The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team faces the last stretch of the season with Joel Esteban, instead of Dennis Foggia, in Australia

The Moto3 World Championship enters its final stretch with a new double-header, and this weekend the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders will take on the Phillip Island circuit. This breathtaking yet demanding track will put Máximo Quiles and Joel Esteban, who will replace Dennis Foggia in Australia due to illness. Quiles was unable to achieve his ninth podium finish of the year in Indonesia. There, he finished fourth, as the race was stopped before he had completed the lap in which he served a long lap, what resulted in a three-second penalty. Luck was not on the Spaniard's side, but he is keen to make amends in Australia. He has proven on numerous occasions that arriving at an unfamiliar circuit is no obstacle for him and, on this occasion, the goal will be to be as competitive as possible in order to score important points in the standings. With eight podiums, two of them victories, and four races less than his rivals, the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider is currently the best rookie in the category. Quiles has a 60-point lead over his compatriot Álvaro Carpe and this weekend he will have his first match point to become the best rookie of the year. To do so, he needs to score 15 points more than Carpe if he wins the race, or 16 if he does not finish first. His teammate this weekend will be Joel Esteban, replacing Dennis Foggia, who was unable to travel to Australia due to illness. Esteban competed last year in his debut season in the World Championship at the Phillip Island circuit, where he finished sixteenth.

José Antonio Rueda was crowned Moto3 world champion by winning the Indonesian Grand Prix. With the title in the lightweight category already decided, it remains to be seen who will occupy second and third place in the standings. Ángel Piqueras remains in second place with 231 points and has a fourteen-point advantage over Máximo Quiles. In fourth place, David Muñoz has a total of 197 points, 20 behind CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider Máximo Quiles after failing to score points in Indonesia, where he crashed during the race and broke his femur. Joel Kelso closes out the top five with 159 points.

Máximo Quiles: “I'm really looking forward to racing at Phillip Island, to trying out a circuit that is always on everyone's list of favourites. It has fast corners and I like that. I've been able to rest this week after a very intense double-header in Japan and Indonesia and a bittersweet result in the last race. I think we can do well, but the most important thing will be to adapt well to the circuit so we can be fast.”

Joel Esteban: “I would like to wish Dennis a speedy recovery. I was very happy when the team told me I was going to Australia. It's been a difficult year in terms of results, and having another chance to compete in the world championship is a great opportunity to keep improving. Last year, I really enjoyed racing at Phillip Island, although it was difficult due to the conditions and because it was a new circuit for me. I am really looking forward to working with the team. I already have confidence in them and I believe we can do a great job. The goal will be to continue racking up kilometres with the Moto3 and put into practice everything I have been working on this year, both on and off the track.”