David Alonso has moved to within one point of the lead in the 2024 Moto3 World Championship standings after capping off an impeccable Grand Prix of The Americas weekend with a dominant victory at Circuit of The Americas.

A second victory in three races for the Colombian rider, Alonso was never headed throughout the 14-lap encounter as he made the most of myriad incidents occurring in his wake to come home more than five seconds clear of the opposition.

Daniel Holgado brought it home for a distant second place finish to retain his lead in the overall standings, the Spaniard just edging out rookie Angel Piqueras, who claimed his first podium in third.

On a weekend that had seen Alonso earmark himself as a hot favourite to emulate his victory in the season opening Qatar Moto3 round after topping each practice session and claiming his first pole position, in the end the CFMoto Aspar Team rider needed only to get a good start to set himself on course for victory.

It was an objective he fulfilled as he resisted Holgado in getting the hole-shot into Turn 1. It would prove crucial too as riders behind began tripping over one another, among them Joel Kelso, who was forced out wide when he clipped the rear tyre of Collin Veijer’s Husqvarna IntactGP machine.

Indeed, the Dutchman proved something of an unintended target on more than one occasion early on, Veijer getting tagged by an over-ambitious Luca Lunetta at Turn 1, then Kelso at Turn 8 and again by Ivan Ortola coming into Turn 15. 

Despite this Veijer kept it sunny side up, unlike Lunetta - who scattered the field as he slid off - and Ortola, who after striking Veijer, then proceeded to clatter unavoidably into the Stefano Nepa, taking both down.

With the trio of opening lap incidents puncturing holes down the field, it gave an unhindered Alonso a clear advantage even by the end of the first lap, one he’d continue to swell over the ensuing laps to put himself out of his rivals’ reach.

A stark contrast to Moto3’s typical trend of wins being decided by mere hundredths of a second, Alonso kept his cool to the flag to secure a sixth career Moto3 win.

If Alonso was making it look easy out front, then the same couldn’t be said for those embroiled in a bristling exchange for the remainder of the podium between Holgado, Piqueras, Veijer, Taiyo Furusato, Ryusei Yamanaka and the recovering Kelso.

The sextet provided the entertainment as momentum and race positions ebbed and flowed between them, the standout among them being Piqueras as he belied his rookie status to get his stuck into the top three fight.

Indeed, it was the Leopard Racing rider who’d hold his nerve as first Furusato fell on lap four, Kelso dropped his BOE KTM on lap ten then Veijer - having survived his multiple rear-end slaps - skated off at Turn 8 having just worked his way into second place.

With the latter incident forcing Yamanaka and Holgado wide in avoidance, Piqueras picked his way through to move into second but soon found himself back under pressure as the chequered flag loomed.

But with Yamanaka’s momentum fading coming into the final lap, it was left to Holgado and Piqueras to tussle it out for second, a dispute settled in the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 rider’s favour after out-sprinting his young rival to the line by just +0.013s.

A dash to earn Holgado an extra three points, it means the Portuguese Moto3 winner stays atop the overall standings, albeit by just a single point over Alonso.

The pair have now established a comfortable advantage over their rivals, not least after Jose Antonio Rueda was forced to withdraw before the start due to illness.

In third, Piqueras proved why he has been tipped as a future star by picking up his first World Championship podium trophy, the Spaniard chased by Yamanaka in fourth and David Munoz - fighting back after being delayed dodging Lunetta's downed SIC58 Honda - completing the top five.

Tatsuki Suzuki flew the flag for Husqvarna IntactGP in Veijer's absence in sixth, ahead of Kelso, who remounted and recovered to seventh.

Rookies Jacob Roulstone and Joel Esteban landed solid points for eighth and ninth, with Matteo Bertelle - one of multiple riders handed pre-race long lap penalties - making the most of the issues ahead to get back into the top ten in tenth.

Despite serving three long lap penalties, Adrian Fernandez took the flag in 11th with the final points' paying positions being assumed by Nicola Carrero in 12th, Xabi Zurutuza 13th in his debut Moto3 start, Noah Dettweiler 14th and Filippo Farioli 15th.

There was no points for British duo Scott Ogden and Josh Whatley on the MLav Racing Hondas, however. Ogden briefly ran inside the top ten before crashing at Turn 1, while Whatley had to make do with 17th.

2024 Grand Prix of The Americas Moto3, COTA | RACE Results

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