26/04/2026

David Muñoz wraps off a spectacular comeback celebrating a season first podium

Not only David Muñoz, but also David Almansa made history for the team at their home Grand Prix, as both exceeded all expectations following their return from injury. Like third-place finisher Muñoz, Almansa also earned valuable points for the championship and the team with a solid eighth-place finish.

From hospital to the podium. That’s the best way to describe the race weekend at the Circuito de Jerez from David Muñoz’s perspective. After six agonizing months following his crash in Indonesia last October, which had fatal consequences, the 19-year-old Spaniard had to undergo no fewer than six surgeries on his injured left leg.

Expectations for his comeback this weekend were virtually non-existent. But even during practice session, Muñoz proved to be a tenacious competitor — a performance that was rewarded with the second spot on the starting grid in qualifying. On Sunday, in perfect weather and in front of a fantastic crowd, he kept his cool in his home race. As soon as the starting lights went out, Muñoz stayed with the leading group all the way to the finish line and even took the lead several times. On the final lap, the battle for second place behind eventual winner Maximo Quiles got even more fierce. In the sprint to the finish line, Adrian Fernandez prevailed, while Muñoz missed second place by just 18 thousandths of a second.

On the other side in the German team’s garage, David Almansa also delivered very strong performances that far exceeded expectations. The 20-year-old Spaniard struggled with his stamina during the race, as he has not yet fully recovered from surgery on his left elbow three weeks ago. Almansa started from eighth place and lost a few positions in the hectic opening stages but gradually made them up again. After 19 gruelling laps, he crossed the finish line in eighth place.

From now on, the championship will continue every two weeks. Next stop: Le Mans, France.

#SpanishGP – Moto3™ Race Classification (19 Laps):
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team / KTM / 33´23.556
2 Adrian FERNANDEZ / SPA / Leopard Racing / Honda / +1.991
3 #64 #64 David MUÑOZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM / +2.009
…
8 #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KTM / +11.601

Moto3™ World Standings:
1 Maximo QUILES / SPA / KTM / 90
2 Alvaro CARPE / SPA / KTM / 53
3 Adrian FERNANDEZ / SPA / KTM / 49
…
8 #22 David ALMANSA / SPA / KTM / 33
10 #64 David MUÑOZ / SPA / KTM / 22
22 #88 Marcos URIARTE / SPA / KTM / 2

Moto3™ Team Standings:
1 CFMOTO Aspar Team 135
2 Leopard Racing 85
3 Red Bull KTM Ajo 81
…
5 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP 57

David Muñoz

Rennen: P3 +2.009
Moto3 World Championship 2026: P10 - 22 Points

«I’m over the moon! Especially considering all the work we put in this weekend. It was a tough weekend for me, but all our efforts paid off. I was in the leading group right from the start and was able to keep up the pace the whole time. Today is a very important day in my life, and finishing on the podium in my home race makes it even more unforgettable. Since I’ve only just recovered from an injury, I didn’t expect to be at this level here already. I’ve spent a lot of time in the hospital lately, couldn’t train, or couldn’t do anything for my body. That’s why I’m really happy about what I was able to achieve in Jerez. The final lap was more exciting than I would have liked, but battles like that are normal in Moto3. The battle with Fernandez was very exhausting given my physical condition. But now it’s time to thank the entire team for their work and the support I received to make such a comeback—thanks, guys, you’re great!»

David Almansa

Rennen: P8 +11.601
Moto3 World Championship 2026: P8 - 33 Points

«To be honest, our race today wasn’t that great. Mainly because I don’t feel 100 percent physically fit. Because of my elbow, I wasn’t able to use the engine brake properly since I couldn’t pull the clutch lever fast enough. That caused me losing time under braking and went wide several times. That was one issue. Another issue was the fast and flowing sectors, especially the last one, where I lost 0.4 to 0.5 seconds. I’m not exactly sure why yet, but I think the stronger wind compared to yesterday and Friday affected my riding there. On the positive side, despite these problems, we were very consistent and gave it our all on every lap. In the end, we finished in eighth place and scored a good points haul for the championship, even though I had hoped for a bit more. Many thanks to the entire team for their support throughout the weekend, which wasn’t easy for me.»

Peter Öttl

Teammanager

«We came to the first European round here in Jerez with virtually no expectations. We had simply hoped that our two riders would receive clearance from the race doctor on Thursday following their break due to injury. We were very happy when that happened. In every practice session, both Davids already proved their competitiveness, which was certainly not to be expected. David Muñoz’s P2 grid position was definitely outstanding. But David Almansa also secured a good starting position for the race with eighth place on the grid.»

«During the race, David Muñoz battled for the win until two laps from the end and for a podium finish right up until the line. At the finish line, he missed second place by just one hundredth of a second. I think a podium finish after these six agonizing months since his serious crash is certainly something very special. David Almansa also had a good race and scored valuable points with his eighth-place finish. Both of them have now earned a break, which they will use wisely to recover and continue working on their fitness. In two weeks in Le Mans, they will definitely come back even stronger. Finally, my thanks to the entire team for the great work this weekend. Not to mention how wonderfully everyone supported our two Davids so they could deliver such performances. Thank you all very much!»

#SpanishGP 2026

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