The Malaysian Grand Prix began under sombre circumstances following a serious incident on the sighting lap involving José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power). The collision brought out the red flag before the race had even begun, with both riders receiving immediate medical attention. Updates have been provided by both teams as follows:
“Following the impact at the exit of Turn 3 between Jose Antonio Rueda and Noah Dettwiler during the Sighting Lap, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider has a fracture in his hand. At this moment, Rueda is awake and conscious in the hospital.
The Spaniard was assessed as having no serious injuries to his head or torso, albeit with a severe concussion from the impact. He remains under observation, awaiting further tests on his hand and arm.”
– Red Bull KTM Ajo“This morning, during the sighting lap at Sepang, our rider Noah Dettwiler was involved in a serious accident. He was taken to the hospital in Kuala Lumpur and will need to undergo multiple surgeries.
He is in good hands, and we kindly as you to respect his privacy. We will not be sharing further updates at this time.
Noah is a true fighter, and the entire CIP Green Power team is right behind him. We will keep you updated as soon as possible”
– CIP Green Power
My thoughts, and the thoughts of the fans and paddock are with both riders and we wish them a speedy recovery.
In a controversial decision I personally disagree with, officials decided that the Moto3 race would continue over a shorter distance.
When racing eventually resumed, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) delivered a faultless performance to claim his first Moto3 Grand Prix victory — a moment of joy on an otherwise difficult day for the Moto3 community. The Japanese rider took the holeshot and never relinquished control, showing poise and precision under the sweltering Sepang heat.
From pole position, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) initially fought back to briefly lead on Lap 3, but Furusato quickly reclaimed the top spot with a confident move. Behind them, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) were locked in an intense scrap for the podium. Pini managed to climb to second midway through the race, only for Quiles to strike back as Fernandez carved his way forward from the fourth row.
Furusato, meanwhile, remained untouchable. His Honda RC250RW looked perfectly balanced as he kept a one-second buffer while chaos unfolded behind. There were close calls aplenty — Quiles miraculously saved a near-crash at Turn 2, and both Almansa and Pini later ran into trouble as the race wore on.
With two laps to go, the battle for second saw Fernandez slide wide, allowing Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) to slip through. Up front, Furusato was long gone, cruising across the line to take a hugely emotional first win — and Honda’s first of the 2025 season. Piqueras claimed P2, while Fernandez completed the podium to make it three Hondas in the top three.
Almansa recovered to finish fourth, followed by Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) in fifth and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in sixth. Quiles came home seventh and, with that result, secured the Rookie of the Year title after a consistent and impressive debut campaign. Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) earned his best result since Assen in eighth, Brian Uriarte (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was ninth, and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) rounded out the top ten.
The points were rounded out by Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in eleventh, Joel Kelso (LevelUP – MTA) in twelth, Maco Morelli (GRYD – MLAV Racing) who is continuing to impress as a last minitue switch in for the team as he crossed the line in thirteenth. Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team) took fourteenth and a single point went the way of Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – MLAV Racing) who came home in fifteenth.
Malaysian wildcard Hakim Danish (AEON Credit SIC Racing MSI) deserves an honorable mention as he gave the local fans something to cheer with the fastest lap of the race before retiring due to a technical issue.
It was a day that reminded everyone of both the joy and fragility of racing. While Furusato celebrated a long-awaited victory, the thoughts of the entire MotoGP paddock remained with Dettwiler, Rueda, and their families.
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