Moto3: Broken collarbone three weeks ago, shattering the opposition’s hopes three weeks on; not even broken bones can stop Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team) as the Championship leader took win number seven of 2026.
He had to resist a late charge from polesitter David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) who was hoping to make it a clean sweep of P1s for the weekend but was forced to accept second whereas Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team) rounded out the rostrum.
Blasting off from pole and into the lead, Almansa got the perfect launch as the front three on the grid stayed the same. Later during the opening lap, Quiles cleared teammate Morelli and by the end of Lap 1, there was a leading group of six as Almansa, Quiles and Morelli led the way ahead of Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo), his teammate Alvaro Carpe and rookie Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower). Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) led the charge behind in the second group.
As the battle continued, the front group splintered and Almansa, Quiles and Carpe were duking it out whilst Morelli was keen to get back on terms having dropped back from P4. On Lap 4, Uriarte came in to serve a Long Lap Penalty stemming from Practice, filtering back into P8 before reaching P5. Crashing out from the top ten at Turn 16 a lap later, Jesus Rios’ (Rivacold Snipers Team) Grand Prix was over after a big highside; he was all OK.
After stalking Almansa at the front, Quiles pounced at Turn 1 to take the lead for the first time on Lap 11. The onus was now on the #22 to respond against the Championship leader and to not lose more places to Carpe and Morelli behind. The pace instantly dropped from the 1’57.4s to the 1.57.2s and at the start of Lap 2, Carpe tried to pinch P2 from Almansa at Turn 1. The British GP winner wasn’t having any of it though and got him back at Turn 2, the battling allowing Quiles to stretch his advantage out to 0.6s and get down to the 1’56s.
It wasn’t done though; a mighty Lap 13 from Almansa saw him reel in Quiles and then profit from a mistake at Turn 14 by the #28, hitting the front and then all four were back as a group again. At the start of Lap 14, Quiles and teammate Morelli pounced at Turn 1, pushing Almansa wide and back to fourth whilst Carpe soon found himself second. It was a scruffy lap from the #83 though as he went wide at Turn 7 to give Almansa P2 back whilst Quiles attempted to escape for a second time, this time with a gap of nearly a second. Once again though, Almansa got the gap down from 0.9 to 0.3s with two to go.
Starting the last lap split by 0.108s, Almansa was desperate to take back-to-back wins for the first time in his Moto3 career whereas Quiles was eager to return from injury with a statement win. Despite the #22’s best efforts though, a flawless final lap from Quiles was good enough for the Championship leader to take a seventh win of the year whilst it was a fifth podium of 2026 for Almansa, who closes in on P2 overall. Morelli was a fine third ahead of Carpe whilst 3.1s away from the top four, Uriarte salvaged fifth ahead of Cruces.
Cruces completed the top six with a joint-best finish of the year ahead of Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse), likewise achieving his season-best result as top Honda. Perrone was eighth after late contact with teammate Rico Salmela resulted in the Finnish star crashing, with Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) and teammate Fernandez rounding out the top ten.
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