Moto3: A lights-to-flag victory saw Maximo Quiles (CIP GreenPower) dominate the Moto3 Grand Prix at Le Mans to extend his Championship lead to 46 points. P2 for polesitter Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) saw the Spaniard move into second overall in the Championship whilst it was a return to the rostrum for the first time in over a year.
A flying start from the middle of the front row, Championship leader Quiles got the holeshot on what would be an opening lap of attrition. The first faller came at Turn 2 with Brian Uriarte’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) wide sweeping line not working out as he fell, whilst David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) tipped off at Turn 3. Cormac Buchanan (CODE Motorsports) highsided on the exit of Turn 7. The crashing didn’t stop there as on Lap 2, a brilliant start from Casey O’Gorman ended in the gravel at Turn 10, whilst Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Joel Kelso (GRYD MLav Racing) followed on Lap 2 and Lap 3 respectively.
With the #28 out front and in command, the stars continued falling behind. Second in the Championship, Alvaro Carpe’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) charge ended with a fall at Turn 10, whilst just a few corners later, having just got into P2, Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) crashed at Turn 13, giving second back to polesitter Fernandez and promoting Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) into third – although he’d soon have a Long Lap Penalty for shortcutting at Turn 10. Further fallers behind were Scott Ogden (CIP GreenPower) at Turn 3 and Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) at Turn 10.
Into the closing stages and it was all looking settled with Quiles sporting a 2.1s advantage over Fernandez, whilst Bertelle had third all wrapped up. A huge result for the #28 who took an enormous step forward in the title fight to extend his lead with victory at Le Mans and his first back-to-back wins in Moto3. It was back-to-back rostrums for the first time in over a year for Fernandez whilst Bertelle was on the podium for the first time since COTA 2025. Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) clinched fourth place whilst from 20th on the grid, Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA) rode a fantastic Grand Prix to fifth.
Elsewhere in the order it was Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) who came through from the fourth row to return to the points in P6 after a Jerez weekend to forget. Behind, Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) put in a solid display for his team’s home Grand Prix with P7, ahead of David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – MLav Racing) in a career-best ninth and Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) completing the top ten.
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