2025 Japanese Moto3 - Race Results
Race results from the 2025 Japanese Moto3 Grand Prix, which saw David Munoz victorious after being bravest in a rain shower at Motegi.
Moto3 got the flyaway portion of the season started in Motegi, for round seventeen of the championship, the Japanese Grand Prix, where an unexpected shower splintered the field, with David Munoz pushing hardest in the wet portion of the race to claim his third win of the season.
The Liqui Moly Intact GP rider had qualified down in seventh, but pushed hard at lights out to be at the front of the race when the grey clouds over Motegi broke.
By far the bravest in the downpour, the KTM rider kept to his usual lines while the riders behind were more cautious, leading to a gap of over two seconds.
As the sun returned Munoz was able to manage his lead to bring his bike home first for the third time this season, with the final gap at 1.618s.
Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda started from pole, but was taking no risks in the wet, dropping back to tenth with his championship in mind as the grip lessened on the damp track.
With the rain disappearing as suddenly as it had arrived, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was reignited and was back in the three way fight for the final two podium places on the last lap.
Pulling ahead in the final corners, the #99 took a hard fought second, increasing his championship lead in the process.
The final podium spot was decided by a fierce rookie battle.
On his first visit to the circuit, Valentin Perrone secured a front row start, with Maximo Quiles eighth. By Victory corner on the final lap the duo were side by side with the final podium spot only decided by the drive to the line.
Aspar rider Quiles, who was pushing so hard he had lost track of his pit board and laps, only figuring the race must be at it’s close when Rueda pulled the pin, pulled ahead himself, for the final rostrum spot.
That left Red Bull KTM Tech 3 rider Perrone fourth.
Adrian Fernandez spent most of his race at war with Leopard teammate David Almansa, with the latter, along with Dennis Foggia sent to the back of the grid for riding slowly in Q2.
Fernandez got the position when Almansa pushed too hard after staging his comeback and fell, leaving the #31 as top Honda on the manufacturers home track.
Ryusei Yamanaka was the top home rider in sixth for Frinsa - MT Helmets - MSI, ahead of Guido Pini. The Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rookie recovered after being allowed to still start ninth but handed a double long lap penalty for slow riding in qualifying.
Joel Kelso had been in the mix at the front before being forced out wide. The Austrailian set a series of fastest laps to try and bridge the gap, picking up a few places when the track dried out for eighth for LevelUp - MTA.
Luca Lunetta was a clear ninth for SIC58 Squadra Corse, with a ten second advantage over Foggia, who recovered well enough from his grid demotion to complete the top ten.
| 2025 Japanese Moto3 - Race Results | ||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time |
| 1 | David Munoz | SPA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | 33m 09.599s |
| 2 | Jose Antonio Rueda | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +1.618s |
| 3 | Maximo Qulies | SPA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +2.203s |
| 4 | Valentin Perrone | ARG | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +2.336s |
| 5 | Adrian Fernandez | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | +3.853s |
| 6 | Ryusei Yamanaka | JPN | FRINSA -MT Helmets - MSI (KTM) | +5.496s |
| 7 | Guido Pini | ITA | Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (KTM) | +5.617s |
| 8 | Joel Kelso | AUS | LEVELUP - MTA (KTM) | +5.771s |
| 9 | Luca Lunetta | ITA | SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) | +11.955s |
| 10 | Dennis Foggia | ITA | CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (KTM) | +21.113s |
| 11 | Angel Piqueras | SPA | FRINSA -MT Helmets - MSI (KTM) | +21.326s |
| 12 | Jacob Roulstone | AUS | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) | +21.568s |
| 13 | Matteo Bertelle | ITA | LEVELUP - MTA (KTM) | +21.668s |
| 14 | Alvaro Carpe | SPA | Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) | +21.809s |
| 15 | Stefano Nepa | ITA | SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) | +22.771s |
| 16 | Cormac Buchanan | NZL | DENSSI Racing - BOE (KTM) | +24.523s |
| 17 | Marco Morelli | ARG | GRYD - MLav Racing (Honda) | +28.027s |
| 18 | Eddie O'Shea | GBR | GRYD - MLav Racing (Honda) | +29.341s |
| 19 | Ruche Moodley | RSA | DENSSI Racing - BOE (KTM) | +35.262s |
| 20 | Riccardo Rossi | ITA | Rivacold Snipers Team (Honda) | +35.445s |
| 21 | Scott Ogden | GBR | CIP Green Power (KTM) | +1m 09.111s |
| 22 | David Almansa | SPA | Leopard Racing (Honda) | DNF |
| 23 | Taiyo Furusato | JPN | Honda Team Asia (Honda) | DNF |
| 24 | Noah Dettwiler | SWI | CIP Green Power (KTM) | DNF |
| 25 | Arbi Aditama | INA | Honda Team Asia (Honda) | DNF |
Angel Piqueras crashed late in the race but was able to pick his bike up and only lose a few positions with the spaces between riders, finishing eleventh for Frinsa - MT Helmets - MSI.
Jacob Roulstone was caught up in the first lap crash for Arbi Aditama, limiting his progress to a close twelfth place finish for Red Bull KTM Tech 3.
Matteo Bertelle on his return from injury pushed his way up the lower points places for 13th for LevelUp - MTA, with the remaining points on offer going to Alvaro Carpe in 14th for Red Bull KTM Ajo and 15th placed Stefano Nepa on the second SIC58 bike.
Crashes, injuries and replacements
Tatchakorn Buasri was the only regular rider absent in Japan, with Arbi Aditama stepping in again at Honda Team Asia. He was sent flying off track at turn three on the very first lap.
Noah Dettwiler was next out of the race.
Taiyo Furusato was as high as second before his first fall, re-joining to crash again under the bridge.
Almansa and Scott Ogden were the only other fallers, Ogden re-joined to finish 21st, leaving Eddie O’Shea as the best finishing British rider in 18th, just behind MLav teammate Marco Morelli.
Championship Standings
Rueda’s second sees him move closer to the title, heading to Indonesia with a huge 93 point advantage after his comeback took him to 315 points, with Piqueras’ damage limitation after re-joining seeing him on to 222.
Quiles remains top rookie after securing his eight podium over just twelve starts, third overall on 204, with nearest rival Carpe on 157.
Race winner Munoz sits fourth overall, adding the maximum 25 on offer to leave Japan with a total of 197.
