José Antonio Rueda Crowned Moto3 Champion

No better feeling exists than winning by winning. Celebrating a championship from the top step of the podium, exactly what José Antonio Rueda did at the Mandalika circuit. The Sevillian rider faced his first match point on the Indonesian track without relying on himself, as all the combinations that awarded him the title required another rider to finish between him and his rival, Ángel Piqueras. His grid position, eleventh, was not ideal nor did it reflect his true race pace, as he was the fastest rider. It remained to be seen if he could apply it on the day the championship was at stake, with nerves running high.

The start was the most critical part of the entire race, especially as the Sevillian was in the middle of the pack. He lost some positions at the start, but once the race stabilized, the Andalusian found himself at the back of the leading group, led by two Spaniards, Adrián Fernández and Máximo Quiles, taking turns at the front. However, in championship terms, the rider to watch for Rueda was Piqueras, who had positioned himself among the top five. Twenty laps remained, although not all would be completed.

The first time Rueda overtook Piqueras was on the fifth lap when the Valencian had a collision and lost several positions. From that moment, the Sevillian was always ahead of his rival, but the mathematics did not favor him for the championship until he moved into third place on the ninth lap. As the race progressed, Rueda continued to gain positions and took the lead for the first time on the twelfth lap. Theoretically, eight laps remained until the end.

The extreme conditions in Indonesia, with 30 degrees ambient temperature but over 60 on the asphalt, turned the race into a test of endurance for everyone. After the halfway point, when the tension for victory began to mount, the crashes started. With six laps to go, the first crash occurred at the front, a multiple collision involving Furusato, David Almansa, and Rueda's teammate, Álvaro Carpe, who was playing the role of protector.

That crash split the leading group in two. A front trio with Rueda, Muñoz, and Fernández, and another group behind with Quiles, Lunetta, and Piqueras, with a gap of more than a second. The eagerness to recover from those behind led to simultaneous errors, and both Quiles and Piqueras received long lap penalties for exceeding track limits. This penalty dropped the Valencian several positions when he served it, leaving the title on a platter for Rueda, who just needed to avoid mistakes.

The Sevillian had two battles, the championship, which was practically secured, and the victory, which he had to fight for against two very combative riders hungry for triumph. But that last battle ended prematurely, as with three laps to go, Fernández and Muñoz collided, sending the latter to the ground in a dangerous crash that sent him straight to the medical center. The race continued under yellow flags, but with debris from Muñoz's bike on the track and the rider being attended to in the gravel, Race Direction opted to show the red flag, ending the race with two laps remaining.

The incident was immediately investigated, and Fernández was penalized, having led the last valid lap of the race. This meant victory for Rueda, who by then already knew he was world champion. However, he could not celebrate on the track, where his father Gustavo awaited him. That final chaos did not prevent the Sevillian rider from celebrating grandly on the podium, accompanied by Italians Luca Lunetta and Guido Pini, who found themselves on an unexpected podium.

José Antonio Rueda gave Spanish motorcycling its second title of 2025, following Marc Márquez's victory in Japan, becoming the first Andalusian world champion. "I have dreamed of this day many times," the new King of Moto3 said through tears, remembering all his supporters during the celebration, including riders like Lorenzo and Márquez who had helped him with their advice, and the "Mamba Mentality of Kobe Bryant," which he had adopted since last year: "In the end, I come from Los Chapatales, a place even people in Seville don't know. There, it's just fields, goats, and tractors. Today, I fulfilled that dream of becoming Moto3 world champion."