Veda Ega Pratama secured 11th place at the Moto3 Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Twin Ring Motegi, finishing directly ahead of rival Hakim Danish and putting an end to a three-race streak behind the Malaysian rider, according to reports from Distori.id.
Motegi Struggles and Tactical Recovery for Danish
Hakim Danish fought through a challenging weekend at Motegi, starting from the 21st position on the grid after crashing three times during prior sessions, Juara.net reported, citing coverage from Malaysian media outlet Harian Metro. Despite the difficult layout of the weekend and a starting spot deep in the pack, the AEO Credit – MT Helmets – Msi rider worked his way forward to cross the finish line in 12th place. Until lap 10, Hakim Danish was still back in 16th place before eventually climbing into the points.
Overall, this is a difficult race for me,
Danish said after the race, as noted by Juara.net.
Standings Shift as Pratama and Danish Draw Even on Points
The duel at Motegi left both riders tied in the Moto3 World Championship standings with 105 points apiece, Distori.id reported. Pratama earned five points for his 11th-place finish, while Danish collected four points for 12th. Despite the identical point totals, Danish retains the seventh position in the standings due to a higher tiebreaker advantage, having secured a victory earlier in the season at the Czech Republic Grand Prix.
CNN Indonesia reported that Pratama made an aggressive charge from 18th on the starting grid, vaulting to 13th on the opening lap before fluctuating through the midfield. Veda Ega advanced to 12th after four laps, though the gap to the top eight had already stretched to 3.8 seconds by lap six. Pratama later climbed to 10th before slipping back to 12th on lap 10 after being overtaken by Joel Esteban, Fernandez, and Joel Kelso, and subsequently dropped further before late-race battles. Throughout the 14 laps, Pratama and Danish repeatedly swapped positions within the same group, with late-race attrition—including a crash involving Eddie O’Shea—helping both youngsters advance into the final points-paying positions on the last lap.
Almansa Wins as Quiles Extends Championship Lead
At the front of the race, David Almansa captured the grand prix victory after fending off late pressure, Distori.id reported. Almansa’s win moved him up to second place in the championship standings, overtaking Alvaro Carpe. Meanwhile, Maximo Quiles maintained a commanding grip on the championship lead with 326 points, finishing the Japanese round in second place behind Almansa.
Qualifying earlier in the weekend had set up a chaotic grid, with Brian Uriarte securing second place alongside pole-sitter Almansa, according to RiderTua.com. Almansa claimed pole position with a lap time of 1 minute 54.572 seconds, while Uriarte finished just 0.045 seconds behind with a time of 1 minute 54.617 seconds. In the midfield, Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Rico Salmela secured seventh position on the grid with a time of 1 minute 55.247 seconds, placing him on the third row alongside Valentin Perrone and Marco Morelli after previously reaching as high as fifth during the first half of qualifying.
