Red Bull KTM Ajo riders at the top of the Moto2 standings became a regular sight in 2021 and one that appears to be continuing for the new season.

The age old saying ‘first you have to beat your teammate’ has never been more apt than for Aki Ajo’s squad in recent years. Despite two new riders in the Moto2 garage for 2022, as Augusto Fernandez moves across from Marc VDS and Moto3 Champion Pedro Acosta steps up, the orange machines were in control once again as preseason preparations concluded at Portugal’s Algarve International Circuit.

Three days of official testing concluded with Acosta maintaining his ‘rookie sensation’ monicker after stepping up to the intermediate class from a dominating first and only year in Moto3 and immediately setting a new all-time lap record. Completing eight sessions on the Ajo KTM, Acosta sat at the top of the times thanks to Monday morning’s 1’41.552 best effort, and having navigated 133 laps of the 4.6kms layout, called time on his winter programme with a session to go.

Fernandez sat second in the overall standings, just 0.154s separating him from his new teammate - the pair so in sync that they came into the team running the same number, 37, with Acosta opting for 51 for the season ahead. The 24-year-old’s 1’41.706, set on his 16th of 25 midday laps topped the final day’s second session but it was not quite enough to topple his closest rival. Fernandez too chose not to run in the late afternoon session, having dispatched 142 laps across the weekend.

“We have been able to try out many things during this test, which was the key to being clear about things when we get to Qatar,” Acosta confirmed from the Algarve on Monday evening. “We wanted to know what works and what we have to work on more. We have taken an important step forward and I’m happy about it.

“Now I feel more prepared to start the season and, although we still have a lot to learn, we will try to do our best."

“It’s been a hard and intense week of work,” Fernandez admitted. “But I’m very happy with how each and every day of testing has gone, as I have felt better and better with the bike and with the team.

“Today we have been able to improve again, including with race tyres, lowering our lap times. Now I’m clear about things and I fully understand everything I need to be ready for Qatar, where we will try to give our all and enjoy ourselves.”

"At Jerez we took it easy, with the mentality that it was a shakedown test,” Team Manager, Aki Ajo added. "Here at Portimao we have had good weather and we have completed our full preparation program, so I am happy with the work done by the riders and the team.

“We are particularly pleased with Pedro as it is his first season in Moto2 and he is adapting very quickly, working as if he had more experience in this class.

“We are also impressed with the speed and enthusiasm of Augusto in his first year with us; he has shown good progress at Portimao. Now we just need to stay calm so that everything continues like this when the season starts.”