Rueda Pulls Clear in Brno as Gloves-Off Podium Scrap Erupts Behind Him

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) couldn’t have asked for a better result as the Moto3 field hit Brno for Round 12. Not only did the championship leader take a commanding seventh win of the season, but he also extended his lead to a record margin at this stage of the year—just before the summer break. While Rueda ran a near-perfect race at the front, the battle raging behind him for the remaining podium places was anything but calm.

The opening seconds set the tone. Rueda rocketed into Turn 1, snatching the early advantage from polesitter Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and front-row starter David Almansa (Leopard Racing). Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) wasted no time making moves, slotting into second before the first lap had even wrapped up. Further back, David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) launched off the line like a bullet. Starting from last due to a grid penalty, he was already scything through the field and inside the top 15 by the end of Lap 1.

By Lap 3, the Aragon and Sachsenring winner was already knocking on the door of the top ten, while veteran Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team)—who previously won here in 2020—had joined the podium scrap and climbed into third.

As the race hit the halfway mark, Rueda turned up the pace. With clean air ahead, he began to stretch his lead, even as the rest of the group battled fiercely behind him. Quiles and Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) traded paint in the scrap for second and third, with Foggia also weaving his way into the mix. The intensity of the fight behind allowed Rueda to open up a full second gap by the end of Lap 9, thanks to consecutive fastest laps that kept his rivals at bay.

Heading into the final five laps, it became clear that the win was likely decided. The fight now was for the final podium places, and it was an all-out war. Quiles and Foggia, riding for the same team, threw team orders out the window as they diced aggressively with Piqueras, Almansa, and the surging Muñoz—who was now firmly in podium contention.

On the final lap, the gloves truly came off. Quiles led the pack, but the pressure was unrelenting. Piqueras, Foggia, and Muñoz were all in tow, ready to pounce. At Turn 6, Muñoz muscled his way into third, and then with a bold dive at Turn 10, he snatched second. It seemed the last-to-second miracle was on.

But the final twist came at Turn 13. Quiles, refusing to give up, used Muñoz’s slipstream to regain second with a perfectly timed move down the straight. Despite Muñoz’s defensive masterclass, there was no stopping the CFMOTO rider. Rueda crossed the line with daylight behind him, Quiles secured second place, and Muñoz—after starting last—completed an astonishing charge to third. It was his third consecutive podium, and his fourth in the last five races.

Piqueras, just missing out, had to settle for fourth—his wait for a return to the rostrum stretching on. Foggia and Almansa followed in fifth and sixth, with the latter scoring his best result since the French GP and taking important points for Leopard Racing.

Further down the order, Almansa’s consistency paid off with seventh, inching him closer to being the highest-ranked Honda rider in the standings. Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) had a strong second half to finish eighth, ahead of Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) in ninth and polesitter Guido Pini—who faded after a strong start—rounding out the top ten.

Elsewhere, there was frustration for Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), who had made his way up to 11th before being slapped with a double Long Lap penalty for causing a collision—dropping him out of the points. That allowed newcomer Marco Morelli (DENSSI Racing – BOE) to sneak into 13th place on debut—an impressive result in his first Grand Prix outing.