Leopard Moto3 rider Adrien Fernandez stripped of six race results over engine tampering

Adrien Fernández, the Leopard Racing rider in the Moto3 2026 season, was disqualified from six of the first seven Grand Prix after a technical inspection uncovered irregularities in the seal markings of two engines, numbers #810 and #811. The investigation concluded the engines had been opened without the required authorization, violating FIM technical regulations. As a result, Fernández’s results from the Thailand, Brazil, United States, Spain, France, Catalonia and Italy rounds were nullified, erasing 77 championship points and dropping him from third to twentieth in the standings, with only his Italian round points retained. The sanction was announced following the French Grand Prix, after Honda requested seal removal on engines that had reached the end of their approved service life. Leopard Racing has not issued a comment, and a possible appeal remains pending.

A separate disqualification involved an Ajo‑KTM rider, Brian Uriarte, after an oil‑sample irregularity was reported in Hungary, underscoring the heightened technical scrutiny across the Moto3 class.