The CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team rider has secured his third consecutive podium finish this season, finishing just 56 thousandths of a second behind the winner

Máximo Quiles has delivered one of his best performances in Moto3. The CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team rider dominated the Grand Prix of the United States and crossed the finish line in second place after a clever manoeuvre on the final corner. Victory went to the Italian Guido Pini, though he was just 56 thousandths ahead of Quiles. Third place went to Álvaro Carpe. Marco Morelli fought his way up from eighteenth on the grid and finished in the points, in twelfth place.

The Moto3 race at the Grand Prix of the United States was a masterclass in race management from Máximo Quiles. The Spaniard, who started from eighth on the grid, needed just one corner to move into the podium positions. The CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team rider continued to push to lead the pack and set his own pace to open up a gap on his rivals. Quiles gave it his all, but given the pace of the front-runners, he opted to defend his lead. With just three laps to go, the rider dropped to fourth place, but rather than trying to regain positions quickly, he decided to wait for the right moment and assess his rivals in a bid to secure another victory. After numerous overtakes among his rivals, Quiles saw his big chance on the final corner and seized the opportunity to move into second place and give it his all in the final metres, but ultimately fell 56 thousandths of a second short of victory. His teammate Marco Morelli faced a difficult Sunday in Austin. The Argentine, who started from the sixth row, had to serve a long-lap penalty, which affected his race. However, Morelli tried to maintain a good pace, which allowed him to move into the points-scoring positions within a few laps. He eventually crossed the finish line in twelfth place after a weekend full of learning experiences on a circuit that was unfamiliar to him. With these results, Quiles remains the leader in the Moto3 overall standings and the CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team also continues to lead the team standings. The next round for Quiles and Morelli will be the Spanish Grand Prix, at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, from 24 to 26 April. 

2nd Máximo Quiles (+0.056): “I was so close to the victory. I think I deserved this podium and even the win because I pushed really hard to try and create a gap throughout the race. I was close to achieving it, but with four laps to go, I decided to stay back, relax a bit, and fight until the last lap. I had a clear strategy, but there was a lot of chaos, so I decided to wait until the last corner. I expected something like this to happen, and I decided to go for it. I took a gamble, but it paid off. I feel more conservative now, in the sense that I think more when I'm driving, and I was smart in this race. I have clear goals for this season, and we're going to take it one step at a time to achieve them.”

12th Marco Morelli (+17.274): “It was a complicated race here in Texas. It didn't go as we wanted, but you learn from everything. We've gathered a lot of information and lessons for the upcoming races. The long lap penalty hurt me, but we have to learn from the mistakes of the weekend. It's important that we don't get penalized because these situations greatly affect the final result. Now we have a break to rest and come back stronger and more motivated in Jerez.”