RRI.CO.ID, Catalunya - Indonesian rider Veda Ega Pratama provided another impressive performance at the 2026 Moto3 Catalunya round after finishing eighth at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The young rider once again demonstrated his ability to recover positions despite starting from the back of the grid.

Representing Honda Team Asia, Pratama began the race from 20th position following a penalty received by another rider ahead of him. He immediately showed strong pace in the opening laps and quickly climbed into the top 12.

He continued to gain positions as the race progressed and briefly moved up to ninth place during the early stages. However, the tight competition in the midfield pack forced him to drop several positions as riders exchanged places almost every lap.

Despite the intense battle, the rider managed to stay close to the leading group for much of the race. With eight laps remaining, he was still within less than a second of the race leader, highlighting his competitiveness against more experienced riders.

The Indonesian rider later slipped to 11th place as the pace intensified in the closing laps. A gap also began to form between the top 10 riders and the chasing group behind him.

The situation changed near the end of the race after Jesus Rios crashed on lap 17, allowing Pratama to move back into the top 10. He then delivered another aggressive push on the final lap and successfully secured eighth place before crossing the finish line.

The Catalunya race was won by Maximo Quiles, while Alvaro Carpe finished in second place and David Munoz completed the podium in third. Pratama’s performance nevertheless attracted attention due to his consistent overtaking moves throughout the race.

The eighth-place finish earned Veda eight additional championship points in the 2026 Moto3 season. He now has a total of 58 points and remains in fifth place in the provisional world championship standings.

The result also underlined Veda’s growing consistency this season as he continues to compete regularly among the front group. His performances in recent rounds have strengthened expectations for the Indonesian rider to remain competitive in the championship battle.