Maximo Quiles led Moto3 World Championship practice Friday at Lusail International Circuit, in Qatar. Quiles used his Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team KTM to lap the 3.34-mile (5.38 km) track in 2:03.172 to lead the field of 25 riders.
David Almansa was second-best with a time of 2:03.372 on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM and his teammate David Muñoz claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 2:03.443.
Hakim Danish, piloting his AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI KTM, was fourth with a lap time of 2:03.500 and Veda Pratama finished the practice session fifth on his Honda Team Asia machine with a time of 2:03.561.
PRACTICE MOTO3
More, from a press release issued by MotoGP:
Quiles heads Almansa in Moto3 Practice, Carpe and Uriarte in Q1 in Qatar. The World Champion was in unbeatable form to take a Friday clean sweep whilst two of the riders fighting for P2 overall find themselves in Q1 at Lusail.
P1 in the afternoon and then once again in the evening, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) was in top form to be top dog in Moto3 under the lights at Lusail. It wasn’t all smooth sailing though after a big highside in FP1 at the end of the session. A 2’03.172 was good enough for the Champion, whilst a second covered the top 14.
Quiles had two tenths in his back pocket over David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) who was in P2, just 0.071s clear of his teammate David Muñoz, who also had a crash in FP1 but was back inside the top three in the evening. Behind the Spaniard’s at the front, Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) carried on his good form from his home round in Malaysia, just ahead of Sepang podium finisher Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia). Pratama does have a 6-place grid penalty for Sunday however, having not respected the yellow flags in FP1 for a second time in 2026.
Missing the cut behind 2025 polesitter Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) in P14, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was a headlining name in 15th and will be joined by teammate Brian Uriarte in Q1, the rookie only capable of 21st for his worst Friday of the season so far. Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower), Ruche Moodley (CODE Motorsports) and Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) are also names that’ll hope to move through the Q1 battle on Saturday afternoon.
