David Almansa secured his fourth win of the 2026 Moto3 season this Sunday (8) after dominating the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail circuit. The Spaniard for Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP took the lead right in the first corner and stayed ahead for the entire race, crossing the finish line with a 2.5-second advantage over Adrián Fernández of Leopard Racing. World champion Máximo Quiles completed the podium.
The result leaves Almansa close to securing the runner-up spot of the season. With two rounds remaining, the rider could mathematically clinch second place in the overall standings if he finishes in the top four at the Portuguese GP in Portimão. The race also determined the 2026 Rookie of the Year, won by Brian Uriarte, despite an early crash.
Starting from second position, Almansa overtook pole-sitter Quiles at the exit and took the lead before the first corner. While the rivals jockeyed for positions, the Intact GP rider managed to open a gap and was already one second ahead of the world champion by the third lap.
Quiles faced a rocky start, dropping to seventh at the end of the opening lap, but soon recovered. On the second lap, he was already inside the top five and began chasing Almansa, with Fernández in pursuit. Nevertheless, the lead rider maintained a steady pace and reached the halfway mark with about a 1.2-second advantage.
The tightest duel took place for second place. Fernández pressured Quiles for much of the race and managed to overtake him when the champion made an error at turn 6, with two and a half laps to go. Quiles tried to regain the position, but Fernández held on to the finish, crossing the line just 0.069 seconds ahead of his rival.
Quiles’ third place also mattered for the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team, which clinched the 2026 teams’ title. Behind the top three, Veda Pratama finished fourth, followed by Álvaro Carpe and Joel Kelso.
The race was also marked by incidents involving David Muñoz. First, the rider received a long-lap penalty after contact with Uriarte, who crashed on the second lap. Later, Muñoz triggered another accident, this time involving Eddie O’Shea at turn 14, and received a double long-lap penalty.
Despite the crash, Uriarte managed to rejoin the fight and finished 14th, collecting two points sufficient to seal the Rookie of the Year title for the season. Muñoz finished eighth, behind Hakim Danish, while Ryusei Yamanaka and Scott Ogden rounded out the top ten.
With the Qatar victory, Almansa strengthened his position in the fight for runner-up and will have the opportunity to confirm the result as early as the next round in Portugal, while Quiles and his team wrap up the weekend with yet another title secured.
