20/09/2026

Despite fighting spirit and endless will to win, it was a bitter race day in Spielberg

LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP’s Moto3 outfit suffered a double disappointment on Sunday at the Austrian Grand Prix, as both David Almansa and returning David Muñoz were forced to retire after crashing.

In glorious late-summer weather amidst the Styrian alps, David Almansa once again impressively underlined his potential. The 20-year-old Spanish rider got off to a strong start and entered Turn one in second place, where he exceeded slightly the track’s limit amid the usual scramble, but on the following straight he used his momentum to pass Brian Uriarte and take the lead.

Race control immediately instructed Almansa via his dashboard to drop back one position. He did so in a very fair manner on the short straight before the penultimate turn at the Red Bull Ring. Just a few hundred meters later, he immediately retook the lead. For seven laps, Almansa was in his own to control everything at the front. However, a minor mistake in the chicane led to a crash and a premature end to the race for him. After three consecutive podium finishes since the start of the second half of the season, today’s retirement is all the more painful.

David Muñoz made an astonishing comeback after suffering a serious pelvic injury last June in Hungary. Even during practice sessions, the 20-year-old Spanish rider showed unwavering determination to return to the track, for which he was rewarded with a solid ninth place on the starting grid.

During the race, Muñoz delivered his usual performance and impressed everyone with his fighting spirit, as if he had never been away. Starting from row three, he fought his way up to fourth place. Later, he was caught by a large group of riders who were fiercely battling for their positions. With five laps to go, Muñoz came under heavy pressure from a rival who was determined to pass him on the inside line at Turn 4. Muñoz had to swerve and ended up in the gravel trap, fortunately without sustaining any further injuries.

The series’ annual Asia/Australia tour starts in two weeks with the Japanese Grand Prix.

Moto3™ Race Classification (20 Laps):
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team / KTM / 33´24.323
2 Brian URIARTE / SPA / Red Bull KTM Ajo / KTM / +2.334
3 Alvaro CARPE / SPA / Red Bull KTM Ajo / KTM / +7.394
…
NC #71 David GONZALEZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM
NC #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM

Moto3™ World Standings:
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / KTM / 306
2 Alvaro CARPE / SPA / KTM / 175
3 #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / KTM / 174
…
18 #64 David MUÑOZ / SPA / KTM / 52
22 #71 David GONZALEZ / SPA / KTM / 7
23 #88 Marcos URIARTE / SPA / KTM / 6

Moto3™ Team Standings:
1 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team 452
2 Red Bull KTM Ajo 349
3 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP 239

David Almansa

Race: NC
Moto3 World Championship 2026: P3 – 174 Points

«That was definitely an incredible race today. I had a very good pace and felt really comfortable. So, I started out feeling very confident that I could achieve a top result, and that’s why I gave it my all. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure yet what happened during the crash, because we saw in the data that I was playing with the throttle a bit. But why the front closed at exactly that spot is a bit strange. Still, we’ll learn from it. I apologize to the team because I made a big mistake with that crash. But we’ll bounce back in Japan and pick up right where we left off. I don’t feel any pressure after what happened today because Maximo Quiles has a too big points lead. We know what we’re capable of, and we’ll keep working just as hard to fight for second place in the championship until the very end.»

David Muñoz

Race: NC
Moto3 World Championship 2026: P18 – 52 Points

«The race went well; I had a good speed and felt comfortable. But unfortunately, another rider forced me off the track in a turn, so I had to upright the bike and rode straight into the gravel trap, where I ended up crashing. Luckily, I’m okay and didn’t hurt myself. Still, it’s a shame to end the race like that. Until the next race, though, I need to keep working on my physical conditioning to be in better shape. Many thanks to the team for their hard work and support this weekend.»

Peter Öttl

Teammanager

«As has been the case so many times this year, David Almansa dominated both practice sessions on Friday and secured a perfect starting position for the race by finishing second in qualifying. In the race, he was able to build a lead at the front but unfortunately crashed at the start of the second third of the race, dashing our high hopes for a victory at my home race. Nevertheless, we’re looking ahead, because his consistently strong form speaks for itself.»

«On the other hand, we were very happy that David Muñoz returned to the team after his long injury layoff. He immediately surprised us with his high speed, even though he was only able to complete a string of afew laps in each practice session. On Friday, he missed direct qualification for Q2 by just five hundredths of a second but made up for it on Saturday by advancing through Q1. P9 on the grid was also a good starting point for him. In the race, he fought incredibly hard, just as we’ve come to expect from him. But the longer the race went on, the more his physical condition began to take its toll. Nevertheless, he fought for a possible spot in the top six. Unfortunately, he crashed after a slight contact with another rider. We’re very glad he came away uninjured. It’s great to see that we can count on both Davids again and that they’re competitive. That gives us hope for the upcoming races in oversea. Many thanks to the entire team for the great work here in Spielberg.»

#AustrianGP Sunday

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