01/11/2026

Gonzalez defends World Championship lead with fifth place in Malaysia

Amid extreme heat and challenging track conditions, LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP’S Moto2 team earned important points in Sepang. Manuel Gonzalez turned a strategically well-executed race into a strong fifth-place finish, successfully defending his lead in the World Championship. Teammate Senna Agius rose to the challenge of the difficult conditions and finished 15th despite persistent grip issues.

The race weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, not far from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, got off to anything but a smooth start for Manuel Gonzalez. On Friday morning, the Spanish rider suffered a nasty crash. But he didn’t let that rattle him and made a strong statement by setting the fastest time in the afternoon’s Practice session.

At the start of Sunday’s 17-lap race, Gonzalez lined up in ninth place on the third row of the starting grid. From there, he once again pulled off one of his lightning-fast starts, allowing the 24-year-old to gain two positions as early as the field enters Turn 1. Two laps later, the championship leader gained another position before moving up to fifth place on lap four, a position he safely defended until the finish.

With this result, Gonzalez retained his lead in the Moto2 World Championship. His closest rival in the title hunt, Izan Guevara, finished fourth, just one spot ahead of Gonzalez. With three races remaining in the season, the Intact GP rider continues to hold a gap of 3.5 points.

Senna Agius faced a demanding challenge on Sunday in Southeast Asia, the penultimate stop on the long overseas tour. The 21-year-old Australian started the race from twelfth on the grid and initially held his own in the field. Despite limited grip, he managed to hold onto eleventh place for long stretches. In the final stages, the difficult conditions and increasing tire wear took their toll, and he ultimately finished the race in 15th place. Agius continues to hold sixth place in the championship standings.

The championship's long annual Asia/Australia tour will come to a close this coming weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix. The race at the Lusail International Circuit, which will be held at dusk, is also the third-to-last race of the 2026 season.

Moto2™ Race Classification (17 Laps):
1 David ALONSO / COL / CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team / KALEX / 35´44.732
2 Daniel HOLGADO / SPA / CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team / KALEX / +1.932
3 Angel PIQUERAS / SPA / QJMOTOR - MSI / KALEX / +3.565
…
5 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / +14.130
15 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / +23.683

Moto2™ World Standings:
1 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / KALEX / 276,5
2 IZAN GUEVARA / SPA / BOSCOSCURO / 273
3 Ivan ORTOLA / SPA / KALEX / 199,5
…
6 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / KALEX / 166

Moto2™ Team Standings:
1 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP 442,5
2 CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team 381
3 BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 290,5

Manuel Gonzalez

Race: P5 +14.130
Moto2 World Championship 2026: P1 - 276,5 Points

«From my perspective, it was an “okay race.” It was really just about getting to the finish line and hanging in there. Still, I went into the race with full determination, passed the riders in front of me well, and felt strong under braking. I felt really good in the first few laps, but after five or six laps, rear grip started to drop massively. It was really difficult to ride the bike, especially since the track conditions were so hot. Therefore, the grip level was so low, which wasn’t good for my riding style. So, I tried to adapt and use the front a bit more, but that was very risky. That’s why I tried to hold my position. It was far too risky to push more to close the gap to the riders in front of me, since I was too far behind. So, I decided to stay calm, finish the race, take the experience with me, and try to maintain the lead in the championship. Under these circumstances, a top 5 finish today isn’t so bad at all. So we’ll keep working hard in Qatar.»

Senna Agius

Race: P15 +23.683
Moto2 World Championship 2026: P6 – 166 Points

«Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good race today. I don’t know what happened, because I had absolutely no grip right from the first lap. With six laps to go, all I could do was try to hang on somehow. That’s really unusual, because we were never in a situation like that during practice sessions. We’ll have to figure this out first. Still, given how hot it was out there, I gave it everything I had. But I couldn’t keep up with anyone from the start. It’s disappointing, but I think we can learn from this and use it as motivation for Qatar to get back to the results we know we’re capable of achieving. Many thanks to the guys in the pit for their hard work and dedication.»

Jürgen Lingg

Team Manager

«We knew from the start that it wouldn’t be easy here. The start of the weekend was a bit bumpy either. Manu’s hard crash on Friday morning certainly contributed to that. But he proved once again that he’s a true fighter by finishing the next session as the fastest rider. Unfortunately, qualifying didn’t go quite as we’d hoped. I think the second row of the grid would have been entirely possible. With these high temperatures and the demanding track conditions, having to start from the third row is, of course, an additional challenge. But Manu handled that brilliantly once again. Early on, he had to push his tires a bit harder to work his way up through the field, but he kept the situation under control at all times and adjusted his riding style accordingly as the race progressed.»

«It was a well-deserved fifth-place finish. There was simply no more possible today. It was quite clear that lighter riders, who are close to the minimum weight limit, have a certain advantage in these conditions, particularly with such high tyre degradation. Nevertheless, Manu rode a strong race and consistently managed the gap to his pursuers well. Since he’s still a bit sore from Friday’s crash, his performance today was all the more remarkable. We’re still heading to Qatar as the World Championship leaders, and that’s obviously very positive.»

«It was encouraging to see Senna make it straight into Q2 on Saturday. We weren’t able to do that here last year. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to put together a perfect lap in Q2. Still, we had high hopes for the race. Senna really gave it his all, and I think his performance was better than the result might suggest at first glance. Of course, we’d hoped for a single-digit finish, which I think was definitely within reach. However, we first need to take the time to analyze everything carefully, because he lacked the necessary grip right from the start. We’ll take a close look at what we can improve in this regard going forward. Despite everything, we know that Malaysia is always extremely difficult, so we’re glad to have gotten off lightly.»

#MalaysianGP Sunday

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