José Antonio Rueda wins Moto3 Thailand
Red Bull KTM Ajo rider José Antonio Rueda secures dominant win in Buriram after intense battle.
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| Red Bull KTM Ajo's Spanish rider Jose Antonio Rueda (down) leads during the Moto3 race at the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix at Buriram International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on March 2, 2025. Photo by Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP |
By Randy Ahmad and Adila Ghina
José Antonio Rueda delivered an outstanding performance at the Moto3 Thailand 2025 Grand Prix, claiming his second career victory in the Grand Prix World Championship. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider showed impressive racecraft, taking control of the race and holding off his competitors in a dramatic showdown.
“Amazing. I am very happy and proud of my teammates too. Thanks to the team. I will work hard,” said the 19-year-old rider after securing his win.
Rueda takes early control
Starting from third on the grid, Rueda quickly surged ahead of Stefano Nepa and pole-sitter Matteo Bertelle, gaining an early advantage. Álvaro Carpe, making his Moto3 debut, briefly joined the lead group before dropping back.
An early collision between Cormac Buchanan and Eddie O'Shea forced both riders to retire. Race Direction investigated the incident but decided no further action was necessary.
By the second lap, Carpe had slipped to the midfield, allowing David Muñoz to seize the opportunity and move into second place, relegating Bertelle. Ryusei Yamanaka, meanwhile, made steady progress, positioning himself within reach of the podium contenders.
Intense battle in the front group
The fight for third became a fierce contest, with Luca Lunetta, Bertelle, and Muñoz engaging in a heated battle. Taiyo Furusato’s crash added to the list of retirements.
On lap seven, Lunetta was forced into the gravel after a collision with Muñoz, dropping him to 20th place. Guido Pini faced technical issues and had to retire, ending his race early.
Shortly after, Yamanaka crashed at Turn 5 while attempting to overtake Muñoz for second. As the race reached its midpoint, the top three consisted of Rueda, Muñoz, and Adrián Fernández, who quietly worked his way forward as other riders faltered.
Rueda pulls ahead as rivals falter
With Rueda and Muñoz breaking away from the rest of the field, the race seemed set for a close fight to the finish. However, Muñoz received a long lap penalty for his earlier incident with Lunetta, putting his podium hopes in jeopardy.
As the action intensified, Nicola Carraro crashed, and moments later, Muñoz also fell before he could serve his penalty. This allowed Rueda to extend his lead to 2.1 seconds, securing a comfortable advantage over his rivals.
Behind him, Fernández found himself under increasing pressure from Carpe, who had recovered well from his earlier setback. The 2024 Junior GP champion made a decisive move to take second place. Meanwhile, Joel Kelso collided with Ángel Piqueras at Turn 12, an incident set to be reviewed post-race.
Final laps and podium finishers
With several riders retiring, the lead group was reduced to just four contenders. Nepa and Fernández remained in the podium battle, while Carpe and Scott Ogden pushed to close the gap.
With two laps to go, Rueda had stretched his lead to 6.7 seconds, comfortably heading toward victory. In the final sector, Carpe overtook Fernández, securing second place. Nepa lost out on a podium finish, settling for fourth.
As the checkered flag fell, the field had been reduced to just 15 finishers after Ogden and Jakob Rosenthaler became the latest to crash out.
Official race results
Rueda secured a commanding victory, followed by Carpe in second and Fernández in third. Nepa finished just off the podium in fourth, while Bertelle, Dennis Foggia, David Almansa, Riccardo Rossi, Joel Esteban, and Luca Lunetta completed the top 10.
Rueda’s triumph at the Moto3 Thailand 2025 Grand Prix further cements his status as one of the most promising young riders in the championship.
