Máximo Quiles clinches Moto3 world title with five rounds to spare in Indonesia

A title secured with five rounds to spare

Máximo Quiles won the Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika circuit on Sunday and clinched the 2026 Moto3 world title with five rounds still to be run. The 18-year-old Spaniard holds a 132-point lead over his compatriot David Almansa, who is second in the standings, according to ANSA. Sources differ on his season tally: El País, La Razón and El Confidencial report ten wins from 17 races, while ANSA counts five wins from fifteen races. Podium counts of 14 and 15 also appear across the reports.

At Motegi in Japan, Quiles finished second in the previous round, which left the title open. El Periódico reports that he needed poor results from David Almansa, Álvaro Carpe and Brian Uriarte, the only riders who still had a mathematical chance of beating him at Mandalika. ABC reports that Quiles arrived in Indonesia with a lead that the rivals could not overturn.

The race at Mandalika

Quiles started sixth on the grid, from the second row, and made a strong getaway. He was already third at the fourth corner of Mandalika, and at the start of lap three of the 20-lap race he took the lead. El Periódico reports that he pulled more than two seconds clear of Almansa and Uriarte and then won with ease. After the race, Quiles and the Aspar team celebrated with Roman-style costumes and a shield on the victory lap, a nod to his enthusiasm for Roman epic, according to El Confidencial.

Jorge Martínez Aspar, who runs the team, described the approach he had given his rider before the race.

He has done what he had to do, acting the way he has acted throughout the whole season, with ease and enjoying the race. That is the only thing I told him, be yourself and enjoy it.

From Murcia to the world title

Quiles was born in Murcia on 19 March 2008, according to El Confidencial. He took his mother's surname, having told Moto.it that there were already too many Martínez. He won the European Talent Cup as a debutant in 2021 and repeated the title in 2023, and he finished third in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in both 2022 and 2023, then fifth in 2024. El Confidencial also reports a JuniorGP win in 2024 before he joined the Aspar team for 2025. He made his world championship debut in 2025 at the Americas round at COTA in Austin, once he reached the minimum age, and won his first world championship race in Italy in 2025.

His father, David Martínez, a former amateur rider, started him on minibikes at four years old, according to ABC. A collarbone fracture and a serious crash at Misano are among the setbacks listed by ABC, and a penalty at Mugello for dangerous riding is also cited there.

Mentors and family

Marc and Alex Márquez run the representation agency that manages Quiles, and Marc Márquez has been a close mentor. La Razón reports that before the title race Marc told him not to worry, promising to buy tickets for everyone to travel to Australia if he did not win in Indonesia.

Don't worry about that. If you don't win the title here, we'll buy tickets for everyone to go to Australia.

His mother, Amanda Quiles, spoke to DAZN after the race about the sacrifices her son has made.

I could not be prouder and happier for him, for Máximo, who has sacrificed many things, many, perhaps trivial ones, but ones that other children and young people have enjoyed to get to here, and he is certainly not going to stop, this story goes on.

What comes next

La Razón reports that Quiles has already secured his place with the Aspar team in Moto2 for the next season. After the win he set out his next steps, saying he was very happy and thanked everyone who had helped him, but that the story is not finished.

I am very happy, very much, thank you to everyone who has helped me fulfil my dream, but this is not over here, we have to set new goals right now.