The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider has won again at the Hungarian Grand Prix, bringing his tally to five victories this season
Máximo Quiles has secured his fifth win of the season. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider has won at Balaton Park for the second year in a row after setting a blistering pace in the final laps and building a lead of over three seconds over second-placed David Almansa. Álvaro Carpe finished third after fighting his way up from eighteenth position in a race that was stopped on the final lap due to a multiple crash in the group battling for the final podium spot. Marco Morelli also climbed the order after a difficult start and finished in seventh place.
The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider continues his love affair with the Hungarian circuit for another year. Quiles started from the front row of the grid, in second place, and held his position without letting the race leader, David Almansa, pull away. Both riders kept a high pace in the opening laps, leaving the rest of the group behind, and everything seemed to suggest that the victory would be decided between the two of them. The intense effort of the opening minutes forced them to ease off, but Quiles seized the moment to move into first place and try to extend his lead. By the halfway point of the race, the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider had set a pace his rival could not match and ended up riding alone for the final laps, crossing the finish line with a lead of over three seconds. His teammate Marco Morelli showed great determination throughout the 20 laps. The Argentine got off to a good start, but a braking error at the first corner saw him drop back to sixteenth position. From that point on, Morelli made no further mistakes and fought his way back up the field, determined to score as many points as possible. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider made it into the top 10 and even managed lap times very similar to those of the front-runners, finishing his first race at Balaton Park in a creditable seventh place.
This victory keeps Quiles at the top of the Moto3 standings with an ever-increasing lead, now standing at 59 points clear of second-placed Álvaro Carpe. Morelli’s seventh-place finish has allowed him to climb the standings and he is now third, 34 points behind Carpe. Furthermore, the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team remains at the top of the team standings with 247 points.
Win Máximo Quiles: “I was hungry to get this victory – my fifth – and I’m absolutely delighted to have achieved it. It’s been brilliant. After Mugello, I had some anger, and this weekend I decided to channel all that energy into working with total focus from Friday onwards. The team has worked incredibly hard and we’ve taken another step forward. The first few laps felt a bit long, but I started riding as if it were a free practice and really enjoyed changing directions with the bike. I’m sad because of the crash at the end and the red flag; I hope all the riders are okay. We’ll rest this week and come back with the same motivation for the next race.”
7th Marco Morelli (+20.076): “It was a good race. I got off to a great start, which put me in fourth place, but I lost my bearings in the first corner and went wide. That affected the whole race because, after the first lap, I was out of the points. I had to fight my way back up, but the leading group was already too far ahead. In the final laps I was matching the pace of the front-runners and managed to make up even more ground. You learn from your mistakes, and we’ve gathered some very important data for the future. I’m happy with the work we’re doing and I’m really motivated for the upcoming races.”
