansa (SPA) - 2'04.069 - 156.7 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2026 - V. Pratama (INA) - 2'04.524 - 156.2 km/h
Best Pole: 2026 - D. Almansa (SPA) - 2'04.069 - 156.7 km/h
Top Speed: 2025 - V. Perrone (ARG) - 234.2 km/h
