28/09/2025

World championship leader Gonzalez shows fighting spirit, Agius crashes early

For the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Moto2 team, race day on Sunday in Motegi, Japan, did not go as hoped. Pole-setter Manuel Gonzalez had to fight hard after a turbulent start and a long-lap penalty, ultimately achieving the maximum possible result in fifth place. For Senna Agius, the race ended after just four laps due to a crash.

It could have been the perfect day for World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez, who confidently secured pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix and started the 17th race of the season as the favourite. But things got tight in the first corner, with the Spaniard falling back to eleventh place and having to find his rhythm again. On his way forward, a serious incident occurred on lap six: while overtaking Vietti, the Italian crashed and Gonzalez received a long-lap penalty, which set him back again. But instead of giving up, the 23-year-old showed impressive fighting spirit. With a strong pace, he ploughed his way through the field again and crossed the finish line in fifth place. In the overall World Championship standings, he lost only five points to his pursuer Diogo Moreira – and will get his next chance for revenge in just one week at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

For Senna Agius, the Motegi weekend was disappointing. The Australian struggled to find the right feeling on the 4.8-kilometre track during practice. Starting from 20th on the grid, he had a tough time, but showed determination right from the start and fought his way up the field. However, his race came to a premature end on lap four after a mistake in turn three. Now, he is fully focused on the upcoming Grand Prix in Mandalika on the Indonesian island of Lombok.

Results

Race
1. Daniel HOLGADO/ SPA/ KALEX
2. Jake DIXON/ GBR/ BOSCOSCURO – (+1.304)
3. Diogo MOREIRA/ BRA/ KALEX – (+5.943)
5. Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – (+8.426)
DNF Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX

World Championship
1. GONZALEZ Manuel/ SPA – 238
2. MOREIRA Diogo – 204
3. CANET Aron/ SPA – 189
9. AGIUS Senna/ AUS – 104

Team Classification
1. FANTIC RACING LINO SONEGO – 371
2. LIQUI MOLY DYNAVOLT INTACT GP – 342
3. ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM – 254

Manuel Gonzalez

P5 - (+8.426)
Moto2 World Championship 2025 - P1 - 238 Points

"The race certainly didn't go as we had imagined. After a poor start and a lot of bad luck in the first corner, I suddenly found myself in eleventh place. It was very difficult to overtake the other riders because they were very strong on the brakes, while my bike setup was more geared towards corner speed. It was a big challenge for me to try to overtake them in braking zones. And I had a really tough battle with Vietti, who kept overtaking me at the limit, so I had to straighten up the bike several times. Motegi is a track where it's not easy to make such overtaking manoeuvres. But I tried to catch up again because our pace was really strong. Although when following other riders, I didn't feel so comfortable with the bike. Nevertheless, I tried to stay calm, completed the long lap, and then rode the race lap by lap at the speed I had. I didn't set any super-fast lap times, but I was still able to catch up pretty well and finished in the top five, with the podium not far away. Ultimately, today's result is okay because we didn't lose that many points. So, looking forward to the next one."

Senna Agius

DNF
Moto2 World Championship 2025 - P9 - 104 Points

"Nothing really to say, except that I gained a few positions on the first lap and showed some nice overtaking manoeuvres. But then I felt like I was at the limit when braking. Then I had a moment when turning into turn five, which unfortunately resulted in me crashing. I apologize to the team for this mistake on my part. It was a difficult weekend. The only thing we can do is learn from it and prepare well for Indonesia so we can come back strong there."

Jürgen Lingg

Team Manager

"Manu had good pace from the first lap at Motegi. His Friday and Saturday were perfect. With pole position, the conditions for the race couldn't have been better. He felt very comfortable on the bike. So we had high expectations, especially after he took pole. Unfortunately, his start wasn't so good, which immediately became a problem in the race. Later, he received a penalty for an overtaking maneuver, which set him back even further. So fifth place was the best he could achieve today. We are sure that Manu could have been in contention for the win today if things had gone a little differently. On a positive note, we can take away the fact that we only lost a few points in the championship and that Manu is mentally so strong that he doesn't let anyone put pressure on him. With this in mind, we can already look ahead to Indonesia." Unfortunately, Senna had a mixed weekend from the start. He couldn't find the right rhythm. He had problems with braking in particular. Given the circumstances, his task for the race was to make the best of the situation. Unfortunately, he made a small mistake and crashed. But these things can happen, and Senna will certainly do better again in a week's time."

Pictures Moto2 - Sunday Japan GP 2025

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