Furusato takes maiden Moto3™ victory at Sepang

Moto3 got their Grand Prix underway later than previously scheduled; during the sighting lap, there was an incident involving Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), which led to the Grand Prix being delayed. Both riders were taken to hospital by medical helicopter and the new race start pushed back until the medical helicopter could return. When the Grand Prix got underway over 10 laps, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) took a first win in the class ahead of Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing).

Grabbing the holeshot, Furusato led the way throughout the opening lap whilst polesitter David Almansa (Leopard Racing) was just ahead of a fast-starting Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team). By the end of Lap 3, Almansa had briefly retaken the lead but soon enough, the #72 of Furusato battled back to P1. By half distance, Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) had worked his way into P2, getting ahead of Quiles at Turn 4 on Lap 5 before the Spaniard retaliated at Turn 9. Fernandez had also surged into contention from the fourth row of the grid and picked Pini’s pocket, the #94 now fourth. Fernandez was now into P2 whilst at Turn 2 on Lap 6, Quiles had the most remarkable of front-end slides but somehow kept it upright.

It was a Honda 1-2-3 at the front with Furusato’s lead hovering at around a second, ahead of Fernandez and Almansa, although the second of the Leopard Racing Hondas was shuffled back to fifth by a hard-charging Pini and Piqueras, although the #22 responded at Turn 9 to retake fourth. Pini had likewise elevated himself into second and all the fighting of the remaining podium positions gave Furusato a one second lead with three laps to go. Almansa lost the front at the final corner on Lap 8 but managed to stay on track, dropping him down to P6 and out of the podium battle and instead behind Quiles. A lap later and Turn 15 spelt the end of Pini’s Grand Prix, the Italian out of podium battle in an attempt to pass Fernandez.

Onto the final lap and with Furusato clearing off into the distance, the fight was for second but at Turn 9, soon settled as Fernandez had a huge slide, handing it to Piqueras. Across the line for his first Grand Prix victory, Furusato was unstoppable to bag Honda’s first win of 2025. Piqueras clinched second whilst Fernandez came home third ahead of teammate Almansa, with three Hondas in the top four. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) came through to complete the top five, ahead of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

Quiles came home seventh and with that was crowned Rookie of the Year ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) who came up from 15^th for his first top ten since his P7 at Assen. In ninth place, Brian Uriarte (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) who was forced off-track by Quiles on the final lap at Turn 7 whilst Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) clinched P10. Elsewhere, home wildcard Hakim Danish (AEON CREDIT SIC Racing MSI) set the fastest lap but retired with a technical issue.

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