17/05/2026

«Best race of my life…» - Manuel Gonzalez takes the win in Barcelona

The 23-year-old Spaniard confirmed on Sunday with a dominant victory that he is currently the most complete rider in Moto2. Teammate Senna Agius finished the race in tenth place despite tyre wear.

Even on race day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, temperatures were much cooler than it are to expect in Spain. Nevertheless, Manuel Gonzalez and his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Team had the right recipe for the 21-lap distance.

With his victory in the sixth race of the season, Manuel Gonzalez provided some emotional moments and afterwards evaluated it as the best race of his career to date. After crossing the finish line, the Spaniard was overwhelmed with emotions, as the success represented the reward for years of hard work.

The decisive factor on Sunday was, above all, the right tyre management strategy. While Celestino Vietti, who started from pole position and got never out of the sight from "ManuGass", set a high pace in the early stages, Gonzalez focused on finding his rhythm and cleverly managing his tyres. Four laps before the chequered flag, Gonzalez launched the decisive attack on his opponent and from then on, he controlled the race from the front. With his second win of the season, he further extended his lead in the overall standings.

For Senna Agius, however, today's race proved out to be much more difficult than hoped. The Australian got off to a strong start and managed to establish himself in the chasing pack during the opening laps, keeping things under control without overworking his tyres. As the race progressed, however, an unexpected issue with the rear tyre cropped up. Despite a calm and controlled riding style, the 20-year-old lost more and more performance as a result and was unable to make any decisive moves. This makes his top-ten finish today all the more significant!

The series' action continues on the last weekend of May with the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, set in the stunning Tuscan countryside. Before that, a one-day test is scheduled for Tuesday at the track just outside Barcelona.

Moto2™ Race Classification (21 Laps):
1 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / 36´06.295
2 Celestino VIETTI / ITA / Beta Tools SpeedRS Team / BOSCOSCURO / +0.203
1 Izan GUEVARA / SPA / BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 / BSOCOSCURO / +4.205
…
10 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / +13.761

Moto2™ World Standings:
1 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / KALEX / 104,5
2 IZAN GUEVARA / SPA / BOSCOSCURO / 86
3 Celestino VIETTI / ITA / BOSCOSCURO / 73
4 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / KALEX / 65

Moto2™ Team Standings:
1 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP 169,5
2 CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team 107
3 BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 87.5

Manuel Gonzalez

Race: Winner
Moto2 World Champioship 2026: P1 - 104,5 Points

«I'm over the moon because it was the best race of my life! After crossing the finish line, the emotions were incredible. I was shouting and crying. It might seem like a silly thing, but it's the reward for all the work I put in at home and in training, always trying to improve and give more. I've been doing the same thing for years and never giving up. Even when conditions aren't on our side, I try to push even harder and show what I can do. Today's win was like a gift, as it came at exactly the right moment. We're fighting for the championship, and these points are super important to extend our lead a bit so we can breathe a little. The race itself was truly perfect, and we'll try to do it again. Since the start of the season, we've been taking small steps every day, and we're getting a really good package back in terms of the bike's set-up and my riding. Today was mainly just about strategy – how to manage the tyres. Vietti pushed really hard at the start, while I just tried to keep the pace without pushing too much. Towards the end, I struggled a bit with the front tyre and nearly crashed several times. Overall, we handled this weekend very well, and that's down to our hard work. A huge thanks to the team for another great job.»

Senna Agius

Race: P10 +13.761
Moto2 World Championship 2026: P4 – 65 Points

«I had a really good start; I couldn't have been doing much better in the opening laps, and I settled into the group well. I wasn't pushing, but rather trying to stay calm on the bike and not stress the tyres. When I got into seventh or sixth position, something strange happened with the rear tyre from one lap to the next. It wasn't a gradual drop-off, and it wasn't something we had not spotted during practices. I was definitely riding smoothly, and it's not easy to take as I didn't do anything wrong in the first part of the race. A top-ten finish on a bad day like this is alright.»

Jürgen Lingg

Teammanager

«Manu put in a masterclass performance today. We knew that the Boscoscuro riders would have an advantage here this weekend at this "low grip track" in terms of consistency. Before the race, we worked out a strategy which Manu executed perfectly. However, the high pace in the early stages of the race made me a bit doubtful regarding tyre wear. But Manu rode flawlessly and very smooth, which meant he had the reserves at the end to attack at the right moment. That was the key to the win! He is the most complete rider in Moto2 at the moment. This success also comes down to a perfect setup and a great atmosphere in the team, which is why I have to pay my respects to the entire crew once again! Everyone contributed to this success, well done everyone!»

«Senna’s starting position was much tougher because he had to start from the fourth row. He was very competitive all weekend, but unfortunately, in the crucial qualifying session, he didn't manage to secure a good spot on the grid. Tyre management is vital at this track, and if you start further back, it’s inevitable that you’ll get caught up in tough battles early on. These fights for position significantly increase tyre wear, which proved to be Senna’s undoing at the end of the race. Nevertheless, the pace was good enough to compete further up the field. Sadly, the rear tyre then dropped off massively from one lap to the next. Respect to him for still bringing the bike home in tenth place. We absolutely must work on the aerodynamics now, as his bike is simply too slow, which makes everything harder. And we need to work on getting him further up the grid in qualifying again so he can run with the lead group in future—the speed is definitely there! We have a test here in Catalunya on Tuesday, which comes at just the right time to work on those details we need to improve.»

#CatalanGP 2026

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