David Alonso's ninth victory gives him the first title shot

David Alonso will have the opportunity to become the Moto3 world champion next weekend in Japan. He has a 97-point lead over Dani Holgado, 105 over Iván Ortolá, and 107 over Colin Veijer; and after the Motegi race, only four grand prix will remain. If he leaves there with more than a hundred points advantage, he will be champion. There are many possible combinations, but the important thing is that it depends on himself: if he wins in Japan, he will be champion regardless of what his rivals do... and if not, he will be sooner or later.

Because David Alonso is the master of Moto3 and in 2024 he already has nine victories in 15 races. He had to suffer more than usual this weekend, in extreme heat conditions and on a track that was difficult for him. On Friday, he suffered a nasty crash in practice that made him slow down, but when it mattered most, he was back to his usual self almost every Sunday. "I didn't have the speed and I was very tired at the end of the race. That's when your head tells you to finish fourth or fifth and think about the championship, but something inside you says 'try it'," said Jorge Martínez Aspar's protégé, who improvised a celebration by drinking from a coconut because he didn't see himself winning at the Mandalika circuit.

Without Alonso's usual dominance and without the usual suspects, the race was wide open from the start. Poleman Ortolá was carrying a double long lap penalty from practice, which ended his chances. Dutchman Veijer also ruled himself out with a crash nine laps in while leading the group. Meanwhile, Holgado was running very physically impaired by a severe crash on Saturday, "from the fourth or fifth lap my left arm swelled up," he commented later, not wanting to use it as an excuse. The Alicante native showed great determination and was in the leading group, but three laps from the end he got caught up in Furusato's crash, which left him trailing behind and he could only climb back up to sixth place.

Alonso ended up fighting for victory with two very combative Spaniards, David Muñoz and Adrián Fernández, but who have yet to taste victory and that's where 'El Patrón's' experience showed. In another magical final lap, he gave no chances by finishing ahead of Muñoz and Fernández, who earned his first world championship podium in his fourth year in the championship, "after so much work and effort, I can say it was worth it."