Almansa: “We’ll fight for the runners-up spot as if it were the championship”

In the Moto3 qualifying session in Doha, David Almansa had to settle for second place behind world champion Maximo Quiles. In Sunday’s race, the Intact rider then struck back.

But first things first: starting from second on the grid, Almansa got off to a perfect start in the 16-lap race – taking the lead before the very first corner. After that, the Spaniard gave his rivals no chance. Whilst Quiles struggled and had to make up for several lost positions during the race, Almansa rode a solitary race at the front. At times, he extended his lead to three seconds. Behind him, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Honda) and Quiles battled it out for second place in the closing stages. In the end, Almansa crossed the finish line 2.516 seconds ahead of Fernandez, whilst Quiles had to settle for third place.

“I’m absolutely delighted with this win, because this track is always something very special for me every year,” said Almansa after the race. And he revealed the secret to his success: “During the second free practice session, we tried the soft tyres on both the front and rear, and I learnt how to use them properly. That was very important for me and the team.” In the race, David Almansa then put in a commanding performance. “It was incredible, because I gave 100 per cent right from the start and on every lap.”

Gegen David Almansa war in Katar kein Kraut gewachsen

Foto: Gold and Goose Photography

Almansa: Lead over Carpe and Uriarte extended

With his victory in Qatar, David Almansa has consolidated his second place in the overall standings. Ahead of the final two races of the season, he holds a 23-point lead over the KTM Ajo riders Alvaro Carpe and Brian Uriarte, who are level on points and finished 5th and 14th respectively in Doha.

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Almansa will contest his final two race weekends in the Moto3 World Championship at Portimão and Valencia – in 2027, he will compete for Intact GP in the Moto2 class. “I’ve learnt a lot about our sport this year, which will help me when I move up to Moto2 next season,” said the 20-year-old, looking ahead. “Of course, it was a bit of a shame that we couldn’t seriously challenge for the championship. But we’ll fight for the runners-up spot as if it were the championship itself, and give it our all in the last two races to achieve our goal.”