Indonesia's Veda Ega Pratama claims eighth at Catalunya Moto3

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Moto3 rider Veda Ega Pratama delivered an impressive comeback performance by finishing eighth after starting from 20th on the grid at the 2026 Catalunya Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on Sunday.

Representing Honda Team Asia, the 17-year-old rider fought through intense competition in the midfield and front group to secure eight championship points, finishing less than a second behind race winner Maximo Quiles.

Quiles of the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team completed the race in 32 minutes and 28.974 seconds, narrowly ahead of Alvaro Carpe and David Munoz.

After initially qualifying in 21st position during Saturday’s qualifying session on May 16, Veda moved up one spot following a 12-grid penalty handed to a rider from Sic58 Squadra Corse.

The Indonesian rider made an aggressive start, climbing from 20th to 13th place in the opening laps. He later advanced to ninth midway through the race before dropping to 14th with two laps remaining, as the circuit’s sweeping corners opened opportunities for overtaking.

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Veda mounted a strong recovery on the final lap to secure a top-10 finish at the Catalunya Grand Prix. He crossed the finish line just behind Malaysian rider Hakim Danish.

Race winner Quiles earned maximum points after starting from seventh on the grid. Despite receiving a track-limit warning, the Spanish rider maintained his pace and claimed victory following an intense battle on the final lap.

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Meanwhile, Brian Uriarte finished fourth after leading for much of the race, followed by David Almansa in fifth place.

Veda previously drew national attention after becoming the first Indonesian rider to secure a podium finish in a Grand Prix event. He finished third behind Quiles and Marco Morelli at the Autodromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Brazil on March 22, crossing the line 1.650 seconds behind the winner.