Team Aspar will have to do without one of its riders for the first two rounds of the season, in Thailand and then in Argentina. The reason? The main person concerned, Maximo Quiles, will not be old enough to compete before the end of March.
In the first two rounds of the 2025 season, Máximo Quiles will not be of the minimum age to participate in the Moto3 World Championship. Thus, the 18-year-old Austrian rider, Jakob Rosenthaler, will take his handlebars in the Aspar team.
The rules were recently changed to allow minors to compete in the world championship. But the existing exceptions do not apply to Maximo Quilés' case. At present, they allow "to the top three in the FIM JuniorGP World Championship and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup to compete in Moto3, provided they have achieved a Top-3 in one of these categories, even if they do not reach the minimum age set at 18 years. However, they must be at least 17 years old."
However, Maximo Quiles, born in 2008, will still be 16 years old when the season opens at the Buriram circuit. Born on March 19, he will therefore have to miss the first two rounds of the 2025 season, and delay his world championship debut.
"We will miss Maximo Quiles in these two races, Jorge Martinez confides 'Aspar', the boss of the eponymous stable. We are looking forward to March 19th when he reaches the minimum age and can make his World Cup debut with the CFMOTO Aspar team. In the meantime, in Thailand and Argentina, we will have the help of Jakob Rosenthaler."
“Jakob finished last season in JuniorGP with a podium finish in Estoril and already knows what it’s like to compete in a Grand Prix, He continues. For him, it will be two races without pressure, but we hope that he will learn every time he goes out on the track. And that he will give everything to get the best possible result."
Jakob Rosenthaler, Maximo Quiles' replacement © Aspar
Maximo Quiles will therefore start his season across the Atlantic, with the Grand Prix of the Americas organized in Austin on the weekend of March 28-30. For his part, his replacement is delighted with this opportunity, and did not expect to receive such a proposal at all. The latter has already made his debut in the world championship, during the Grands Prix of Austria and San Marino as a Wildcard driver.
“I received the call from Nico Terol asking me if I wanted to participate in the first two races with the CFMOTO Aspar Team as a replacement rider, adds Jakob Rosenthaler. I couldn't say anything other than 'Yes, of course!'."
“I am very grateful for this great opportunity with such an incredible team as the CFMOTO Aspar team, He continues. "Also, these will be my first races outside of Europe, so I can't wait to get started. I'm very happy that the team has put their trust in me, and I'm going to make the most of it to gain as much experience as possible."
