David Muñoz: “My first victories? Never felt so confident before”

If you’ve been following Moto3 World Championship races in recent years and during the 2025 season, one name you can hardly forget about is David Muñoz, a rider who this year competes in the lightweight class of the World Championship with a KTM machine and the IntactGP team.

From his debut in 2022, at the eighth race of the season (he hadn’t yet reached the minimum age of 16), Muñoz stood out immediately as an aggressive, fast and sharp rider. He even scored a podium in Barcelona, only in his second Grand Prix. The young man from Seville raced three seasons with BOE Motorsports, collecting eight podium finishess, and despite ups and downs he confirmed the talent he had already shown both in the CEV series (now known as FIM JuniorGP) and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, where he took podiums and victories and finished in the final top 3.

However, 2025 seems to mark a real turning point. The start was very difficult, also with controversies such as the contact with Luca Lunetta under yellow flags in Buriram. Yet once he found consistency, Muñoz was back in contention for major results. Most importantly, he claimed his first world championship victories at Motorland Aragón and the Sachsenring, the latter being the home race of his current team.

Palmen in Motorradsport had the chance to interview David Muñoz during the Czech GP, and could see how the Spanish youngster is just as talented and aggressive (overly aggressive, according to several people) on track, as he is calm and kind off the track.

David, how is the 2025 season going?

The truth is I’m really happy with the moment I’m living right now. In particular, I forget the tough times quickly, I’m focused on the present and also look positively to the future. I live it race by race, as I do every year and as I’ve always done, without depending on anything or anyone. We’re in a very positive moment and I had never had so much confidence before. I’m convinced that from here to the end of the season we’ll make great progress.

You took your first two World Championship wins at Motorland Aragon and then Sachsenring. Let’s start with the first one: how did you experience it?

I hadn’t won a race since 2021, when I was competing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and in JuniorGP. I think all the work done to get here is finally paying off. The team also helped me a lot, and never stopped believing in me. I’m really grateful to them for everything, because it’s not easy to stick together in the hard times. Above all, I thank my family, who have been with me day after day, my team and all the people who support me.  

After the first victory at Aragon, you did it again at Sachsenring, your team’s home race. What did it feel like?

I was over the moon. Before Aragon we had the race at Le Mans, where we showed great speed and could even have won. Then things went fairly well at both Mugello and Assen (he finished the Dutch GP in second place, ed.). We arrived at Sachsenring with the aim to keep improving, achieve great results and reward the team for everything they’re doing. I’m happy I won in Germany, because it gave us even more motivation.

Is there something you’ve found in 2025, and you were maybe missing in the previous seasons?

I’m more focused on myself, and that, together with the help my team is giving me, is allowing us to reach our goals.

How have these years in the World Championship changed you, as a rider and as a person?

I’ve changed significantly. Being in a team that helps you in every way is very important for a rider, and above all I’m happy, which is the most important thing for me and for my family. There have been tough years in the past when, for one reason or another, we didn’t get the results we wanted. But that’s in the past now, and the present looks promising.

How did your racing career start?

I used to play football. My father really liked motorcycles and I enjoyed watching races with him, but we had never taken the step of actually starting a career in this sport. Then we bought a pocket bike and little by little, I began learning with him. At a certain stage, I had to choose between football and motorcycles, and I chose to become a motorcycle racer, which I think suits me better.

Can you share more on your first seasons?

I raced in the Cuna de Campeones with a Mir machine and became Spanish champion. That helped me move on to the Spanish ESBK Championship, where I raced in the Moto4 class and scored good results. I also competed in the European Talent Cup and then moved up to the Moto3 Junior World Championship, where I finished third in 2021. Moreover, in 2020 and 2021 I was runner-up in the Rookies Cup for two years in a row. It was a difficult journey for me and for my family, but now we appreciate even more being here, where we wanted to arrive, and the situation we find ourselves in now.  

Is there one season in particular, before reaching the World Championship, that was crucial for your growth?

The 2021 season. I was fighting for the title in the Rookies Cup and I knew I could win it, but other factors beyond my control prevented me from making it. That experience, however, helped me when I moved up to the World Championship in 2022. I had to wait seven races before starting the season, but even in the first year we managed to do a great job.

Can you talk about your first three seasons in the World Championship?

The seasons with the BOE Motorsports team were useful for learning. However, I felt I needed a step forward in my career, and that came when I joined IntactGP, who gave me the confidence I was looking for. Those three years with BOE were long, with both good and tough moments, but I always kept working to stay at the front and we often managed to do so.

Which races do you consider as your best ones so far in the World Championship?

Those from Le Mans to Sachsenring in 2025. I think those were the best, not exactly for the show itself, but for the results. To win you don’t need to do anything crazy, and step by step I’m learning to focus more on myself and above all to manage any situations.

Do you still play football whenever possible?

I haven’t played football for a long time, I quit a while ago, but I still enjoy watching it on TV. As for other sports, I really like cycling and padel.

Who do you mainly inspire to for your career.

The reference, as for almost every rider, is Marc Márquez. I think he marked a before and after in MotoGP.  

And what are your main strength and weakness right now?

I think I’m very strong in close battles, which is really important in Moto3. My weakness is that I don’t ride much on my own. In any case, we’re working on that and now I’m spending more time riding on my own, which is very important to improve my pace and approach the race with more confidence. We did it in Germany and we’re trying to do the same at all circuits.

Has there ever been a moment in your career, when you almost gave up?

I went through difficult times, especially when people didn’t want to keep believing in me, but I never said things like “I can’t do this” or “I won’t race next year". I kept believing in myself, knowing I had potential, and I never thought of quitting.

How would you describe yourself as a rider and as a person?

As a rider, just like in everyday life, I never give up. I always try to move forward without worrying too much about the others, and I rather focusing on myself and try to make progress. The people around me also help me grow as a person, pointing out when I’m wrong and when I’m not, and that helps me a lot.

In conclusion, is there anyone in particular you’d like to thank for everything you have experienced?

Above all my family and the team, who gave me the chance to be here and take my first two wins. We need to keep working in this direction to win more and above all to fight for the World Championship (also in 2026, as he will continue with IntactGP, ed). I also thank all the people around me. Some of them are rather behind the scenes, but they have also contributed to bringing me here.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks David Muñoz for his time and Susanna Sola, Team Coordinator of IntactGP, for making the interview possible. To the rider and the team, best wishes for the coming races and seasons.