27/09/2025

Pole & lap record: Gonzalez dominates qualifying in Japan

In the decisive Moto2 Q2, Manuel Gonzalez impressively secured himself pole position for the 17th race of the season at Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan with a new lap record. Senna Agius, on the other hand, faces a catch up race after finishing sixth in Q1, which means he will start from 20th place on the grid.

For championship leader Manuel Gonzalez, the race weekend at the famous Twin Ring Motegi could hardly have started any better. After two third places in FP1 and in Friday's practice session, the Spaniard qualified directly for Q2. With another second place in FP2, he underlined his strong form and was even better in qualifying. In the 15-minute Q2 session, the 23-year-old was among the frontrunners right from the start and remained on the attack until the very last second. With a time of 1:47.925, Gonzalez not only secured pole position, but also set the fastest lap ever in Moto2 on the Japanese circuit. In the race, the rider with starting number 18 now wants to further extend his 39-point lead in the World Championship.

Senna Agius, on the other hand, faces a major challenge at the Japanese Grand Prix. His start to the weekend in FP1 was less than ideal, finishing in 21st, and in practice his time of 1:49.785 was only good enough for 22nd place, forcing him into Q1 on Saturday. The Australian had been fighting for improvements in FP2, but was unable to make any significant gains. On the 4.8-kilometre track, the Kalex rider put in a solid performance in Q1 and at times moved up into the top four. In the end, he finished the session in sixth place and was denied a place in Q2. This means that the 20-year-old will start the first race of the overseas tour on Sunday morning at 5:15 a.m. (BST) from 20th place on row seven.

Results

FP1
1. Jake DIXON/ GBR/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'49.067
2. Tony ARBOLINO/ ITA/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'49.242 (+0.175)
3. Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'49.306 (+0.239)
21. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'50.287 (+1.220)

PR
1. Jake DIXON/ GBR/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'48.679
2. Ayumu SASAKI/ JPN/ KALEX – 1'48.828 (+0.149)
3. Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'48.945 (+0.266)
22. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'49.785 (+1.106)

FP2
1. Jake DIXON/ GBR/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'48.319
2. Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'48.592 (+0.273)
3. Zonta VD GOORBERGH/ NED/ KALEX – 1'48.729 (+0.410)
20. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'49.495 (+1.176)

Q1
1. David ALONSO/ COL/ KALEX – 1'48.395
2. Barry BALTUS/ BEL/ KALEX – 1'48.402 (+0.007)
3. Alonso LOPEZ/ SPA/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'48.452 (+0.057)
6. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'48.837 (+0.442)

Q2
1. Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'47.925
2. Daniel HOLGADO/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'48.057 (+0.132)
3. David ALONSO/ COL/ KALEX – 1'48.129 (+0.204)

Manuel Gonzalez

P1 (Q2) - 1'47.925

"Of course, I'm happy to be back on pole, even though it came a bit unexpectedly for me. We knew since this morning that we were fast with our race pace. So, I tried to squeeze out a few more tenths in qualifying, and in the end, I managed to do that. I'm super happy because now I have a good bike that I don't have to push to the limit to get my lap times. It's back to how it was at the start of the championship. I can take things a bit easier and the lap times come naturally. So overall, it was a really good day for us, both riding alone and behind other riders, we have everything under control. That's especially good here, because it's a crucial moment for the championship, where I can put a few more points between us and our rivals, as they are struggling a bit. But they are not far behind us. Nevertheless, we are trying to win races, but we also have to be smart and know about what we have. Tomorrow's race is another one, but the mentality must be the same as always, because the moment you try to let something pass, you can lose much more than you expect. So, the goal is to go out there and try to win the race, but of course not to go over the limit when our rivals are right behind us. We have to be smart, and I think we can be quite calm about our bike's settings because everything is working really well, as we saw in qualifying today. So, in my opinion, we don't need to think too much, just enjoy the race, try to get another win, and continue to push to the limit until we have the championship in the pocket."

Senna Agius

P6 (Q1) - 1'48.837 (+0.442)

"Unfortunately, it wasn't an easy day. We had some difficulties this morning, which meant we weren't able to make any improvements. There were some technical issues. We improved significantly in qualifying, but it wasn't enough to make it into Q2. We've taken a big step forward, but we're still a bit in delay. That's why we need to score as many points as possible tomorrow and make the best of the situation. Motegi has definitely not been the easiest weekend so far, but I'm hopeful that we can do a good job tomorrow."

Pictures Moto2 - Saturday Japan GP 2025

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