David Almansa pushed himself to the limit – congratulations to world champion Quiles

The situation heading into the Indonesian Grand Prix was clear: a win would see Maximo Quiles crowned Moto3 World Champion ahead of schedule, regardless of how his closest rivals in the title race – David Almansa, Brian Uriarte and Alvaro Carpe – fared.

Uriarte, Almansa and Carpe were determined not to make things easy for Quiles at Mandalika. As a result, these three riders secured the front row of the grid in Saturday’s qualifying session. Championship leader Quiles could only manage sixth on the grid.

In Sunday’s race, Intact rider Almansa gave it his all right from the start. The Spaniard got off to the best start and took the lead going into the first corner. However, it was a turbulent opening phase, meaning Almansa dropped back to seventh place on lap 2. The Spaniard showed fighting spirit and reclaimed second place over the next two laps. Quiles, on the other hand, was well and truly away. Almansa set off in pursuit, but he was unable to catch his compatriot. At the finish line, just under three seconds separated the two.

“The race was certainly no easy affair because of the heat. Initially, the start and the first lap went well. But then I had a bit of bad luck on the second lap, as there were too many collisions with other riders, and Maximo was able to pull away. As soon as I had a clear run, I tried to catch him,” said Almansa, describing the frantic opening laps. “I pushed myself to the absolute limit with a series of very fast laps, just like in qualifying. Later on, though, I made a few mistakes. That’s when I realised I couldn’t catch him anymore, so I decided not to take any further risks.”

David Almansa after finishing second in Indonesia: sights set on the World Championship runners-up title

With his victory in Indonesia, Maximo Quiles secured the World Championship title ahead of schedule – he now holds an unassailable lead of 132 points. Almansa is currently second and, with five races remaining this season, holds a 16-point lead over Brian Uriarte (KTM Ajo). Alvaro Carpe, in third place, also still has a good chance of securing the World Championship runner-up title.

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“I’m happy with second place and the important points for the championship. There are still five races to go, and the battle for the runners-up title continues. We have everything we need to do it, so we’ll give it a go and fight right to the end,” said Almansa of his goal for the season. He had words of praise for his rival Quiles. “Congratulations to Maximo on winning the championship. We’ve had some great battles, so I’m satisfied with my own performance, even though it wasn’t such a good championship for me, as we had a lot of bad luck on several occasions, particularly in the first half of the season due to injuries and illness. But as soon as I was 100 per cent fit, I was able to show what I’m capable of. I’m delighted about that, for all the people around me who support me, and for my team.”

In 2027, Maximo Quiles and David Almansa will then compete against each other in the Moto2 World Championship.