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Tag: Jose Antonio Rueda

  • Rueda Rules Again as Muñoz Charges from the Back

    Rueda Rules Again as Muñoz Charges from the Back

    Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made a lightning start from the front row to grab the holeshot into Turn 1, edging out polesitter Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and fellow front-row starter David Almansa (Leopard Racing). Behind them, David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) launched a stunning start from the very back of the grid, surging into the points by the end of the first lap.

    Photo credit: Pirelli Press Office

    By Lap 3, the Aragon and Germany GP winner was already inside the top ten. Meanwhile, rookie standout Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) had climbed to second, with Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) pushing into the podium places, starting a battle between the team mates that would see them trade places frequently.

    Rueda began to stretch his lead by mid-race as Quiles, Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), and Foggia scrapped for second. The infighting allowed Rueda to escape by nearly two seconds. Back-to-back fastest laps from the #99 made clear he was intent on sealing his seventh win of the season.

    With five laps to go, focus shifted to the fierce podium battle behind. Quiles, Piqueras, Muñoz, Foggia, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), and Almansa all jockeyed for position. Muñoz forced his way into third at Turn 6 on the final lap, then dived past Piqueras for second at Turn 10. But a final attack from Quiles into Turn 13 and in the race to the line saw him snatch second at the flag.

    Rueda took a dominant win, over 3 seconds clear of the rest of the field, extending his title lead, while Quiles and Muñoz completed the podium – the latter’s incredible last-to-third comeback marking his fourth podium in five races.

    Photo credit: Pirelli Press Office

     

    Piqueras had to settle for fourth, just ahead of Foggia and Fernandez, who earned his first points since Le Mans. Almansa finished seventh, edging closer to top Honda honours in the standings, while Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) worked his way into eighth.

     

    Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and early leader Pini rounded out the top ten. Further back, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) fought up to 11th before a double Long Lap Penalty for causing a collision dropped him out of the points. That promoted Marco Morelli (DENSSI Racing – BOE) to 13th in an impressive debut.

    Feature image credit: Pirelli Press Office

    🏁 Moto3 Sachsenring GP – Race Results

    Pos Pts Rider Nat Team Time/Gap
    1 25 Jose Antonio Rueda 🇪🇸 Red Bull KTM Ajo 33:40.677
    2 20 Maximo Quiles 🇪🇸 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +3.471
    3 16 David Muñoz 🇪🇸 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +3.495
    4 13 Angel Piqueras 🇪🇸 FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +3.559
    5 11 Dennis Foggia 🇮🇹 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team +3.689
    6 10 Adrian Fernandez 🇪🇸 Leopard Racing +3.867
    7 9 David Almansa 🇪🇸 Leopard Racing +4.420
    8 8 Valentin Perrone 🇦🇷 Red Bull KTM Tech3 +5.579
    9 7 Ryusei Yamanaka 🇯🇵 FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI +5.597
    10 6 Guido Pini 🇮🇹 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP +5.985
    11 5 Marcos Uriarte 🇪🇸 LEVELUP-MTA +6.459
    12 4 Alvaro Carpe 🇪🇸 Red Bull KTM Ajo +10.711
    13 3 Marco Morelli 🇦🇷 DENSSI Racing – BOE +10.779
    14 2 Jacob Roulstone 🇦🇺 Red Bull KTM Tech3 +10.817
    15 1 Scott Ogden 🇬🇧 CIP Green Power +10.866
    16 — Taiyo Furusato 🇯🇵 Honda Team Asia +12.088
    17 — Stefano Nepa 🇮🇹 SIC58 Squadra Corse +27.274
    18 — Eddie O’Shea 🇬🇧 GRYD – Mlav Racing +27.275
    19 — Noah Dettwiler 🇨🇭 CIP Green Power +27.281
    20 — Leonardo Abruzzo 🇮🇹 GRYD – Mlav Racing +53.032
  • Spanish Delight: Rueda Dominates for Home Victory at Jerez

    Spanish Delight: Rueda Dominates for Home Victory at Jerez

    Winning at Jerez is the dream for every Spanish rider. This year, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) turned that dream into reality, making the leap from passionate spectator to home hero. Dominating the Moto3™ race from start to finish, Rueda delivered an emotional victory in front of a raucous Andalusian crowd that was no doubt packed with his family, friends, and fans.

    Starting from pole, Rueda wasted no time seizing the holeshot, leading the field into Turn 1 with the determination of a rider racing not just for points, but for pride. Early chaos, however, unfolded behind him: at Turn 6 on the opening lap, Ruche Moodley (DENSII Racing – BOE) clashed with David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), two separate incidents converging into one messy moment. Muñoz, already facing a back-of-the-grid penalty for riding slowly on the racing line during qualifying, remounted and rejoined but was left with a mountain to climb.

    Image Credit: PirelliMoto press release

    The drama didn’t stop there. Lap 2 saw more casualties as Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team), Vicente Perez (LEVELUP-MTA), and Cormac Buchanan (DENSII Racing – BOE) all crashed out separately — underlining just how dirty the track was offline. Buchanan was able to remount and continue, but the early attrition was already reshaping the race.

    Out front, Rueda was untouchable. Setting a relentless pace, he began to edge away from the chasing duo of Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) and Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), the three riders creating a clear gap back to Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), who rode lonely races in fourth and fifth.

    Just past the halfway mark, Rueda fired in the fastest lap of the race, daring his rivals to keep up. Piqueras responded, launching a move on Kelso into Turn 1 on Lap 13. However, in his haste to close the gap to the leader, the #36 ran wide, handing second place straight back to Kelso and allowing Rueda to extend his lead to over 1.5 seconds.

    Image Credit: PirelliMoto Press release

    From there, the race was Rueda’s to lose — and he showed no signs of cracking. Calm and composed, he ticked off the final laps and crossed the line to achieve a lifelong dream: a dominant, emotional victory on home soil at Jerez.

    The battle for second wasn’t over, though. On the final lap, Piqueras made another attempt, attacking Kelso at Turns 5 and 6. This time he made it stick, securing a Spanish 1-2 and sending the home crowd into celebration. The pair enjoyed a special moment together on their slow-down lap, saluting the fans at Turns 9 and 10.

    Kelso claimed third — his second podium of the season — while Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) produced a strong second half of the race to snatch fourth from Yamanaka. Furusato finished a solid sixth, followed by a career-best result for rookie Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) in seventh. Fellow JuniorGP™ graduate Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finished eighth, while Jacob Roulstone and Valentin Perrone (both Red Bull KTM Tech3) completed the top ten, overcoming Long Lap penalties received for qualifying infractions.

    Feature Image Credit: PirelliMoto Press release