Moto3: Almansa Takes Pole in Japan as Quiles Starts from the Second Row

October 3, 2026

The Spanish rider David Almansa claimed pole position for the Japanese GP, the 16th round of the 2026 Moto3 season. In the session held in the early hours of Saturday (3) at the Motegi circuit, the Intact GP rider posted his best lap in Q2 at 1:54.572, earning the top spot for the race scheduled for tonight.

Second place went to Brian Uriarte, the Ajo rider who was beaten by Almansa by 0.045 seconds. Álvaro Carpe, on the other Ajo bike, completed the first row in third. Máximo Quiles, the championship leader with title chances already in Japan, starts fourth for Aspar, followed by Matteo Bertelle of MTA. David Muñoz of Intact GP closes the top six on the grid.

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Rico Salmela will start from the seventh row aboard a Tech3 bike, the team that also saw Valentín Perrone finish eighth. Fastest on Friday, Marco Morelli starts ninth with Aspar. Ryusei Yamanaka, from MSI, ended up tenth, opening the fourth row which also includes Joel Esteban of MTA and Adrian Fernández of Leopard Racing.

The Moto3 Japan GP will take place later this Saturday, with the race starting at 23:00 local time.

Jake Thompson

I'm Jake Thompson, a motorsport journalist born and raised in North Carolina, where NASCAR weekends were basically family holidays. I’ve been covering everything from Formula 1 to rally raids for over a decade, blending sharp analysis with a fan’s heart. For me, writing about racing isn’t just a job — it’s the best seat in the house.