The 17-year-old Spanish rookie remains unavailable due to an injury sustained during training: here is the Aspar Team’s statement and Esteban’s own words.
A tough start to the season for Maximo Quiles: after missing the first two rounds due to age restrictions, another setback now prevents him from getting back on track. The fracture in his right thumb, sustained before the Qatar GP, has not yet fully healed, forcing rider #28 to sit out the Spanish Grand Prix.
The news was made official in a statement from the team, which posted on its website:
“The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team races at home for the first time this season, once again with a partially complete Moto3 lineup.
Maximo Quiles’ injury, for which he underwent surgery during the Qatar GP weekend, still prevents him from competing with the team, so Joel Esteban will once again step in to replace him in the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team garage. This weekend at Jerez, Esteban and Dennis Foggia will face a new challenge with the goal of moving past the disappointing result in Qatar, where neither managed to finish the race.”
Joel Esteban’s Words
This will be Esteban’s fourth substitute appearance of the season: “I want to wish Máximo a speedy recovery and, at the same time, thank the team for the opportunity they’ve given me. I’m really excited to get to Jerez. Despite the crash, I left Qatar with very positive feelings. I made a small step forward, both in terms of riding and mentally.
In Jerez, the focus will be on continuing to learn, as my main championship this year is the JuniorGP. We’ll keep building mileage in Moto3 and gaining a better understanding of the bike. I need to improve a few things on Friday and Saturday to be more competitive on Sunday.”
Photo: Aspar Team
