What a race. David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) put on an absolute masterclass at Motegi, slamming the door shut on championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) to claim his third victory of the 2026 season. In a breathtaking head-to-head battle that went right down to the final meters, Almansa refused to budge under immense late pressure, leaving Quiles to wait at least another week for his coronation. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) quietly and solidly brought his machine home in third, keeping himself right in the thick of this incredible title chase.
Off the line, Almansa bolted to grab the holeshot. He immediately had to weather a Lap 1 duel at Turn 5 against fellow rapid starter Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo), but the #28 held firm at the front. David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) slotted into third right away, while Quiles found himself scrapping for fourth as he stared down his very first match-point for the championship crown. The Grand Prix barely had a moment to breathe before Uriarte seized the lead on Lap 3 at Turn 3. Almansa suddenly had teammate Muñoz right on his gearbox, though Muñoz quickly found himself roughed up in the pack as Quiles and Carpe sliced through, with Carpe grabbing third.
Then came the drama that blew the race wide open. On Lap 8, race leader Uriarte was handed a crushing double Long Lap Penalty because his team had been working on his machine on the grid after the three-minute board was displayed. That single error handed the lead to Almansa on a silver platter. Almansa immediately hammered out back-to-back fastest laps, yet he couldn't shake Carpe off his rear wheel. Meanwhile, Quiles was lurking with intent in third, slowly reeling them in until Lap 12, when he muscled past Carpe at Turn 5 to jump straight into second.
With just five laps remaining, Quiles blinked, making a mistake at Turn 8 that dropped him a full second back and straight into the clutches of the chasing Carpe. But the #28 wasn't done fighting for a tenth victory yet. He sliced the gap down to half a second, leaving Carpe a distant but secure third as the stage was set for another brutal last-lap showdown between the championship rivals.
They danced through the final sector like matadors. Quiles poked his nose out at Turn 11, but Almansa was inch-perfect on the heavy-braking right-hander, slamming the door. One final opportunity opened up through Turns 13 and 14, yet Almansa parked his KTM on the apex, blocking every conceivable line and dragging his machine across the finish line first.
Quiles settled for a brilliant second and will get another crack at the title in a week's time in Indonesia, while Carpe's third place marked his seventh podium of 2026. Further back, the penalized Uriarte drove the wheels off his machine to salvage an incredible fourth ahead of Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who equaled a career-best fifth. Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP – MTA) crossed the line sixth, followed by Muñoz and home hero Ryusei Yamanaka (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI), who delivered his best result of the season in front of his fans. Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA) and Adrian Cruces (CIP GreenPower) rounded out the top ten.
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