David Almansa (1st), over the moon: “I’ve been through a lot this season”

With his first Grand Prix victory at the season opener in Thailand, David Almansa also enjoyed a perfect debut with the German team Intact GP. Then came the shock at the second event of 2026: Almansa suffered a fracture to his left elbow in a crash during the Moto3 race in Brazil. He had to sit out the US Grand Prix in Austin, after which he finished 7th, 7th and 4th. At Mugello, Almansa was forced to retire after securing pole position due to a sore throat. After finishing 2nd, 4th and 2nd at Balaton, Brno and Assen, the next setback came at the Sachsenring: Almansa was unable to compete in the German Grand Prix, Intact GP’s home race, due to illness.

Almansa has had a Moto3 season of ups and downs so far. At Silverstone, he was finally set to taste success again. In Sunday’s race, the Spaniard stormed to the front from the second row of the grid. Over the course of the 15-lap race, Almansa did most of the work at the front. However, several attempts to break away failed – the 20-year-old was unable to pull away from the rest of the strong Moto3 field. But then came two strong final laps, and Almansa crossed the finish line 0.7 seconds ahead of Alvaro Carpe (KTM Ajo).

Almansa: “The most special day of my career”

Almansa secured his second GP victory at Silverstone. “It’s a very special day. I’d even say it’s the most special day of my career, because I’ve been through a lot so far this season,” said the Intact rider, over the moon after the race. “Unfortunately, I’m lost for words, and I feel tired because I’m not quite back to 100 per cent yet. But I’m so happy. First of all, I’d like to thank my family, the team and all the fans who support me. A special thank you goes to the team, who do an incredible job every time and place their trust in me.”

The Moto3 race took place at Silverstone after the Moto2 and MotoGP Grands Prix – normally, the riders in the smallest category are the first to race on a race Sunday. “The unusual schedule meant I was able to watch the other races in full, and I saw that the tyres suffered a massive drop in performance. That’s why I tried to look after them well in the opening laps, even though it was a tough battle right from the start,” reported Almansa. “Around the middle of the race, I started pushing harder to build up a lead, but there was a strong wind on the back straight and through the fast chicanes. That really made things difficult. But I kept going and gave it my all on the final lap to secure this win. It was long overdue, so we’re going to celebrate properly. It was also a very important win, not just for me, but for the whole team. We need to keep working hard and stay focused, as we’re only halfway through the championship. Next up is Aragon, one of my absolute favourite circuits. So I’m really looking forward to racing there in three weeks’ time.”

Peter Öttl: “It was very, very important for the whole team”

Moto3 team manager Peter Öttl was also relieved following David Almansa’s victory. “After the Sachsenring, where our team had to return home without any points for the first time this season because David Almansa was ill and Marcos Uriarte had crashed, this weekend at Silverstone was very, very important for the whole team,” emphasised the Bavarian. “David Almansa put in an incredible performance after his recovery. He finished the practice sessions in 1st, 6th and 3rd places and secured an excellent starting position for the race with fourth on the grid. It was remarkable that he managed all this without drafting, which is an exceptional achievement on this circuit. In the race, he did most of the work at the front of the field. That’s why I consider him the strongest rider this weekend. The victory was well deserved – his second of the season, incidentally. Congratulations to him and his crew on this success.”

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