Starting from 14th position, Veda Ega Pratama finished fourth in the 2026 Qatar Moto3 race.

Qatar - Veda Ega Pratama delivered an impressive fighting performance at the 2026 Qatar Moto3 Grand Prix. Starting the race from 14th position, this Indonesian rider successfully broke through the lead pack battle and crossed the finish line in 4th place at Lusail International Circuit, Qatar on Sunday (8/11/2026) evening WIB.

Veda completed the race with a recorded time of 33 minutes 15.132 seconds, finishing 5.653 seconds behind race winner David Almansa. This result marks a major milestone for the Honda Team Asia rider, who gained 10 full positions from his starting grid placement.

Veda's challenge began even before the race officially started. He had actually qualified 8th during the second qualifying session (Q2), but received a 6-place grid penalty for a yellow flag violation committed during Free practice.

This penalty issued by the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel forced the 17-year-old rider to start the grand prix from the fifth row, exactly at position 14.

Yet this setback did not break Veda's momentum. Instead, he demonstrated his ability to compete against elite riders throughout the night race held under the floodlights of Lusail Circuit.

Chasing The Lead Pack

The Qatar Moto3 race opened with David Almansa of Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP taking immediate control of the race. Despite starting from 2nd on the grid, the Spanish rider pulled off a perfect holeshot at Turn 1 to overtake pole sitter Maximo Quiles.

Immediately behind the leaders, tight wheel-to-wheel combat unfolded. Quiles dropped several positions early on before fighting his way back into the front group. Adrian Fernandez, David Muñoz, and Alvaro Carpe were also locked in the battle for top positions.

Further back, Veda methodically worked his way up from the rear grid. The rider from Gunungkidul, Special Region of Yogyakarta steadily advanced through the midfield before breaking into the top 6 group.

Reaching the front pack was far from straightforward. Constant close-quarter racing meant positions swapped lap after lap. Veda had to withstand sustained pressure from multiple rivals, including Carpe and Joel Kelso.

By mid-race, Almansa and Quiles remained locked in battle at the very front. Fernandez also held position just behind them, keeping his podium chances alive.

Right behind the leading trio, Veda joined the chasing pack alongside Kelso and Carpe. The fight within this group became one of the most thrilling segments of the entire grand prix.

Veda Secures Fourth Place

As the race entered its closing stages, Almansa grew increasingly comfortable at the front. The Spanish rider extended his advantage enough to eliminate all threat from his competitors.

All the drama instead shifted to the battle for second and third place. Fernandez overtook Quiles after the 2026 Moto3 World Champion made an error at Turn 6, with two and a half laps remaining.

Quiles fought back hard all the way to the final lap, but Fernandez held on to second place. The pair crossed the finish line separated by just 0.069 seconds.

Further back, Veda was also locked in a ferocious last-lap battle to secure a top four finish.

The Indonesian rider successfully fended off Alvaro Carpe's late charge to hold his position all the way to the chequered flag. He crossed the line in 4th place, finishing just 0.047 seconds ahead of Carpe in 5th.

This result perfectly demonstrated Veda's fighting spirit across the full race distance. Starting from 14th, he fought his way into the top four, finishing right behind the three podium finishers.

Almansa Claims Fourth Victory Of The Season

David Almansa delivered a dominant performance throughout the entire 2026 Qatar Moto3 round. The 20-year-old rider led unchallenged from the very first corner all the way to the finish line.

This victory at Lusail marks Almansa's fourth win of the 2026 championship season. He finished 2.516 seconds clear of Adrian Fernandez.

Fernandez took second place, while Maximo Quiles completed the podium in third position.

Behind Veda, Alvaro Carpe finished 5th, followed by Joel Kelso in 6th. Malaysian rider Hakim Danish crossed the line in 7th place.

For Veda, this 4th place finish in Qatar adds to his strong run of form, coming directly after his 2nd place podium at the Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix at Sepang Circuit.

These back-to-back strong results show the clear progression of this young Indonesian rider during his debut Moto3 season.

Once again, Veda has proven he can compete against the world's best riders, even when forced to start the race from an unfavourable grid position.