28/06/2026

Almansa returns to the podium with second place after a masterclass performance

On Sunday at Assen’s «Cathedral of Speed», the 20-year-old Spanish rider put in an extremely determined performance, which was rewarded with his third podium finish of the year. Marcos Uriarte crashed in the final stages but, fortunately, escaped uninjured.

David Almansa, who started the season’s tenth race from sixth on the grid, made his intentions clear immediately after the starting lights went out. With strong determination, he overtook his rivals in the first, twisty section of the track and took the lead in turn 5 but had to relinquish it again at the end of the opening lap.

Throughout the race, the young rider from Puertollano made a name for himself by doing most of the work at the front. In the final stages, eventual race winner and World Championship leader, Maximo Quiles, was his only rival for the victory at the Dutch Grand Prix. Although the pair entered the final lap almost side by side, Almansa was unable to stay on Quiles’ heels after the second section of the track and crossed the finish line in second place, half a second behind his compatriot. With 20 more points to his credit, he moved up to third place in the overall championship standings.

Although the race got off to a promising start for Marcos Uriarte, who was once again replacing David Muñoz, from P11 on the starting grid, he suffered a setback as early as on lap three. The 21-year-old Spanish rider, who was battling for a top-ten finish, dropped back to 18th place after making contact with an opponent and was unable to maintain his pace afterwards. A few laps before the checkered flag, Uriarte’s race came to a premature end.

In two weeks, the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Team will face the absolute highlight of the season when the Motorcycle World Championship makes its annual visit to the Sachsenring.

Moto3™ Race Classification (20 Laps):
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team / KTM / 33´51.801
2 #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM / +0.513
3 Marco MORELLI / ARG / CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team / KTM / +2.433
…
NC #88 Marcos URIARTE / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM

Moto3™ World Standings:
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / KTM / 211
2 Alvaro CARPE / SPA / KTM / 121
3 #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / KTM / 109
…
9 #64 David MUÑOZ / SPA / KTM / 52
22 #88 Marcos URIARTE / SPA / KTM / 6

Moto3™ Team Standings:
1 CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team 313
2 Red Bull KTM Ajo 223
3 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP 167

David Almansa

Race: P2 +0.513
Moto3 World Championship 2026: P3 – 109 Points

«We got off to a great start to the weekend and focused entirely on preparing for Sunday. Still, we had a strong time attack in Q2. In the race, I immediately tried to take the lead. The plan worked out. After that, I didn’t push too hard, even though I tried to pull away. But halfway through the race, Maximo Quiles passed me, and I knew he was on the medium tires, which allowed him to really put the pressure on from this point on. I stayed behind him and took it a bit easier, because at this track it’s easy to follow the rider in front of you. Later, I prepared very well for the final lap, but I made a small mistake in a left-hand corner that prevented me from battling him all the way to the finish line. But I’m very happy, because the feeling with the bike was perfect and I feel very comfortable with the team. We’ll keep going like this, especially at the team’s home Grand Prix next time in Germany. But first of all, thank you very much for everything.»

Marcos Uriarte

Race: NC
Moto3 World Championship 2026: P22 – 6 Points

«It was a tough race. I tried on my own to close the gap to the riders in front of me, but I lost time on the straights and was caught by the others. I also had a brief contact with another rider, which cost me a lot of positions, and a few laps before the end, I lost control of the front and crashed. I’m sorry for the team. So Assen ended on a disappointing note, but I’m already looking forward to racing again at the Sachsenring. For now, though, I’d like to thank the entire team for their hard work and support.»

Peter Öttl

Teammanager

«David was consistently fast here in Assen this weekend. During practice sessions, he consistently set his lap times under his own power, without the help of a slipstream. Sixth on the grid after three consecutive pole positions was no disappointment; it was still a good starting position for the race. Already on the first lap, he surged forward from his starting position on the second row and took the lead. Thanks to his strong pace, he was able to pull away at the front alongside Maximo Quiles as the race progressed. This was already the fifth time this season, which very clearly underlines that they are currently the strongest riders in Moto3 World Championship. At the finish, David narrowly missed out on the win. The difference between him and Quiles was minimal, but David has moved up to third place in the overall standings and has cut the gap to the second-placed rider to twelve points. I think the runner-up title is a realistic goal for us that we can achieve by the end of the season.»

«Marcos Uriarte started the weekend at a higher level than last time and continued to make steady progress. He improved in every practice session and, with a ninth-place finish in Friday’s Practice session, he secured the direct entry to Q2 for the first time. His eleventh starting position was a testament to his progress. Unfortunately, he was unable to realize his hopes for further improvement in the race, and his race came to a premature end shortly before the finish due to a crash. Nevertheless, we will continue to work with him at the Sachsenring and try to secure another points finish for the team. Finally, I would like to thank the entire team, which pushed itself to its limits this weekend in this heat — thank you all very much for your dedication!»

#DutchGP

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