Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) is officially on cloud nine after a ninth win of the season came at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Taking advantage of title rival David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) crashing out of the lead on Lap 8, he took honours to give KTM the manufacturer’s crown ahead of Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and his teammate Alvaro Carpe. Quiles’ win means it is now mathematically possible for him to take the title next time out at Motegi; he currently sports a 131-point lead, he’s Champion if he leaves Japan with 150 or more.
Grabbing the holeshot from the front row, Almansa got a great start and led through the first lap but was soon instructed to drop one position. He did so into Turn 9, only retake the lead from polesitter Uriarte at Turn 1 on Lap 2. It was a front group of four with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Championship leader Quiles who, by the end of Lap 3, was into second place and giving chase to Almansa who was pulling clear.
Soon, the top two had escape and it was the same movie we’d seen plenty of times across the course of the season as they traded fastest laps and were some half a second a lap quicker than Uriarte and Carpe. Quiles was pushing hard in his pursuit of Almansa, perhaps too hard as on Lap 6 he was given a track limits warning for exceeding track limits. On Lap 8 though, bigger drama, just as he started pulling clear at the front as Almansa crashed at Turn 2B, ending his Grand Prix. Heartbreak for the Spaniard whilst Quiles inherited the lead. More heartbreak behind as Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) fell from the top six at Turn 6, thankfully rider OK.
Into the second half of the GP and the battled had relaxed at the front with Quiles 1.9s clear of Uriarte and Carpe whilst 9.5s behind the podium, Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) led a big battle for P4 with Eddie O’Shea (GRYD Racing), Joel Esteban (LEVELUP-MTA), David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing) and Guido Pini (Leopard Racing). Esteban soon found his way to the front ahead of O’Shea and Muñoz but the battle was far from done. With 5 to go though, Muñoz GP came to an end when Pratama pushed him out wide causing the Spaniard to crash. Pratama was given a Long Lap Penalty whilst Muñoz retired after rejoining.
Meanwhile, at the front, Quiles took a ninth victory of the season with the chequered flag waving him through and to give him an opportunity to wrap up the title in Japan whilst KTM are manufacturer’s Champions. Uriarte pulled out a five second gap over teammate Carpe who rounded out the podium and moved into P2 in the standings. It was a career-best result of O’Shea who came home fourth for the GRYD Racing’s best result with Pini in P5, his best since his win at COTA. O’Gorman took a joint-best P6 ahead of Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower), Marco Morelli (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI) and teammate Yamanaka.
Moto3 Austrian GP results from the Red Bull Ring