Jose Antonio Rueda won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Chang International Circuit, in Thailand. Using his Pirelli-shod Red Bull KTM Ajo, the Spaniard won the 19-lap race by 7.276 second.
His rookie teammate and Spaniard Alvaro Carpe was the runner-up.
The Spanish rider Adrian Fernandez was third, just 0.065 second behind Carpe, on his Leopard Racing Honda.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Rueda eases to Buriram victory, teammate Carpe stuns in P2. In a chaotic Moto3™ Grand Prix, it was Jose Antonio Rueda’s experience that saw him take victory whilst his rookie teammate grabbed attention on his debut.
Grand Prix Sunday is off to flying start as the Moto3™ World Championship rocketed into life at the Chang International Circuit. The PT Grand Prix of Thailand’s main race day started with plenty of talking points but coming out of the drama unscathed and opening his victory account in 2025, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) stayed clear of trouble to take a second career victory.
RACE STORY: early incidents with big impacts
As we so often see in Moto3, the opening exchanges were hotly contested, with Rueda leading from the front from polesitter Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL-UP MTA), but the second-place baton was being swapped plenty of times as the riders fought for position. There was opening lap drama for rookies Cormac Buchanan (BOE Motorsports) and Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – MLav Racing), with the New Zealander taking out the Brit in a last corner-first lap incident.
With 13 laps to go, a lead group of 13 had formed after home hero Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Team Asia) crashed out of contention with Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Then, Buasri’s teammate Taiyo Furusato had his podium hopes ended at Turn 3 with 12 laps to go. Now, it was a front bunch of 12 riders but two more then dropped out of the podium fight. Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) went off at Turn 3 after a collision with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Intact Dynavolt), the latter receiving a Long Lap Penalty but crashing out on Lap 13 before he had the chance to take it.
With all the incidents and scrapping in the group, Rueda took his opportunity to bolt clear and instilled a two-second gap between him and the likes of Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and rookie revelation Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo). With just five laps to go, Joel Kelso (LEVEL-UP MTA) got it all wrong at Turn 12 and took out Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). The latter rejoined but Kelso was out.
CLOSING STAGES: a fierce fight for P2
The final laps were all about the battle for P2; Fernandez was looking at equalling his career-best finish, Carpe at a debut podium and Nepa – with more starts than any current Moto3 rider on the grid – a career-first podium. Up the road by 7 seconds, Rueda took a second win of his career and would find his teammate alongside him in P2, a magnificent debut for Carpe. Fernandez took P3 and denied Nepa a first appearance on the rostrum, whilst Matteo Bertelle took P5 despite starting from pole.
There was late heartbreak for Britain’s Scott Ogden who crashed at the last corner on the last lap after contact with David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and despite his best efforts to not crash, it ended in the gravel, just metres from the finishing line. Dennis Foggia’s (CFMOTO Aspar Team) return to Moto3 thus saw him in P6, with Almansa P7, Rossi promoted into eighth and the top ten rounded out by Joel Esteban (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and the recovering Lunetta. Points were scored on his debut for Ruche Moodley in 11th, whilst the rest of the scorers were Piqueras, Marco Uriarte (GRYD – MLav Racing), Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power) and Buchanan, who remounted after his Lap 1 fall to take the final place and point.