Early on in the weekend, rain was affecting the Moto3. However, that didn’t stop the young riders from going all out. With the champion out of action, there was a chance for other riders to shine throughout the weekend. Máximo Quiles won the race, making the fight for P2 in the championship go down to the final round. Here’s a roundup of the Moto3 weekend in Portimão and all that happened.
The Aftermath of Malaysia
The sighting lap of the Malaysian race saw a big crash between newly crowned champion José Antonio Rueda and Noah Dettwiler. Red Bull KTM Ajo and CIP Green Power released full updates on both riders ahead of the weekend.
Both suffered cardiac arrests on track, and were airlifted to hospital once they were stable. Doctors confirmed that Rueda had no severe trauma to his head or torso – only multiple fractures in his right hand and arm. He was quickly transferred back to Spain and on the 5th November, Dr. Xavier Mir successfully operated on him.
Dettwiler wasn’t as lucky, as he continued to be in critical condition for days after the crash. Initially, doctors performed emergency surgery before transferring him to the ICU. Within days, he was awake and communicating. With an open leg fracture, lung contusions, and a crack in his neck, Dettwiler has a long road to recovery. He has now flown home to Switzerland for further treatment.
Whilst neither will return for the final race, they are on the mend. They are both lucky to be stable and their crash continues to pose questions over the removal of the warm up session for Moto3 and Moto2. Whether or not the schedule will be adjusted in the future remains to be seen.
Another casualty of Malaysia was Adrián Fernández. After achieving a fourth podium of his season, officials announced ahead of the weekend that he had been disqualified. During the race he was using a non-homologated map configuration. With Fernández out, it promoted his teammate David Almansa onto the podium – his first in Moto3.
New Riders and Rain Affected Practice
Replacement riders filled the Moto3 grid in Portugal. Red Bull KTM Ajo replaced Rueda with their 2026 rider Brian Uriate, whereas CIP Green Power elected not to replace Dettwiler. Hakim Danish swapped being a wildcard rider for replacing Ryusei Yamanaka, and Casey O’Gorman filled in for David Muñoz. Jesús Rios got his first Moto3 outing as he stepped in for Riccardo Rossi. Joel Esteban continued his position as ‘super-sub’ as he replaced an injured Jacob Roulstone.
Rain was an inconvenience for Moto3 throughout the practice sessions. Italy’s Dennis Foggia led Free Practice 1 by a small margin over Joel Kelso. Denssi Racing BOE rider Cormac Buchanon didn’t adjust as quickly to the track as others did – having a heavy crash early on in the session and not returning to the track. After FP1, dry running was a luxury for the riders ahead of qualifying.
Practice saw an early end due to the rain arriving. But it was new podium sitter Almansa who topped the times and led the 14 who would advance straight to Q2. Replacement riders Danish, O’Gorman, and Uriate all were able to scrape into the top 14. With rain overnight, Free Practice 2 saw a damp track. Whilst not all of the riders came out, out of the 19 who did it was Ángel Piqueras who put in the best time of 1:59.106 – a whole 12 seconds slower than the times we saw during Friday’s sessions.
A Second Pole for Kelso
By the time qualifying for Moto3 arrived, the track had dried and the sky was clear. 11 riders headed out for Q1 and they all had one goal: be one of the four to advance and compete for pole position. At the start of the session, Buchanan had another crash, leaving him at the back of the grid for the race. Joel Esteban quickly lit up the timing sheets – heading straight to the top. He was comfortably at the top, with a 0.150 second gap back to Marco Morelli. Stefano Nepa and Guido Pini also advanced and there was a sizable gap back to Zen Mitani and the rest of the field.
In Q2, Máximo Quiles looked to take pole position as he set a rapid banker lap time. However, when the fast laps started coming in, he crashed. Unable to set another time, Quiles dropped down to fourth on the grid. Sole CIP Green Power rider Scott Odgen was on provisional pole and other riders were failing to better his time. However, in the final moments it was Joel Kelso who secured a second pole position of the season, going 0.069 seconds quicker than Odgen.
Máximo Quiles Brings the Fight for P2 to Piqueras
It wasn’t an easy win for rookie Quiles but it was a crucial victory as it brings him only eight points behind Piqueras in the fight for P2 in the championship. The race was filled with action at each turn, leaving no chances to avert your eyes.
Initially, Kelso got a great start off the line, maintaining his P1. Ogden fell back, finding himself P7 by the end of Lap 1. In contrast, Quiles made up positions and was pushing Kelso in the early laps, keeping the front runner on his toes. However, on Lap 3, Esteban made light contact with Quiles, dropping the #28 down to P7.
Behind Kelso, it was non-stop action for the following 8 riders with positions being swapped multiple times each lap. By Lap 9, Quiles was back in second and challenging Kelso, ultimately taking P1 on Lap 10. Despite taking the lead, only a few laps later Quiles ran wide, falling back to P7 yet again. After starting 11th, it was reigning winner Taiyo Furusato who then led the pack after making a move on Piqueras.
It only took Quiles 2 laps to regain the lead however, and with five riders fighting for P2, he was able to extend the gap. Ultimately, he was joined on the podium by Piqueras and Furusato, with Esteban falling shy in fourth. Fellow replacement riders Uriate and Danish were fighting throughout the race, Danish won out – finishing P12 to Uriate’s P13.
Valentín Perrone caused the first yellow flag – sliding out on Lap 4. One lap later, Almansa crashed at Turn 13 causing another yellow flag. He was able to return to the track but finished 21st. Despite making his way from P25 and last on the grid, Rios was fighting for points until he crashed at the start of Lap 14. Matteo Bertelle crashed the same lap and Guido Pini, who had been fighting in the lead pack, crashed out on Lap 15.
Overall, there was no lack of action in Moto3 in Portugal. Being the penultimate round, riders were pushing as hard as they could. Up next is the finale in Valencia. If the previous 21 rounds are anything to go by, it will provide a showstopping race.