Máximo Quiles secured his fifth win of the 2026 Moto3 season at the Grand Prix of Hungary. While the #28 kept his nose clean most of the weekend, there was plenty of drama being talked about on and off the Balaton Park Circuit. Read on for all the details as well as the Moto3 race results.
Almansa Kicks Off the Weekend on Top
Set beside the idyllic Lake Balaton, Moto3 engines echoed through the paddock as the 35-minute Free Practice 1 session got underway. Quiles was the first to the top of the timing tower, setting a lap in the 1:48s.
The current Moto3 championship leader improved on that time to get into the 1:47s. However, the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP team were hot on the pace. David Muñoz was the first of the duo to come up to P1 with a 1:47.592. Quiles set a blistering lap in response, but it was deleted for track limits.
While Muñoz continued to dominate, his teammate David Almansa was not far behind. Álvaro Carpe and Adrián Fernández slowly crept up, but it was Carpe who was about to split the Intact riders. As FP1 neared its end, Almansa clocked in one final lap to keep him at the top. The #22 finished the session with a 1:46.956.
Quiles Leads the Top 14 in Moto3 Practice
Before the afternoon Moto3 Practice session began, big news rocked the paddock. The announcement came that Fernández and the Leopard Racing team had been disqualified from the opening six Grand Prix of the season. The FIM stewards’ decision stems from reports that two engines used by the #31 were found to have had their seals tampered with. This essentially makes them new engines, which is obviously against regulations. The team have since issued a statement regarding the disqualification, and the situation remains ongoing despite the ramifications already being felt.
While the news was still unfolding and standings being reshuffled, another 35 minutes counted down as the all-important practice session kicked off. With only 14 spots available to move straight into Q2, the riders were leaving it all out on the asphalt. Quiles was going flat stick, while Carpe lost the front in Turn 9.
There were a few saves coming into the second run of the session from Quiles, as well as from Casey O’Gorman and Hakim Danish. The mistake proved unlucky for the #13, pushing him out of the top spots to battle in Saturday’s Q1. Cormac Buchanan was the second rider to crash in the session. The #14 came down at Turn 1 and also found themselves below the advancing line.
While still battling the Intact GP riders, Quiles still improved his pace and finished the session in P1 with a 1:46.296.
Quiles Sets the Pace on Saturday
Another sunny day greeted Moto3 riders on Saturday morning for the half-hour Free Practice 2 session. It didn’t take Quiles long to get going, setting the fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:45.784. It was a much harder start to their day for Veda Pratama, having a speedy slide into the gravel trap at Turn 5.
But once again, the Intact GP riders were hot on Quiles’ trail. Almansa came up to equal the Moto3 all-time lap record at 1:45.700. And, despite the front-end chatter and big moments from Muñoz at Turns 1 and 2, the #64 broke that record by nearly three tenths of a second.
Muñoz didn’t claim the record for long, with Quiles setting a 1:45.385 a lap later. The pressure was getting to some as the crashes came rolling in. Eddie O’Shea found gravel at Turn 5, and Fernández lost the front at Turn 1, stopping on the track. The recently crowned Moto3 winner in Mugello, Brian Uriarte, also fell victim to the Balaton Park Circuit.
The last crash of the session went to Matteo Bertelle, the Italian, ending their morning at Turn 2. Meanwhile, Quiles improved on his record-breaking time to finish the session on top and with the fastest lap of 1:45.148.
Almansa Qualifies on Pole Once Again
Only four riders could advance from Q1 to Q2, so no one was leaving anything to chance as the qualifying session began. Rios and Uriarte went straight up to the top of the time board, while Buchanan landed right in the middle of the track at Turn 1.
The New Zealand rider was able to get himself back into the mix. Meanwhile, Danish put everything into his final flying lap, but it was ultimately too late. Uriarte kept the top spot to go into the next qualifying session along with Jesús Ríos, Buchanan, and Adrián Cruces.
Another 15 minutes, and the battle for the front row was an intense one. O’Gorman came down at Turns 5 and 6, setting off a chain of incidents as the session continued. Guido Pini crashed down at Turn 12, Rios somersaulted off his bike at Turn 17, while Muñoz had a heavy highside crash at the same corner.
Quiles had his lap times cancelled due to these incidents, but eventually came up to the top spot with a time attack of 1:45.750. However, plenty of riders had yet to register a lap, with only six on the board. A couple of minutes remaining, and Almansa claimed back P1 just as his teammate Muñoz returned to the circuit.
It was a moment of redemption for Almansa, securing pole position once again. The #22 rider was forced to miss the chance to start from pole at Mugello the week prior due to tonsillitis. Quiles was resigned to start second, while Uriarte qualified in third.
Dramatic Race With Red Flags Out on the Last Lap
Housekeeping before the race began: Pratama, Bertelle and O’Shea were all handed long-lap penalties for riding slow on line during qualifying. It was a rocket start for Almansa, leading the rest of the pack down the straight and around Turns 1 and 2. But not everyone made it past that. Pini collided with Joel Esteban at Turn 2, while Danish and Ruche Moodley took each other out at Turn 5.
Almansa and Quiles were charging ahead at the front as Rico Salmela made their way into the third spot with Valentín Perrone close behind. But it was still early in the race, and plenty more drama was to come. Another rider was lost at Turns 1 and 2 in Nicola Carraro, the crash ending the #10 rider’s Hungarian GP early
Muñoz found himself in the middle of four Red Bull riders, battling with Carpe on overtakes. The fight continued all the way to the last lap, while Quiles was calm and in control at the front. As the #28 wheelied over the line celebration, red flags came out due to an incident between Muñoz, Perrone, and Uriarte.
While all riders were thankfully conscious, it was Muñoz who fared much worse. The #64 sustained pelvic fractures and was immediately transported to a hospital in Budapest to undergo surgery. It was a bittersweet end for the Intact GP team to end the Hungarian GP, with one rider injured and the other finishing P2.
Despite the dramatic finish, it was Quiles once again on the top step with Carpe rounding out the podium in P3.