The 2026 Moto3 season began with a Friday full of stories at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, already having a direct impact on the definition of who advances to Q2. Right on the first day, David Almansa was the standout performer, putting Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP at the top of the table in his debut with the new team. Consistent throughout the session, the Spaniard always stayed close to the front and, when needed, was the one who delivered the most speed.
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Almansa was the only rider to enter the 1min40 range, a detail that adds even more weight to the performance at the weekend’s opening. He finished Friday with an advantage of less than a tenth over Álvaro Carpe, also Spanish and who had already stood on the podium in Buriram last season. Carpe, for his part, started his second year in the category showing he wasted no time and finished the day in second, with a margin of more than a tenth over the third-placed rider.
Next, it was the Argentine Valentin Perrone who showed well, securing the third-fastest time for Red Bull KTM Tech3. The result had an extra ingredient off the track: the rider was closely observed by the team’s new CEO, Gunther Steiner, and left Friday with a positive balance after placing himself directly among the fastest of the day.
Moto3 also made room for another name that caught attention: Maximo Quiles put the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team in fourth, immediately ahead of his teammate, Marco Morelli. Morelli’s fifth place reinforced a curious and important mark from Friday: with him, there were two Argentines in the top 5, both securing a direct spot in Q2 in the very first sample of the year.
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Closing the top 6, Scott Ogden appeared as the best Briton of the day for CIP GreenPower. The rider was less than half a second off Almansa’s time, in a top-six list dominated by KTM bikes, showing how the start of the championship is already shaping intense battles on different fronts.
Among the rookies, two names had a particularly strong Friday. Jesus Rios was the best Honda representative and finished seventh with the Rivacold Snipers Team. Right behind, in eighth, appeared Veda Pratama from Honda Team Asia, confirming an encouraging start for the newcomers in the pack. Another performance worth noting was that of Irishman Casey O’Gorman, who finished 13th with SIC58 Squadra Corse and secured his place in Q2.
But not everyone left satisfied. The main name to miss out on the group advancing directly was David Muñoz, winner of three GPs in the 2025 season. Unable to repeat the pace shown by his teammate, he finished only 16th and will have to go through Q1, already under pressure right in the opening round.
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