10/05/2026

Podium strike continues for Manuel Gonzalez at Le Mans

After a lightning-fast start to the restart, the championship leader finished second in a race that was shortened by more than half. Teammate Senna Agius rounded out another strong performance by the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Team with a seventh-place finish.

On race day for the fifth Grand Prix of this year’s championship, the Le Mans region shows up with weather typical for this time of year. The weather forecasts proved accurate, as rain did indeed begin to fall in the morning. However, it was only a brief shower. By the time the final preparations for Moto2 race were being made on the grid, the track had dried out almost completely, which is why the entire grid opted for slicks.

After a smooth Friday, qualifying proved to be a tricky affair for both team’s riders, Manuel Gonzalez and Senna Agius. At least Spaniard Gonzalez was able to secure a good starting position for the race with fifth place on the grid. The Australian Senna Agius, meanwhile, had to start from P11 on the row four.

The race had to be red-flagged due to a rider’s dangerous-looking crash on the start-finish straight. For the restart, the distance was shortened to nine laps. Gonzalez got off to a good start when the lights went out but lost a few positions on the first lap. Although he was able to make up the ground and move up to second place, he ultimately finished half a second behind the eventual winner, Izan Guevara. Gonzalez was nevertheless satisfied with second place, especially since it allowed him to slightly extend his lead in the championship.

Agius wasn't just struggling with his starting position and the many competitors around him. He was also battling a significant speed lacking on the straights. This made his determination and fighting spirit all the more impressive as he worked to make up for this disadvantage in the corners. The Australian fought his way up to seventh place over the course of the nine laps; after having lost tpositions, he had gained in the first lap.

In a few days, the action continues in Barcelona with the Catalan Grand Prix.

Moto2™ Race Classification (9 Laps):
1 Izan GUEVARA / SPA / BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 / BSOCOSCURO / 14´14.987
2 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / +0.566
3 Ivan ORTOLA / SPA / QJMOTOR – El Motorista - MSI / KALEX / +2.969
…

7 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / +6.673

Moto2™ World Standings:
1 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / KALEX / 79,5
2 IZAN GUEVARA / SPA / BOSCOSCURO / 70
3 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / KALEX / 59

Moto2™ Team Standings:
1 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP 138,5
2 CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team 91
3 BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 70.5

Manuel Gonzalez

Race: P2 +0.566
Moto2 World Championship 2026: P1 - 79,5 Points

«I’m happy because it was a really good day for us. We made significant improvements with the bike, and I was really fast. Of course, we wanted to fight for the win, but the red flag led to a collision at the restart. That allowed Alonso to pass me, and in the end, I lost the tenths of a second, I needed, even though I was making up ground tenths at a time. Still, there wasn’t enough time left. It’s a shame the race was so short. But with second place, we achieved our goal of finishing in the top three. I tried not to make any mistakes, even though I really pushed hard right to the limit. I also tried to learn a few things for the future, when we have a bit more to fight for. After this race, we have to think about the next one, because Barcelona is completely different from here in terms of conditions and tires. But as I said, I’m very happy because we’re back on the podium. Thanks to the team — great job done.»

Senna Agius

Race: P7 +6.673
Moto2 World Championship 2026: P3 - 59 Points

«I’m satisfied because it wasn’t a bad race. I was very aggressive at the start and made up a few positions. But there were some heavy contacts on the first lap, which is why we lost touch with the leading group and couldn’t fight for the podium. Still, I worked my way back up to 7th place, which is a good result and marks a strong comeback. That’s not bad. We struggled a bit this weekend to be able to rely 100 percent on the bike, but in the race, we found the right direction and scored some good points for the championship. I’m looking forward to taking that with me to Barcelona, where I really like it, and being able to ride the bike more freely there. Riding in Barcelona is always a bit different, though. Still, I’m looking forward to it. But first, I want to give a big shout-out to my crew, because they always do a fantastic job for me.»

Jürgen Lingg

Teammanager

«Le Mans is always something very special. The weather forecast didn’t look particularly good from the start, and it’s also a truly unique track where a lot can always happen. Nevertheless, it was another strong weekend for the entire team. That needs to be made very clear. We got off to a good start on Friday, but qualifying was a bit more difficult. Manu managed to pull it off at the last second after all the yellow flags. Unfortunately, Senna couldn’t get through all that chaos. That made it difficult for him to achieve more in the race from that starting position. He certainly had the pace to compete at the front. But when you’re stuck in the pack at the start, it’s hard to make progress. He also has an aerodynamic issue. He simply loses too much speed on the straights, which has a doubly negative effect on a fast track like this one. He fought hard and made the most of his position over this short distance. From that perspective, we have to be satisfied with it.»

«Manu would definitely have been ready to win today — under normal circumstances, of course. Unfortunately, the shortened race threw a wrench in our plans, and on top of that, he got caught up in a battle on the first lap, which gave our opponent a chance to pull ahead slightly. Still, Manu almost made up the gap, but in the end, it wasn’t quite enough. Despite everything, it was a strong performance. We saw the class of our two riders again today. We just have to keep going like this, stay focused, and not make any mistakes. My thanks and congratulations to everyone — you all have done a great job again. We also continue to lead in both the rider and team standings and are already looking forward to Barcelona.»

#FrenchGP 2026

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