01/03/2026

Stunning win from Manuel Gonzalez in Buriram's opening race

In Sunday’s first race of the year, the 2025 vice-champion grew stronger with every lap and ultimately emerged victorious in a breathtaking finale. Unfortunately, the start of the championship did not go so well for team mate Senna Agius.

The first Moto2 race of the new season was not for the faint-hearted and brought a lot of chaos with, as it had been red flagged twice.

After the second interruption, the distance was shortened to seven laps. Manuel Gonzalez, who had qualified for seventh place on Saturday, started the race from fourth place on the second row this time. He quickly caught up with the two leaders. He made his decisive attack in the final corner before the finish line. At the finish, the 23-year-old Spaniard had a narrow lead of 0.099 seconds over Izan Guevara.

Senna Agius' first pole position brought him little luck. Due to an electronics problem, his motorcycle stopped a few laps after the start. Agius was able to restart but had to leave from the pit lane on both occasions. Finishing in 18th place, the fast Australian failed to score any points in the first race of the season.

The World Championship now travels from the hot and humid Southeast Asia to South America, where the second race weekend will take place in three weeks with the Brazilian Grand Prix.

#ThaiGP – Moto2™ Race Classification (7 Laps):
1 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / 11´11.575
2 Izan GUEVARA / SPA / BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 / BOSCOSCURO / +0.099
3 Daniel HOLGADO / SPA / CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team / KALEX / +0.454
…
18 #81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / KALEX / +12.601

Moto2™ World Standings:
1 #18 Manuel GONZALEZ / SPA / KALEX / 25
2 Izan GUEVARA / SPA / BOSCOSCURO / 20
3 Daniel HOLGADO / SPA / KALEX / 16
…
#81 Senna AGIUS / AUS / KALEX

Moto2™ Team Standings:
1 LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP / 25
2 BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 / 21
3 CFMOTO Aspar Team / 16

Manuel Gonzalez

Race Winner
Moto2™ World Championship: P1 - 25 Points

«I am super happy because I think this was the hardest victory I have achieved in Moto2 so far. We had a tough weekend because yesterday was a really difficult day for us. But we managed to salvage the situation. Above all, I had to be patient and think about how and when to overtake. Our strength was the bike's turning, and I made good use of that to overtake other riders in the tight corners. Apart from that, the heat made it very difficult to control the front wheel. That is why I am very happy with the work of the team and all the people who help me off the track, such as my family. A big thank you to everyone. So, here we go, we have secured another victory and started the season just like last year. Let's see if we can keep it up.»

Senna Agius

P18 +12.601
Moto2™ World Championship: P18 - 0 Points

«We had a mechanical problem right after the start of the race. I then did my best to push the bike back to the pits box. A big thank you to my team, who quickly fixed the problem. Unfortunately, I had to start from the pit lane and then there was another restart. I caught up as much ground as I could in the shortened distance. But in the end, we will throw this Sunday in the rubbish and start afresh in Brazil. We are taking a lot of strengths away from this weekend. So, we will quickly put this behind us, because things happened today that we could not control. I am looking forward to the next race, because my team is doing an excellent job.»»

Jürgen Lingg

Team manager

«What an exciting weekend! Friday went very well for both our riders, but then Manu had a few problems yesterday, while Senna secured his first pole position, which was fantastic! We have two very strong riders, so if one of them struggles, the other steps up! The changes made to Manu's bike for the race were exactly what he needed, and despite two race stoppages, he kept his nerve and secured a strong victory. You cannot do better than that. Unfortunately, Senna had a problem on the electronic and had to start from the pit lane at the restart. That meant he did not stand a chance. But he showed very impressively this weekend what he is capable of! Congratulations to the whole team, a double victory in the World Championship at the start of the season is a strong performance!»

#ThaiGP 2026 - Sunday

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