Álvaro Carpe takes Moto3 pole in Austin after shattering Circuit of the Americas lap record
Record-breaking qualifying sets the Moto3 grid for Sunday’s race in Austin
Álvaro Carpe secured pole position for the Moto3 race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on Saturday, March 28, 2026, delivering a lap that reset the category benchmark at the Texas circuit. Carpe’s best time of 2:12.107 established a new Moto3 lap record at COTA and positioned the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider at the front of the grid for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.
The pole was Carpe’s second in Moto3, following his first top qualifying result at Mugello last season. In Austin, the margin to second place was substantial by Moto3 standards: 0.412 seconds separated Carpe from the nearest chaser, underlining the scale of the session-defining lap.
How the lap record fell during the weekend
The COTA record changed hands over the course of the weekend. A new reference time had already been set on Friday, and Carpe then lowered the benchmark again during Saturday’s running before producing an even faster lap in Q2 to clinch pole. The final pole time also surpassed the previous season’s Moto3 qualifying record at the venue by 1.8 seconds, reflecting a steep step forward in outright pace compared with 2025.
Top 8 on the grid: Carpe on pole, Quiles starts eighth
Behind Carpe, the battle for the front rows mixed established frontrunners with riders capitalizing on late-session improvements. The top eight starting positions were set as follows:
- 1) Álvaro Carpe
- 2) Casey O’Gorman
- 3) Valentín Perrone
- 4) Veda Pratama
- 5) Guido Pini
- 6) Joel Esteban
- 7) Adrián Fernández
- 8) Máximo Quiles
Quiles—who arrived in Austin as the Moto3 championship leader—qualified eighth after failing to convert earlier weekend pace into a higher grid position in Q2. Sunday’s race will provide the next data point on whether qualifying order at COTA translates cleanly into race outcomes, or whether Moto3’s typical draft-driven dynamics compress the field again over race distance.
What to watch on race day at COTA
COTA’s long straight and heavy-braking zones tend to encourage slipstream battles and late overtakes in Moto3, often reducing the security that comes with a front-row start. Even so, Carpe’s advantage in qualifying time suggests a rider-bike package capable of controlling the pace if race conditions allow clean air early.
Sunday’s Moto3 race at COTA is set with Carpe on pole after a record lap, while several direct rivals start from the second and third rows.
The Moto3 race in Austin is scheduled for Sunday, March 30, 2026, at Circuit of the Americas.