Maximo Quiles won the FIM Moto3 World Championship red-flagged race Sunday at Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna, in Brazil. Using his Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Gaviota Inde Aspar Team KTM, the Spaniard won the 14+5-lap race by just 0.143 second.
The Moto3 race was red-flagged after 14 laps following a multiple-rider crash. It was then restarted for a 5-lap sprint to decide the final result.
His teammate, Marco Morelli was the runner-up and achieved his first-ever Moto3 podium.
Veda Pratama finished third, 1.650 seconds behind Quiles on his Honda Team Asia machine, securing his first-ever podium and Indonesia’s first podium in Grand Prix racing.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe crossed the finish line fourth and Guido Pini, piloting his Leopard Racing Honda, got fifth.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 45 points, 17 ahead of Marco Morelli who has 28 points. Veda Pratama is third with 27 points.
Classification moto3 race
worldstanding moto3
More from a press release issued by MotoGP:
Quiles resists Morelli’s late charge for Goiania victory, Pratama stuns with P3. Winning and podium accounts were opened in a red-flagged Moto3 Grand Prix of Brazil.
A sensational fightback from Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) saw the 18-year-old take victory in Goiania. He was kept honest by teammate Marco Morelli who had to settle for second and with it, achieved a first-ever Moto3 podium whilst there was big history made in P3: Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) took his first-ever podium and thus Indonesia’s first in any class of Grand Prix racing. Heading into the round as Championship leader, David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed out from the lead on Lap 14.
Polesitter Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA) grabbed the holeshot but by the halfway point on Lap 1, it was an Argentine 1-2 as Perrone and Morelli took over at the front. Moto3 is never dull and the usual paint-swapping and fairing-clashing moves continued, with Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) coming into the top three. Quiles had worked his way up to P2 and Championship leader Almansa moved into the top five from 14th on the grid.
At the start of Lap 4, it was Almansa who took over at the front from title rival Quiles, the top two in the Championship now the top two on-track. Lap 7 and a stunning weekend came to a shuddering halt for Esteban, who highsided at Turn 4 and out of the top three, having worked hard to get back on terms with Almansa and Quiles ahead of him. By half-race distance, the front two had broken away and were in a battle of their own for victory but the fight for third was warming up. Perrone had it over Morelli, whilst Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) reignited their rivalry from Buriram. Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Danish and Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) all featured, aiming to have their say.
On Lap 13 though, a huge moment in the Grand Prix as Almansa highsided out at Turn 4, thankfully able to walk away but crashing from the lead and leaving a certain podium in the gravel was not what he ordered. A lap later and a similar crash saw Scott Ogden’s (CIP GreenPower) Grand Prix come to an end and whilst he was OK, a red flag was shown bringing a pause in proceedings. A quick restart procedure and then a 5-lap dash, game on in Goiania!
On the restart, Quiles reasserted his authority and grabbed the holeshot as Carpe, Fernandez and Pini all battled hard behind. A crash at Turn 4 on the restart as Jesus Rios (Rivacold Snipers Team) took out Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL-UP MTA), both riders OK. Right in the mix too and up into second as the others battled, Morelli showed his pace whilst in fifth, Salmela was also in contention.
Onto the last lap and Morelli had got the hammer down in a bid to catch his teammate and going into the last sector, was right with Quiles but despite his best efforts, there was nothing that was going to stop the #28 from taking victory in Goiania and the Championship lead. An Aspar 1-2 with Morelli second whilst there was a first podium in Grand Prix racing for Indonesia as Pratama bagged third, holding off Carpe and Pini. Salmela took a mighty sixth and with in Finland’s best result in the class since 2014 whilst Perrone, Fernandez, Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Danish rounded out the top ten.
Goiania done and dusted, straight to COTA for more twists and turns next weekend!
