Enea Bastianini grabbed 9 points for a 7th position finish at a chaotic but exciting Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas today. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider steered his KTM RC16 to the top seven and his best result to-date, classifying seven places ahead of teammate Maverick Viñales (who had to start from pitlane) at a warm and changeable Circuit of the Americas for the 37th premier class Grand Prix on American soil. The KTM GP Academy picked up more silverware with Jose Antonio Rueda swooping to his second Moto3™ victory of the year with an all-KTM RC4 podium.

Thailand, Argentina and now the USA: MotoGP continued its transcontinental trek in 2025 and arrived at the vast expanses of the Circuit of the Americas where the 5.5km layout again promised a challenging and mixed allotment of 20 corners and varying cambers. After rain-hit sessions on Friday, qualification and the Sprint was run in dry and hot conditions but the climate twisted again on Sunday with a damp Moto2 race causing indecision for tire choice for MotoGP. The race was delayed as riders left the grid to make last minute changes and then Viñales had a glitch on the reformed line-up. He started from pitlane and had to blast back from last through the 19-lap distance.

Acosta, from P4, was into the heart of the leading group from the opening uphill Turn 1. The youngster forced some early moves but Turn 1 would be a fateful spot as the Spaniard slid out of contention. The race developed into a more strategic chase of pace and tire wear control while Binder made his customary lunge past other riders to make impressive ground. The South African was heading for the top six until a mechanical issue prematurely ended his chase. Viñales worked his way from last to 14th but Bastianini harnessed his tire potential to make inroads from P17 and rode solidly and steadily to arrive all the way to 7th: his best standing yet after 9th in Thailand and 17th in Argentina.

MotoGP will head east this week and will cross Europe to head to Qatar. The impressive and floodlit Lusail International Circuit is the host of round four in two weeks.

Enea Bastianini, 7th and 12th in the championship standings: “I’m happy with my race. It’s been the best one so far this season but also for my feeling on the bike. I was riding well and it was the first time I felt like one package with the bike. We had made improvements, and the front end was working better after we changed the balance. We need to check this now for the next race.”

Maverick Viñales, 14th and 17th in the championship standings:“A lot of things happened but I’m happy because we improved the feeling and the rhythm was good. My plan was to start the race and come in and change the bike with dry tires but then everyone left the grid, there was a red flag and we had the chance. Unfortunately, the bike then stopped when we came around again and I was in the pitlane. Anyway, from there it was good!I think we had the level for the top five. We need to keep believing and Qatar is a nice track. I think we can do it.”

Brad Binder, DNF and 11th in the championship standings: “A chaotic start! Nobody knew what was going on but when the race did start I got away really well and fought with the guys earlier on. I took my time to see where I could push with the wet patches on the track and after about half-race distance I felt I could push-on. I moved up another position but then we had an electrical issue and had to stop. Really unfortunately because we would have been guaranteed a top five. But, anyway, from yesterday to today we made an important step forward and the bike was a lot more how I wanted it, so hats-off to my team.”

Pedro Acosta, DNF and 13th in the championship standings: “Difficult to understand. I had a lot of front locking and we don’t know why. Quite tough and strange. The bike was working better until we had this problem. It is what it is. We need to try and understand what was happening and be stronger next time.

Can Öncü put in a display of dominance to take a commanding lights to flag victory in the first race of the weekend at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portimão with Stefano Manzi finishing second to complete a 1-2 for the new Yamaha R9.

Öncü (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) has been dominant throughout the weekend, topping Free Practice before going on to take both his and the R9’s maiden Superpole yesterday afternoon. Half a second clear of the rest of the field in the pre-race Warm Up session, Öncü’s intentions were clear. A strong launch saw the 21 year old lead into the first corner before instantly gapping the chasing duo of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate).

Öncü’s lead was up to three seconds at its biggest point, before he began managing the gap to the riders behind to cross the line comfortably to take his first WorldSSP win since Mandalika 2023 and a second for the R9 after Stefano Manzi’s blistering start in Phillip Island.

Starting sixth, Manzi was in the podium battle from the off and after an opening lap tussle with Mahias the Italian sat in second place for the first half of the race. A mid-race charge by Bo Bensneyder saw him overtake Mahias and attack Manzi, but the newly 26-year-old fought hard to hold on to the runner-up spot to secure a birthday podium. He now leads the championship by nine points.

Mahias would eventually cross the line fourth. Michael Rinaldi (GMT94 Yamaha) took 19th and Aldi Satya Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) was 20th at the chequered flag. Yuki Okamoto (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate) was 24th.

With the fastest lap of the race Öncü will again start on pole for tomorrow’s second race ahead of Mahias in second. Manzi improved his starting position to fourth for Race 2, which gets underway at 12:35 local time. 

WorldSBK 2025   Round 02

A solid double top-nine in Sunday’s Superpole race saw Vierge and Lecuona cross the line in eighth and ninth respectively, before Iker went on to claim another eighth place in Race 2 at Portimão.

The Honda HRC team has rounded out round 2 of the 2025 Superbike World Championship with another solid showing for factory riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona, despite Vierge unfortunately suffering a race 2 crash while running sixth. 

Competing at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, the team was on track this morning for a brief warm-up prior to the day’s two races. This short session saw Lecuona and Vierge make final preparations for the subsequent ten-lap Superpole race, which ran at 11am local time (CET-1). Thanks to Saturday’s qualifying result, the riders again lined up in sixth (Xavi) and eleventh (Iker) on the grid. Both made a good start, particularly Lecuona, and were lying seventh and eighth through the first corners. Getting into a good rhythm and lapping with almost identical times to each other, Xavi and Iker pushed hard throughout this ten-lapper. The pair dropped just one position in the latter stages but kept their focus, concluding the short sprint within 0.5 of a second of each other, with Xavi eighth and Iker ninth across the line.

The weekend’s second and final full-length SBK race got underway at 2pm. The Superpole race result meant that Vierge was eighth on the grid, alongside Lecuona, ninth. The two factory riders again got away well when the lights went out. Lying sixth and eighth respectively on lap four, Xavi and Iker were part of a large group of riders. Vierge’s race came to an unfortunate end on the very next lap, when he crashed at Turn 1, though the Spaniard was fortunately unhurt. Lecuona continued to fly the Honda HCR team flag, holding his own in seventh place and passing Gardner for sixth on lap eight. The race was red-flagged on lap ten following an incident for another rider and restarted a short time later. This second 11-lap ‘heat’ saw Lecuona make a strong start from sixth, battling with closest rival Gardner in the early stages. Slipping to eighth mid-race, the Spaniard held this position to the line, boosting his points total in the process.

At the end of this second championship round, Vierge positions eleventh in the standings with 23 points and Lecuona fifteenth (14 points). Next up for the Honda HRC team is round three, which will be staged at the TT Circuit Assen in The Netherlands over the weekend of 11-13 April.

Xavi Vierge : SPRC P8 - Race 2 DNF 

“I want to take the positives from the weekend because I think we were able to make a good step forward. We were competitive and consistently inside the top ten in qualifying and in every race, including today’s Sprint, where everyone was pushing to the limit. We had enough speed and pace to finish inside the top nine. In Race 2 I felt really good. I came into brief contact with another rider on the first lap and lost a position, but once I passed him again, I think I had the pace to fight at least with Van der Mark. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake at turn one that cost me the race. Luckily, I walked away totally unhurt, but of course I’m a bit frustrated. I want to apologise to the team because we deserved a better result in Race 2, but I’m already looking forward to the next round and to bringing this level of competitiveness there as well.”

Iker Lecuona : SPRC P9 - Race 2 P8 

“I’m done, but I’m happy. As I said already many times this weekend, this was the first time since October that I was able to ride without pain. I’ve worked really hard on myself in recent months, both physically, to recover as soon as possible, and mentally, to manage the situation. Everyone around me has supported me and helped me to come to Portimão ready to ride. Scoring points in all three races and finishing in the top ten is something I can be pleased with, and I’m happy with how I’ve managed everything this weekend. On Friday I finished maybe sixteenth, I don’t even really remember, but I didn’t care. I just focused on the work we had to do in the garage. In this regard, I want to thank the team, Honda and everyone around me, because they didn’t put any pressure on me. On the contrary, they encouraged me to take things step by step, giving me an added sense of calm. I’m truly grateful for that, as it helped me a lot. From there, we improved session by session – P11 in qualifying and again P11 in Race 1, even though we knew there was still something more to gain with the setup. Then in this morning’s warm-up, we found that little extra, and in the Sprint Race I was actually surprised by our pace. Finishing P9, with all riders on track and no crashes, was a good result and highly motivating ahead of Race 2. Again, everything went well in the first part of Race 2, where I was running comfortably enough in sixth when the red flag came out. In the restarted race there were some more battles, and I had to take a few small risks, but I wanted to finish the race. I brought home P8, which is still a result I will not complain about after five months with no real track action. I want to go into the next round with exactly this same mentality and continue working with my team just as we did here.”

MotoGP 2025 - Round 03 of 22, Circuit of the Americas, USA – Qualification and Sprint

Top seven and three points for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for the first day of competitive action at the Circuit of the Americas. The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas brought MotoGP back to Texas for the twelfth time and Pedro Acosta rode to 7th in the Sprint as teammate Brad Binder was denied points in a five-way tussle on the last lap.

The long, winding 20-turn COTA facility has been the American home for MotoGP since 2013 and staged round three of the current campaign after recent events in Thailand and Argentina. For the two Red Bull KTM teams the trip to Austin presented another chance to dial-in the strengths of the 2025 KTM RC16 race package. Friday was problematic with a wet Free Practice and then subsequent Practice session that was held in drying conditions and mixed grip. Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales made the direct cut to Q2.

Saturday was hotter and brighter. The qualifying run in the morning saw Acosta excel and briefly hold a front row slot until belated reorganization of positions in the wake of a yellow flag. He rested with P4. Viñales was only half a second adrift in 10th. Red Bull KTM machinery occupied slots on the sixth row with Binder in P16 and Bastianini in P17 for the Sprint that afternoon and for the full Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Sprint lapped COTA ten times and brought the riders into the usual intense dispute for the opening contest of the GP. Acosta battled to the top five but ran wide twice during the first minutes and had to fight his way back to 7th for three points. Viñales kept his countryman company for the first laps but then had an issue with rear vibration and had to retire. Binder surged forward and made up a swell of positions before losing optimum tire grip and crossed the line in P12, one place in front of Bastianini; the Italian again improving his speed over his qualifying run.

MotoGP fans in Europe will need to wait until 20.00 (CET) on Sunday to catch the 20-lap Grand Prix.

Pedro Acosta, 4th in qualification, 7th in the Sprint: “A tough one. After a good qualifying we were having problems with the front tire but it’s something that a lot of riders are having. Let’s see tomorrow. It will be a long race and we’ll do the best we can. We have to make laps and get an understanding of what we need and what we can improve.”

Brad Binder, 16th in qualification, 12th in the Sprint: “Pretty difficult weekend here so far but the Sprint was definitely a bit better for us. I started to get more and more chatter so if we can try and make that go away for tomorrow then we can see what we’ll do. I want to make a clean start and have a clean race because today I was trying a bit too hard and this results in mistakes where you lose more than you are trying to gain. On the last lap I went deep into Turn 11 and the guys got me: if you’re not in 9th then it’s quite pointless anyway!”

Luca Marini kept focused amidst the chaos to produce an eighth-place finish in Austin, Joan Mir suffering an unfortunate fall on the second Honda HRC Castrol machine.

Wet, dry, wet and dry again – the minutes before the lights went out were some of the most unexpected in recent time, a dramatic start to what many had predicted to be a hot race as light but consistent rain fall saw half of the grid enact last-minute bike swaps moment before the sighting lap began. As a result, race direction red flagged the start and all riders returned to the grid with slicks as conditions continued to improve.

With the grid reset and the race distance reduced to 19 laps, Luca Marini lined up in seventh place and immediately went for the dry line. On tender hooks, the grid tipped in to Turn 1 and Marini’s race-long battle with his fellow Honda riders began. Marini, Zarco and Mir traded places as they closed in on the group ahead who were battling for the top five, arriving with the other riders during the mid-stages of the race. From here, the Italian focused on defending his spot in the top ten on soft tyres as the track continued to dry. Crossing the line in eighth place, his best Grand Prix result so far on the Honda RC213V, the #10 rises up to ninth in the World Championship standings and is five points shy of Zarco who leads the Honda quartet. Despite suffering in the closing stages, Marini and Honda HRC Castrol leave Austin pleased with the result and especially the improvements made.

Joan Mir’s race looked set to be one of his best as he overcame a last-minute decision to switch tyres and started in eighth place, giving as good as he got in the opening battle with Marini and Zarco. Able to stay with his Honda HRC Castrol teammate, Mir began to battle with Bastianini for tenth place. Turn 14 would see Mir suffer his third fall of the weekend, losing the front as he tried to hold off the KTM rider. He was unharmed in the fall. Mir was again left to rue what could have been.

36 points in hand, Honda hold second in the Constructor Championship in a tight battle with KTM and Aprilia. The Honda HRC Castrol team will now enjoy a brief respite before getting back on track for Round Four of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship at the Lusail International Circuit. Weather is not generally a concern at MotoGP’s only night race.

Luca Marini ¹⁰: Eighth 

“We confirm that our package is improving with each GP, and I think we were able to make a good a good step with the setting. The bike is working better, and I am really enjoying riding it, especially in the entry phase. But there were some mistakes from my side which limited our performance. I went with the wrong tyre, I put soft-soft and it was not a mistake I have ever made before in this situation. The track was able to dry very quickly, unlike on Friday when it took a long time to dry. Even with the wrong tyre, we made a really good race so this is the positive that we have to focus on. If we can put everything together, we can achieve even more.”

SEATTLE,  Wash. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton and Aaron Plessinger raced to a pair of podium finishes at Round 11 of the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship in Seattle tonight, with Sexton claiming a hard-fought second position and Plessinger taking third place in a lively 450SX Main Event.

Sexton powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the second-fastest qualifying time inside Lumen Field, posting a lap time of 47.121s on a circuit recognized for its technical, rutty conditions.

That momentum would continue into his Heat Race, overcoming an average start to steadily slice his way through the field. A spirited ride for the number 4 saw him reach the rear wheel of his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Plessinger by the race's end, with the team scoring a 1-2 finish.

In the Main Event, Sexton entered the lead of the race after clawing his way from a sixth-place start as the difficulty of the Lumen Field conditions intensified. Following a spectacular performance at the front of the field, Sexton ultimately finished in P2 following a final lap showdown for victory. Chase is positioned second in the standings, just 11 points outside of the lead following Round 11.

Chase Sexton: "Tonight was gnarly and I think the pace this year was even higher than last year, which is crazy. We were pushing the limit – I was getting that long rhythm, which helped me, and then Coop [Cooper Webb] was faster in the tight stuff. There was a lot of cat and mouse out there, but it was a balance of pushing the pace, while also keeping your balance, because you had to hit your marks and try not to make mistakes, which was almost impossible on that track.”

‘The Cowboy’ claimed the holeshot in 450SX Heat 1, which continued his run of form throughout the recent rounds. Managing the pace at the front, the always-popular Plessinger charged to first position onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, setting himself up well for the upcoming Main Event.

Once the gates dropped on the Main Event, Plessinger posted a measured ride on a soft, rutty surface, steadily climbing his way up into a calculated third place finish by the conclusion of the night when the checkered flag flew.

Aaron Plessinger: "I got the best jump out of the gates I got all day for the Main Event, then coming into the first corner, I guess I hit the brakes too quickly and stalled the bike. I was trying to bump start it for about 50 feet and smacked right into Malcolm [Stewart], which I feel so bad about as he might’ve been up on the box with us. It happens. I had to ride hard, and it was not an easy track... The ruts here are like no others, it’s like a sponge, which makes it super-wild. Huge thanks to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for keeping me comfortable on track – let's keep this going!"

The 250SX West Class returned to action in Seattle following a three-week hiatus, with Julien Beaumer recommencing his hunt for this year's championship. Equipped with his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Beaumer collected the second-fastest qualifying time before finishing P2 in his Heat Race.

Upon delivering a solid ride throughout the Main Event, Beaumer battled inside the podium placings for the entirety of the race before eventually landing a fourth-place result in Seattle to remain well in title contention.

Julien Beaumer: "Fourth place in Seattle, just a bad line choice in the Main cost me a lot. I should have been blitzing the whoops, then I got stuck behind the lapped riders, too, and didn’t make good choices there. I became frustrated, which ultimately cost me a lot of time. Overall, it was a step in the right direction with my riding, as my shoulder is improving, and we’re on an upward trajectory. I'm ready to get back to work and come out swinging in Philly.”

Next Race: April 5 – Foxborough, Massachusetts

The opening round of 2025 MotoGP provided hot and oppressive racing conditions at the Buriram International Circuit but Brad Binder was able to sweat his way to 8th position after starting in 14th. The sixth Thai Grand Prix to occur at the flat and fast layout over 400km north of Bangkok welcomed a sell-out crowd and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 drilled their KTM RC16s to two points-scoring positions.

The first of 22 Grand Prix races in 2025 lapped the 12 corners of Buriram 26 times, and the temperatures hovered in the high 30s with the asphalt sizzling in the 50s. The heat and harsh demands of the track created headaches for grip, wheelspin and durability. Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini had to gauge the most effective pace while also learn more about optimization of their 2025 KTM RC16s set-up.

Acosta rasped to the edge of the leading group and Binder made his customary rapid getaway and proactive first laps but Pedro’s was decided by a slip into Turn 1 in the formative phases. The Spaniard reboarded the KTM RC16 but circulated far behind the pack and he finished 19th. Brad pushed to the maximum to preserve his speed and tussle for positions. He passed the flag in P8 to grab points for the second time this weekend.

Red Bull KTM Tech3 were thrilled to watch Enea’s steady progress through the field and his expert handling of race rubber. The Italian started from the final row of the grid and made it up to 9th for a very encouraging beginning to his KTM career. Teammate Maverick Viñales struggled with traction from the first laps and could only reach the line in 16th.

MotoGP will jet across the continents and return to the Termas Rio Hondo circuit for the Grand Prix of Argentina in two weeks.

Brad Binder, 8th and 7th in the championship standings: “A really long race, for sure. I knew we had to be really easy on the rear tire and I had to be smooth on corner exit. Very tricky, especially because it is tempting to get excited and chase harder after people. I knew I had to be clever today but I also think I made a bit of a mistake with my tire choice. Anyway, I think we did a pretty good job considering it wasn’t an easy weekend. The team did a great job, so we’ll keep on fighting and hope for more in Argentina.”

Enea Bastianini, 9th and 9th in the championship standings: “I think we made a step this morning and I was positive for the race…but I did not expect the top ten. I think the soft tire helped give me confidence. In the second part of the race I was riding very smooth and was doing OK. It was important to check what I could do with other riders and to work out how and where I can do more. The race was good for this.”

Maverick Viñales, 16th and 18th in the championship standings“Well, we have a starting point. This weekend we had ups-and-downs trying to understand feelings on the bike. Now we need to be more precise and try to improve because I had problems with front grip today. It effected my corner speed. I made the rear tire last until the end of the race but had to use the front too much and it means the lap-times did not come easy.”

Pedro Acosta, 19th and 14th in the championship standings: “A tough day. A shame. We need to understand better what is going on because I had trouble stopping. After the crash trying to brake behind another rider my pace then was not too bad, the guys told me it might have been good enough for the top five. We have to move on and start again in Argentina. That’s it.”

Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Generally the first race weekend of the season is very important for information, and we need a couple of races to see where we are. Every lap is important and after two tests and a GP in extreme conditions this is helpful for the future. We know we need to improve in these types of climates but we also know that when it’s a bit cooler then we are competitive. We are learning, and in this way I’m happy. Performance-wise we have work to do.”

The Thai GP rounded off a positive first weekend of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship for Honda HRC Castrol, Luca Marini taking 12th after an early mistake and Joan Mir showing top ten speed before an unfortunate fall.

Progress continued at pace inside the Honda HRC Castrol garage as the first Sunday of 2025 arrived at the Chang International Circuit. Oppressive conditions met the MotoGP paddock as they arrived, ambient temperatures quickly climbing towards 40°C in the morning. Undeterred, Luca Marini and Joan Mir completed their final preparations ahead of the race with a few final tweaks in Warm Up.

Luca Marini’s 26-lap Thai GP was a race of recovery, the Italian dropping back to last at the first corner after an early error just before the start line. Putting his head down, Marini steadily worked his way through the field to quickly return to battling for the points. Ending just over half a second back from Jack Miller, the Italian finished in 12th position – matching his best result from the 2024 season which was also achieved during the Thai GP. Although his full potential was masked, Marini leaves Thailand pleased with the work done and ready to deliver on his, and the Honda RC213V’s, full potential next time out.

A lightning start when the lights went out had Joan Mir immediately battling with the top ten as he continued to show his impressive improvement in pace over the previous season. Unfortunately, a crash at the last corner while chasing down Miller ended Mir’s race early, the 2020 World Champion unable to remount and continue. Despite the fall, the #36 has had his confidence boosted by the overall shape and result of the weekend – a clear change in fortunes from the 2024 Thai GP.

There will now be a brief moment of rest before the Honda HRC Castrol team return to action in just under two weeks’ time at the Argentina GP, March 14 to 16.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ripped out of a Grand Prix start gate for the first time this year and Sacha Coenen produced the goods with his KTM 250 SX-F to score 2nd place in Argentina. Simon Laegenfelder was 3rd overall meaning an MX2 double trophy haul for the opening round of 20 in Cordoba.

MXGP discovered a brand-new circuit for the Grand Prix of Argentina and the Infinito Race Track offered a different setting compared to the venue at Neuquen that had been the home of the South American fixture since 2015. The teams and riders tried to unlock all the fastest lines and potential of the course in Cordoba that was initially wet but quickly dried through the Sunday motos thanks to the warm climate and soft, sandy nature of the surface.

The Red Bull KTM Factory line-up flew across the Atlantic with one representative in the MXGP class (Lucas Coenen) and four in the MX2 category (Andrea Adamo, Sacha Coenen, Simon Laegenfelder and Marc-Antoine Rossi) and with Jeffrey Herlings on the comeback path from injury. On Saturday the MX2 crew set a marker with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd best lap-times in Timed Practice. Adamo, Coenen and Laegenfelder hit the front again in the RAM Qualification Heat and the Italian logged the first maximum points of the campaign with victory ahead of the Belgian in P2 and the German in 4th. Rossi was 19th after a poor start. Lucas Coenen was also struggling at the launch of the MXGP Heat as contact with another rider put him on the floor into Turn 2. He remounted and made it to the flag in 19th.

Sunday’s motos was the scene for more drama as the track invited a high pace and full commitment. Coenen fell on the first lap of the opening MX2 sprint (with the course in its wettest state) and worked his way back to 9th but then owned the second moto holeshot and took the checkered flag. Laegenfelder was P2 in the first moto but two small late falls in the afternoon dropped him to 6th and meant the third step of the podium. Adamo had to pull out of the initial moto with a technical issue and after spinning on the metal gate at the start. The former world champ was strong in the second moto to follow home Coenen for P2. Rossi ended the day with 19th after a 16-20 scorecard.

In MXGP Lucas Coenen closed a steady day of action with 7-8 scores and took home 27 points for P6. With the championship now underway, MXGP will hurry onto Cozar for the Grand Prix of Castilla la Mancha in two weeks.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, extending his lead in the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship to 17 points. Dominating round two in the United Arab Emirates, Sanders secured two stage wins and finished nearly six minutes ahead of his closest rival. Teammate Luciano Benavides put in a strong performance too, narrowly missing the overall podium with his fourth-place finish. Meanwhile, Rally2 contender Edgar Canet showed early promise with a fourth-place result in the prologue but was unfortunately forced to retire after a crash on stage one.