Piqueras wins fiercely contested Termas Moto3 battle

Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) is a race winner in 2025 after coming out on top in a titanic last lap battle at the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina.

The 2024 Rookie of the Year forced his way through on third place finisher Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) at the penultimate corner, with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) profiting from the late squabbling to earn P2 in Termas.

Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) grabbed the holeshot from the front row, but it was Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who led at the end of the opening lap. David Almansa (Leopard Racing) took a turn leading in the early exchanges too, as a lead group of 11 formed at the front, with the chasing pack just shy of a second further down the road.

With two to go, Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP MTA Team) was 0.4s clear at the front and on the last lap, he had edged it up to 0.5s. Could Piqueras and Rueda do anything about it? The advantage had disappeared halfway around the last lap as Piqueras made his move at Turn 7. Rueda followed his compatriot through at Turn 9 and then on the exit of Turn 11, Piqueras was wide and on the green.

That cost the #36 the place to Rueda, but a lunge at Turn 12 followed. Piqueras carved past Rueda, and Fernandez managed to pick off the Thai GP race winner too to shadow Piqueras over the line as the latter clinched his first win of the season. Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) pocketed P4 ahead of Bertelle, but that result was flipped after Furusato exceeded track limits on the final lap. Almansa was a career-best P6, Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) claimed P7 ahead of the recovering Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA Team) as the Australian managed to bag P8 despite venturing through the Long Lap penalty lane twice.

Yamanaka and Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse) closed out the top 10, as home hero Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) unfortunately crashed out of contention on the final lap after a solid weekend.

So after a cracker in Termas, Rueda heads to Austin at the top of the Moto3 standings after a second podium in two races. Fernandez is second, five points behind, with Piqueras jumping to P3 ahead of Round 3.

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