Moto3 frontrunner thrown out of six races over massive engine breach

Moto3 frontrunner Adrian Fernandez has been thrown out of the results of six of the seven rounds completed in the 2026 season.

Fernandez, brother of MotoGP race winner Raul, had sat third in the riders' standings in the lightweight category, albeit 55 points down already on runaway leader Maximo Quiles.

But he and his Leopard team have now lost six top-eight finishes - including podiums - following an investigation into what MotoGP stewards have alleged to be "tampering" with two sealed engines.

According to the stewards, MotoGP technical director Danny Aldridge initially discovered "wire seals not consistent with the standard wiring procedure" on the engine Fernandez used across the first four rounds of the campaign.

It was determined, "based on physical inspection, manufacturer evidence and examination of the engine seals, that the integrity of the approved sealing system had been compromised and that the engine had been opened without authorisation".

Moto3 riders are allowed six engines per year without penalty, and each engine is to be "marked and sealed" by the series prior to first use - which is defined as "when the motorcycle with that engine crosses the transponder timing point at the pitlane exit" as per the regulations.

The sealing is intended to prevent major components - including "crankshaft and its bearings, conrod and its bearings, piston, piston rings and piston pin, valves and their springs, camshafts" - being replaced without the allocation reflecting this.

In a separate documents, the MotoGP stewards also reported that an engine Fernandez used in rounds five and six - at Le Mans and Barcelona - was requested for analysis and also "showed evidence of tampering".

The stewards have ruled, in both cases, that "the unauthorised interference with the approved technical sealing system constitutes an action prejudicial to the interests" of the sport.

The ruling was appealed by Leopard, with the appeal rejected by the relevant panel - which reported that Leopard "were unable to supply a robust explanation regarding the condition of the security seals and consequent evidence that an invasive process had occurred within the engine".

Leopard is a mainstay of the class, having won Moto3 titles with Danny Kent, Joan Mir, Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Jaume Masia since its entry into grand prix racing in 2015.

In a statement of its own, the team said it "acknowledges" the ruling but "respectfully disagrees with the conclusions reached" and is evaluating "the next steps, together with its legal counsels".

The team noted that no "illegal component, performance-enhancing modification, non-compliant part or technical element contrary to the Moto3 regulations" was discovered - and "firmly rejected" that the engines were "opened or modified without authorisation".

"The present dispute concerns solely the interpretation of certain elements relating to the engine sealing system and the conclusions drawn from those observations," the team insisted. It added that it "believes that a number of significant technical and procedural questions remain unresolved, including the methodology used to establish the alleged infringement and the proportionality of the sanctions" - and that "no team representative was present during these inspections".

Fernandez, who has 93 starts in the Moto3 class down to his name, has now been reduced from 90 to 13 points in this year's classification.

The knock-on effects of Fernandez's disqualifications on the individual race results have slightly reduced Quiles's points lead - which now stands at 50 over nearest rival Alvaro Carpe.

Rookies Marco Morelli and Veda Pratama have been promoted to the podium at Jerez and Le Mans respectively.