ASPAR FEARS MOTOGP TEAMS COULD LURE QUILes AWAY EARLY

Maximo Quiles has clinched the Moto3 world championship with five rounds still to run, securing the title in emphatic fashion for Aspar. He started Sunday’s race sixth on the grid, then fought through to win by almost three seconds. It was his 10th victory in 16 starts. He has finished outside the podium places only once this season and has placed lower than second just twice.

Quiles is set to move up to Moto2 with Aspar next year, alongside Celestino Vietti. But team boss Jorge Martinez is already wary that a MotoGP team could try to lure the young Spaniard away before his current deal expires. Speaking to AS, Martinez said Quiles has two years remaining on his contract, while acknowledging that an early move cannot be ruled out.

“It’s too early to talk. He has a long way to go,” Martinez said of Quiles’ prospects in Moto2. “He has a contract with us for two more years, and I hope they don’t take him away from us during those two years.”

Aspar’s plan is for Quiles to spend two seasons in the intermediate class before stepping up to MotoGP. “The idea is for him to do two years in Moto2 before going to MotoGP, but it’s possible they might take him away from us sooner. I hope not,” Martinez added.

It is not clear whether Quiles’ contract includes a clause allowing him to leave if a MotoGP opportunity arises, or whether a prospective team would need to pay Aspar to release him. Martinez also urged caution over expectations for Quiles’ first Moto2 campaign and any talk of a title challenge in 2027. “That’s a big question. We have to take it one step at a time. Moto2 is a very cutthroat category, as Nico Terol says,” he said, referring to Aspar’s sporting director.

There have been precedents for rapid promotion. Raul Fernandez moved to MotoGP after one Moto2 season, following his runner-up finish in 2021. Maverick Vinales also stepped up after placing third as a Moto2 rookie in 2014, while Joan Mir earned promotion after finishing sixth in his 2018 debut season. More commonly, even highly rated prospects such as Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta and David Alonso have needed multiple seasons in Moto2 to demonstrate their readiness.

The Marquez brothers are involved in Quiles’ management and will have a role in decisions about his progression. Meanwhile, many riders in the 2027 MotoGP field have already signed multi-year deals, potentially leaving limited openings for 2028.