Maximo Quiles secured the Moto3 World Championship at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia on October 10, 2026, claiming his tenth victory of the season at Mandalika to clinch the title with five rounds remaining, MotoGP.com reported. Starting from the sixth grid slot, the 18-year-old Spaniard driving for the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team broke away from the field to seal the championship in his second season in the class.
Mandalika Victory Secures the Title
Quiles managed a commanding race on the Indonesian circuit, crossing the finish line ahead of David Almansa of Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP, who took second place in another solitary run. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s poleman Brian Uriarte completed the podium in third after prevailing in a final-lap battle against Matteo Bertelle of LEVEL UP – MTA, who missed out on a podium finish by just 94 milliseconds, according to Eurosport.it. The victory marks Quiles’s 15th podium of the season across 17 races, making him the fastest rider to secure a Moto3 title with five rounds to spare in the category’s history. Behind the leading group, Rico Salmela finished fifth for Red Bull KTM Tech3, followed by Veda Pratama of Honda Team Asia in sixth, while Alvaro Carpe crashed out on the 11th lap during an overtaking attempt on Adrian Fernandez. Guido Pini took seventh place ahead of his teammate, with Pini dropping a position on the final lap due to a shortcut penalty to finish eighth behind Adrian Fernandez. Quiles stated: Sono felicissimo del lavoro fatto con il team.
Ce l’ho fatta a portare a casa l’obiettivo.
Ora ci saranno altre tappe ma mi voglio godere questo momento
.
Family Origins and Early Career Milestones
His father, José David Martinez, raced under the number 27, inspiring Quiles to adopt the number 28. Hailing from Murcia like tennis player Carlos Alcaraz and rider Pedro Acosta, Quiles remarked: Siamo gente abituata a lottare, vogliamo mangiarci il mondo
. By 2020, competing with the Gasss Racing Team in the Spanish ESBK Moto4 championship, he finished second at age 12, followed by a European Talent Cup victory in 2021 aboard a Honda Laglisse machine at age 13.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2025/08/24/image-390d1ad1-5b2b-4bcc-89c2-3a49d464c955-85-2560-1440.jpeg "Photo: Eurosport.it")
Management Ties to Marc Marquez
Despite the shared initials avoided on paper, Quiles’s career receives direct backing from Marc and Alex Marquez through their agency Vertical Management, where Quiles operates as the first talent signed outside the Marquez brothers.
Advancement to Moto2
Following his dominant Moto3 campaign, Quiles is scheduled to step up to the Moto2 category for the following season with the Aspar Team, where he will team up with veteran rider Celestino Vietti. Meanwhile, the broader grand prix landscape continues to track international milestones, such as Italy securing its 300th premier-class victory at the same Mandalika event through Marco Bezzecchi, Tuttosport noted. While Italy relies on veterans and emerging prospects like Luca Lunetta and Guido Pini, Spain prepares to introduce a new generation of riders born between 2004 and 2006, including Pedro Acosta, Fermin Aldeguer, Izan Guevara, Dani Holgado, and David Alonso, alongside established figures such as Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, Alex Marquez, and Raul Fernandez.
Next Stop at Phillip Island
The Moto3 paddock pauses for a one-week break before resuming competition at the Australian Grand Prix held at Phillip Island. The race classification at Mandalika recorded Quiles in first, followed by Almansa, Uriarte, Bertelle, Salmela, Pratama, Adrian Fernandez, Pini, Esteban, and Ogden in the top ten, with Yamanaka, Danish, Cruces, Perrone, and Rios also completing the results.
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