Gonzalez storms to P2, Agius to P6 – but both handed three-place grid penalties
On Saturday at the Qatar Grand Prix, both Moto2 riders from the LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP team showed great determination and delivered a strong overall performance. Manuel Gonzalez demonstrated his skill with a furious final charge, which earned him second place. Teammate Senna Agius confirmed with his sixth-place finish that the Lusail Circuit suits him better.
The third-last race weekend of the season at the Lusail International Circuit, not far from Doha, the capital of Qatar, offers a unique setting with its schedule in the early evening hours local time, as the decisive sessions take place under floodlights.
Manuel Gonzalez arrived in the Emirate at the Persian Gulf as World Championship leader, holding a narrow 3.5-point lead. Despite the tension in the battle for the Moto2 crown, the 24-year-old Spaniard shows no signs of nervousness. Gonzalez finished Friday’s practice sessions in fourth place each time, securing direct advancement to Q2. In the second free practice session early Saturday afternoon, he set the fastest time, sending a clear signal about his goal for qualifying.
In a dramatic final stage of Q2, Gonzalez not only demonstrated his determination in a very impressive way, but also his cleverness, as he refused to let his fiercest rival in the title fight, Izan Guevara, rattle him. Gonzalez took advantage of a gap in his opponent’s line to pass him at the start of the final lap and, from that point on, fought with all his might for the potential pole position. In the end, he fell just 0.126 seconds short.
Gonzalez and his crew couldn’t celebrate their supposed second-place starting position on the front row for long. Due to an incident in the final minutes of qualifying, race direction imposed grid penalties on several riders. At the pit lane exit, a large group of riders headed onto the track for their second run, while another rider was already on a fast lap. This rider was consequently obstructed in Turn 1. As a result, Gonzalez loses three positions and drops back to fifth place on the starting grid in the second row. Guevara was also set back three places and must now start the race from tenth place on the fourth row.
Teammate Senna Agius is well on his way to regaining his usual form in Qatar, after the track is Sepang proved to be a bit challenging for the young Australian last weekend. After finishing sixth on Friday, which secured his Q2 spot, he posted third-fastest lap time in the second free practice session (FP2). This put the 21-year-old among the contenders for a spot on the front row of the grid. Agius was also well on his way to significantly improving his time on his final lap in Q2. With a sixth-place finish, Agius had initially achieved his goal. However, he, too, was handed a three-position grid penalty and will now have to start the race from ninth place on the third row.
The race will start on Sunday afternoon at 5:15 p.m. local time. For viewers in Europe, that means 3:15 p.m. CET.
Moto2™ Qualifying Results:
1 Alex ESCRIG / SPA / KLINGT Racing Team / FORWARD / 1´33.241
2 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / 1´55.367 +0.126
3 Daniel HOLGADO / SPA / CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team / KALEX / 1´55.474 +0.233
…
6 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / 1´55.602 +0.361
