The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar rider managed a fast race in Austria to perfection, extending his dominance in Moto3
Máximo Quiles continues to dominate yet another weekend. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider secured his third consecutive victory – his ninth of the season – in a race that was only really suited to the very best riders. The championship leader rode unchallenged at the front following David Almansa’s crash, crossing the finish line more than two seconds ahead of Brian Uriarte. The Moto3 rookie finished in second place, followed by his team-mate Álvaro Carpe, who crossed the line in third. Quiles’ talent seems to know no bounds and, following this victory, he has now surpassed 300 points in the Moto3 standings (306 in total) and extended his lead to 131. The Spaniard’s season has been almost entirely marked by podium finishes (he has only missed out on two occasions, one of which was due to injury) and in the next race in Japan he will have his first chance to be crowned world champion.
Marco Morelli also put in a brilliant performance. Having faced numerous difficulties in regaining the form he showed in recent races, he faced a major challenge this Sunday. The Argentine started from the back of the grid, in twenty-third position, having failed to progress from Q1 yesterday. After a few opening laps to get his bearings, the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider stepped up the pace to catch the leading group and break into the top 10, climbing fifteen places to finish in a well-deserved eighth place.
Win Máximo Quiles: “It was a difficult race because both Almansa and I were riding very fast. I tried to catch him but stayed calm, and when he crashed, I found myself in no man’s land. I’d also had a scare just before that, and at that moment I thought, ‘now it’s my turn to ride my own race’. I decided to stick to my own pace, making sure they didn’t catch me, but without taking too many risks. There were a few moments when I lost concentration, but I held on to secure this victory. I’ve already been told that Jorge had to come to Japan because there’s a chance of clinching the title there. It’s getting closer and closer, but I’m focused on taking it one race at a time and doing my best. We’re going to keep our feet on the ground, but draw on this positive energy to go for more victories.”
8th Marco Morelli (+21.118): “I’m very happy with today’s race. The weekend was proving very tricky and, given my starting position, I knew it was going to be difficult. I tried to fight my way back up step by step: we’d changed the bike after the previous day and I had to adapt and get my feel for it back. I kept improving my lap times and managed to catch up with the leading group, eventually finishing in eighth place. I started twenty-third, so that’s not bad at all. It’s been a weekend of learning how to manage certain situations better. This will be very useful in helping us realise sooner what I need to feel more comfortable with the bike’s set-up. We’ve taken a step forward; I need to keep improving, but we’re on the right track.”
