Moto3: Reigning MotoJunior and Red Bull Rookies Cup champion Brian Uriarte is a Moto3 race winner following a classic Mugello Moto3 battle.
As expected, the fight for victory went down to the final lap, but escaping the scrap was the eventual winner, and clinching P2 was Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Alvaro Carpe. Malaysia’s Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) earned his debut podium in Moto3 after a fine ride from pole, as World Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) is forced to settle for P11.
From his inherited pole position after David Almansa’s (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) unfortunate withdrawal due to illness, Danish got a dream start from pole position, but halfway around the first lap, Joel Kelso (GRYD MLav Racing) pounced to grab an early lead. Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA) then passed Danish for P2 at the end of the opening lap to jump into P2, with title race leader Quiles P14 at the end of the first lap in Italy.
Three laps later, Quiles had made his way up to P8, with Uriarte using a dose of classic Mugello slipstream to pinch the lead. A lap further into the race, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) led for the first time, and another lap later it was Carpe – with Quiles now up to P2.
On Lap 7 of 17, Rico Salmela’s (Red Bull KTM Tech3) crash on the exit of Turn 4 broke up the group, meaning the top eight were 0.9s clear of the chasers. At this stage, Quiles was leading, with his closest championship challenger Fernandez in P2. But that emerging gap we talked about? Scrap it. Eddie O’Shea (GRYD MLav Racing) and co bridged the opening within a lap.
On Lap 13, after a brilliant rise through the top 10 pack, O’Shea grabbed a Moto3 lead for the first time, but it didn’t last long as Fernandez, Quiles, and teammate Kelso pounced. It was getting dicey. Track position began to matter with three laps to go, with Fernandez fronting the 15-rider-strong pack from O’Shea and Quiles.
At the final corner on the penultimate lap, Quiles had a huge moment on the rear end. The championship leader was out of the seat, and that dropped him out of the top 10. Then, it was last lap time. And at the Casanova/Savelli section, Uriarte leapt into the lead to demote Fernandez to P2, and an almighty scrap unfolded for the podium behind. This allowed Uriarte to have a rare, clean, and uninterrupted run to a dream debut win in Moto3, and winning the race to finish on the podium was teammate Carpe and polesitter Danish.
Fernandez lost out on a win and a rostrum on the final lap, but a P4 is a good result for the Spaniard considering Quiles’ P11. Esteban ended the race in P5 ahead of O’Shea, who, despite losing some places in a hectic final lap, managed to secure a career-best P6.
David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia), Kelso, and Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounded out the Mugello top 10, as a frustrated Quiles – as mentioned – had to settle for P11 after he and teammate Marco Morelli ran wide at the final corner trying to avoid contact in the pack.
Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA), the aforementioned Morelli, Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), and home hero Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) were the final points scorers, with the latter losing ground on the last lap after a small trip in the gravel trap.
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