Máximo Quiles and Marco Morelli have already mathematically secured the runners-up spot in the team championship with three races still to go
The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders are wrapping up an intense triple-header at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. After Máximo Quiles was crowned Moto3 World Champion less than a month ago, the team’s next major objective is to also challenge for the team championship title. Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’s’ team has already mathematically secured the runners-up spot and leads the standings with a 106-point advantage over the team in second place. This weekend, they could clinch the title provided they do not lose more than 16 points to their sole rival for the title.
Máximo Quiles continues to make his mark in the junior class. The Murcia-born rider won again in Malaysia, equalling the eleven victories achieved by Valentino Rossi in 1997 in the lightweight class. That win also made him the second-most successful rider in Moto3 history (14 wins). His personal challenge for the remainder of the season is to match the 14 wins achieved by David Alonso with the CFMOTO Aspar Team in 2024, although to do so he would have to win all three remaining races – which will also be his final Grand Prix races in the class before making the leap to Moto2. Reaching the record of 18 wins in the Moto3 class, also held by Alonso, is now an impossible task. Quiles is also close to becoming the rider with the most points scored in a single year in Moto3: he needs to score 46 points to beat the record of 421, also set by the Colombian rider. To do so, he needs a good result at the Lusail circuit, where he will be competing for the first time after missing last season’s Grand Prix through injury. His team-mate Marco Morelli arrives in Qatar aiming to turn around a run of results that could be better on this Asian tour. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider has gone several rounds without scoring points, despite working constantly to regain his form. The Argentine hasn’t lost hope and this weekend he has a fresh opportunity at a circuit that is also new to him. With 140 points, he is sixth in the standings, 17 points behind the top five.
Máximo Quiles: “It’s my first time at this circuit, so for me it’ll be like a test, or as if I were heading to the Aspar Circuit for a spin. Having won the championship, I’m under no pressure at all, so this time I want to enjoy myself and have a good time riding at night, as these are new conditions for me. There’s always the motivation to want to win and fight for podiums and victories, but for now I want to focus on getting to know the track.”
Marco Morelli: “Over the last few days I’ve tried to hit the reset button so I can arrive in Qatar feeling more motivated. We need to work hard, trust one another and all pull together in the same direction to get out of this situation. This circuit is new to me, so it’ll be a challenge, but I think this could also be just what we need to get back on track.”
