Wisevoter
World

Quiles Fastest in Moto3 Qatar Practice

Spain's Maximo Quiles set the quickest time in Friday's Moto3 practice at Lusail, while Veda Pratama faces a grid penalty.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Motorsports

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a motorcycle racer leaning into a floodlit corner on a dark track, with bold team-color blocks and motion strokes.
Spain's Maximo Quiles set the fastest Moto3 time on Friday at Lusail, while Veda Pratama faces a grid penalty ahead of Sunday's race. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Maximo Quiles posted a best time of 2' 03.172s in the floodlit Moto3 practice session at Lusail International Circuit on Friday. David Almansa finished 0.200s behind him, with Hakim Danish the top rookie in fourth.

Why it matters

Practice times set the Q1 and Q2 places, and riders who finished in the automatic Q2 places moved directly into Q2. Veda Pratama's penalty will shape his starting position for Sunday's race.

Quiles's 2' 03.172s best lap sits 0.200s ahead of Almansa and 0.793s ahead of Kelso in FP1, while the all-time Moto3 lap record remains Daniel Holgado's 2' 02.276s from 2024.

The players

Maximo Quiles

Spanish Moto3 rider who set the fastest practice time on Friday at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Veda Pratama

Indonesian Moto3 rider who received a six-place grid penalty for a second yellow flag infringement.

David Almansa

Spanish Moto3 rider who finished second in Friday's practice, 0.200s behind Quiles.

The details

Quiles crashed in FP1 at turn nine, while David Munoz fell at turn 14 in the same session. Rico Salmela placed sixth on his Lusail debut, and Alvaro Carpe finished 15th, missing the automatic Q2 places.

Timeline

  1. Friday: Moto3 practice sessions held at Lusail International Circuit.

  2. Sunday: Qatar Grand Prix race, with Veda Pratama starting six places further back on the grid.

Season Trajectory

Quiles's practice pace sits roughly 0.9 seconds off Daniel Holgado's all-time Moto3 lap record of 2' 02.276s set in 2024. Friday's timing establishes the early qualifying picture for the Qatar weekend.

Pratama's six-place grid drop for Sunday's race changes his starting position from where his practice time would otherwise place him. Fantasy and betting readers tracking Moto3 should note the penalty when assessing his Sunday chances.

The takeaway

Practice results in Moto3 can be shaped as much by penalties and crashes as by raw pace, so the Sunday grid will likely differ from the practice order. Following qualifying will show how much those early gaps hold.

Further reading

For broader race-weekend context, see our Motorsports coverage.