Almansa just centimeters away from victory – Gonzalez delivers a strong comeback
David Almansa had the win in Misano almost in his hands until he was overtaken by Maximo Quiles on the final meters to the line. A mental reset helped David Gonzalez to put in a strong performance that placed him just outside the top ten.
Both Moto3 riders from the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP team showed an outstanding performance on race day at the San Marino Grand Prix. In glorious weather, however, it was David Almansa in particular who kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
Almansa, who had secured pole position for the sixth time this season, took the lead right at the start of the 20-lap race at the Misano World Circuit. It seemed as though the 20-year-old Spanish rider had everything under control. With a lead of up to half a second over his closest rivals at times, he held onto the top spot and led the field into the final lap.
In that final lap, his compatriot and championship leader closed in dangerously on Almansa in the final sector of the 4.2 kilometers track. Almansa skilfully defended his lead until his pursuer, Quiles, overtook him in the final turn before the checkered flag and won by a hair’s breadth. With this second-place finish, Almansa, who had suffered several setbacks during the first half of the season due to injuries and illness, moved up to second place in the overall standings.
After two difficult days of practice, David Gonzalez showed a completely different side of himself on Sunday. Gonzalez had to start from the second-to-last row but got off to a good start and was already racing in the points after just four laps. From there on, he battled within a large group for a possible spot in the top ten. Given the circumstances leading up to this race, however, an eleventh-place finish far exceeded expectations.
From the Italian Adriatic coast near Rimini, the race continues directly to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Styria, Austria.
Moto3™ Race Classification (20 Laps):
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / CFMOTO Viel Aspar Team / KTM / 33´42.713
2 #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM / +0.021
3 Brian URIARTE / SPA / Red Bull KTM Ajo / KTM / +1.343
…
11 #71 David GONZALEZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM / +22.185
Moto3™ World Standings:
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / KTM / 281
2 #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / KTM / 174
3 Alvaro CARPE / SPA / KTM / 159
…
17 #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 419
2 Red Bull KTM Ajo 313
3 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP 239
