The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar rider beats David Almansa at the last moment and now holds a 107-point lead.
A magician never reveals his tricks and waits for the perfect moment to surprise his audience. Máximo Quiles saved that magic trick—inexplicable to mere mortals—for the very end, allowing him to outmaneuver an excellent David Almansa, who had led the race from the moment the lights went out until the final corner. Quiles waited behind him for seven laps, holding steady, studying the situation, and biding his time to launch his final (and only) strike. Now, a 107-point gap brings him closer to his ultimate dream, with 200 points still up for grabs. Brazil, Spain, France, Catalonia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Aragon, and San Marino: eight victories. Combined with his three wins from last year, he now has eleven, propelling him into the ranks of riders with the most Moto3 victories, tying him with Joan Mir and José Antonio Rueda.
With Álvaro Carpe taking himself out of contention on the first lap, David Almansa is now second in the overall standings, though the gap between him and Máximo Quiles has widened to 107 points. Carpe drops to third, now 15 points behind Almansa, while Brian Uriarte and CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar rider Marco Morelli hold onto fourth and fifth place. The Argentine started from thirteenth on the grid and fought for a top-10 spot in San Marino from the very beginning. Morelli finished ninth following an intense battle with riders such as Adrián Fernández, Casey O’Gorman, and Adrián Cruces.
Winner Máximo Quiles: “It was a very tough race. I have to congratulate David Almansa because he set an impressive pace; we were lapping at record-breaking speeds the whole time. He pushed me to the limit today, he didn’t make it easy for me, but I decided to go for it on the last three laps. I studied his moves and knew I wanted to try something at the final corner, though it also depended on whether he would play it defensively or not. I had a plan, but the strategy could have failed. It played out just as I’d imagined, and I managed to pull off the pass. It was a beautiful, impressive race. The ultimate goal is winning the title, but I never talk about it. I want to take it race by race—I always say that, and I’ll keep doing it. That’s the mindset. I also want to congratulate Álvaro, my data technician; it’s his birthday today, and this was a great gift from all of us.”
9th Marco Morelli (+21.867): “It was a tough race; I tried to get a good start, and I more or less managed that. Overtaking was difficult, and although I had good pace and could have pushed a bit harder, the pack broke up and I couldn’t move forward. Later, I made a mistake and lost positions again. I’m not entirely satisfied with today’s result, but I’m at peace knowing I gave it my all. I know what I need to improve for the upcoming races. It’s not just about getting a good start; it’s also about fighting hard during the opening laps.”
