Veda Ega Pratama Secures Sixth Place in Qatar FP1
Indonesian racer Veda Ega Pratama finished sixth in the first free practice (FP1) session for the Moto3 Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail Circuit on Friday, November 6, 2026. CNN Indonesia reported that while Veda remained competitive throughout the half-hour session, he slipped from his earlier positions as the field finalized their lap times in the closing minutes. The 17-year-old rider maintained a confident approach despite regional concerns regarding the crisis in the Middle East. Although Veda and his rival-turned-friend Hakim Danish both saw their rankings fluctuate during the session, they ultimately improved their positions in the final moments.
Maximo Quiles, the 2026 Moto3 champion, set the fastest time of the session at 2 minutes 04.143 seconds. Joel Kelso followed in second, with Marco Morelli taking third, according to data provided by Kompas. The full results for the session included Rico Salmela in fourth, Hakim Danish in fifth, Veda Ega Pratama in sixth, followed by Kiattisak Singhapong, Adrian Fernandez, Joel Esteban, Scott Ogden, and Zen Mitani.
Veda Ega Pratama Refines Lap Times During Session
Veda began the session with a lap time of 2 minutes 08.212 seconds, placing him 11th, before quickly improving to 2 minutes 05.715 seconds. Kompas reported that the Honda Team Asia rider briefly reached the top of the leaderboard during the session, outpacing competitors like Adrian Fernandez. Veda managed to further refine his time to 2 minutes 05.505 seconds before the late-session surge from his competitors.
/data/photo/2026/11/06/6aed7d8e94479.jpg "Photo: Kompas")
To maintain his pace, Veda has been using data from former teammate Taiyo Furusato as a benchmark throughout his debut season. Veda Ega Pratama menggunakan catatan waktu Taiyo Furusato dari musim sebelumnya sebagai acuan untuk mengevaluasi perkembangan kecepatannya di setiap sirkuit pada musim debutnya di Moto3 2026. Addressing recent speculation regarding potential upgrades to his motorcycle, Veda told Gridoto that he relies on his team’s expertise rather than tracking specific mechanical changes himself. If in my opinion, HRC always provides support.
But for more details like on the motorcycle, I do not know and rather entrust it to the team,
Veda said. He added that while he is aware of the speculation, he believes If (Hiroshi) Aoyama has already tried it in Japan, other teams also want to try.
Teams Use Qatar Session to Finalize Settings
The FP1 session serves as a critical diagnostic period for teams to finalize their base settings before the upcoming qualifying rounds. As reported by Kompas, the data collected in Qatar will dictate the team’s strategy for the practice session scheduled for Saturday.
Following the Qatar Grand Prix, which concludes on November 8, Veda is slated to compete in the final two rounds of the 2026 season held in Portugal and Valencia. This follows a high-performance streak for the Gunung Kidul native, who recently secured a second-place finish at the Malaysia Grand Prix after a fierce battle against Alvaro Carpe, Hakim Danish, and David Almansa. That podium performance, which followed a pole position in Australia, has propelled him to seventh in the standings with 131 points.
Veda Ega Pratama Relies on Predecessor Lap Times
How does Veda Ega Pratama evaluate his performance across different tracks?
Veda utilizes the lap time data of his predecessor at Honda Team Asia, Taiyo Furusato, as a primary reference point to measure his development at each circuit during the first practice sessions.
What is the current status of Veda Ega Pratama in the 2026 Moto3 standings?
Following a second-place finish at the Malaysia Grand Prix, Veda currently holds seventh place in the championship standings with 131 total points.
Are there any confirmed mechanical updates to Veda’s bike?
Veda has stated that he does not track the specific technical details of motorcycle updates, preferring to trust the mechanics at Honda Team Asia to manage the equipment performance.