CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar rider Máximo Quiles kicks off the Asian tour with his first chance to become world champion in the junior class
The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team enters the final stretch of the season with its first double header on Asian soil. Japan will be the first stop for Máximo Quiles and Marco Morelli following a frenetic Austrian Grand Prix, the result of which gives Quiles his first chance to clinch the title this weekend. The rider from Murcia secured another victory there, while the Argentine staged a spectacular comeback from 23rd to 8th place. In fifteen races, Quiles has nine wins and 13 podium finishes. With his victory in Austria, the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar rider became the third-most successful rider in Moto3 history—and the first Spaniard to achieve this distinction. He is surpassed on the all-time list only by Romano Fenati (13 wins) and his CFMOTO Aspar Team teammate David Alonso (18).
The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider’s outstanding season has kept him at the top of the standings since the second race of the year. With a 131-point lead over second-place Álvaro Carpe, Quiles heads to Motegi with a chance to be crowned champion this Sunday. However, it won’t be an easy task: he must score 19 more points than his three main rivals (Carpe, Brian Uriarte, and David Almansa) to finish the weekend with at least a 150-point lead over the runner-up. The Spaniard is aware of the importance of this achievement, but he’s not setting any goal beyond taking it one session at a time, just as he has done in every Grand Prix held so far in 2026.
Marco Morelli is also reaching a crucial point in the season. The Argentine has the advantage of having competed in all the races scheduled before returning to Europe (with the exception of Qatar) and wants to leverage this prior experience to climb back into the top positions. The battle for the silver and bronze medals in the category remains wide open, and Morelli is one of the contenders for those positions. He is currently fifth with 118 points, 28 points behind fourth-place Brian Uriarte and third-place David Almansa. Both riders are tied at 174 points, just one point behind second-place Álvaro Carpe.
Máximo Quiles: “We’re kicking off the Asian tour after securing yet another victory. I know that in Japan I’ll have my first chance to become champion, but that’s not my main goal. I’m going to keep working with the team to get the bike ready. We have to focus on the day-to-day, and when the time comes, it will come.”
Marco Morelli: “I’m looking forward to the start of the Asian tour because I raced on these tracks last year, which gives me more experience. Motegi is a technical track, with hard braking points and fast corners. I really liked it when I was there, so I hope to do well and leave Japan with good memories.”
