09/11/2025

Gonzalez keeps World Championship hopes alive with sixth place in Portimao – Agius battles his way to P9

The Moto2 race at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve pushed Intact GP's World Championship contender Manuel Gonzalez to his limits this Sunday. Despite intense battles and a nerve-wracking race, the Spaniard secured sixth place, ensuring that the title fight remains open until the grand finale in Valencia. Team-mate Senna Agius impressed with a strong finish to take ninth place.

The battle for the Moto2 World Championship remains highly exciting. After a solid start, Manuel Gonzalez initially held his own in the leading group and once again demonstrated his fighting spirit when he fought his way back up to fifth place after a minor setback. However, a near highside in lap five cost him valuable time, causing the Spaniard to drop back to P7. But the 23-year-old did not give up, repeatedly pushing his Kalex to the limit and fighting his way back into the top six. Although he was unable to fend off Barry Baltus' attack towards the end of the race, the World Championship runner-up once again showed his nerves of steel and, now 24 points behind Diogo Moreira, keeps his title hopes alive. Gonzalez intends to give it his all once again at the big showdown in Valencia in just one week's time – because in racing, anything is possible until the chequered flag.

Senna Agius also put in a strong performance in Portimão. After a difficult start, the 20-year-old Australian used his strong mentality in race mode and fought his way back into the points with some precise overtaking manoeuvres. In a furious final lap, he finally secured ninth place thanks to his fast pace, earning him seven World Championship points. Now tenth overall, Agius is travelling to the final round highly motivated, where he and the German Intact GP team will once again be on the attack and ready to celebrate the runner-up title in the team standings.

Results

Race
1. Diogo MOREIRA/ BRA/ KALEX
2. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ KALEX – (+0.090)
3. David ALONSO/ COL/ KALEX – (+0.492)
6. Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – (+7.929)
9. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – (+9.707)

World Championship
1. MOREIRA Diogo – 281
2. GONZALEZ Manuel/ SPA – 257
3. BALTUS Barry/ BEL – 232
10. AGIUS Senna/ AUS – 140

Team Classification
1. FANTIC RACING LINO SONEGO – 458
2. LIQUI MOLY DYNAVOLT INTACT GP – 397
3. CFMOTO POWER ELECTRONICS ASPAR TEAM – 341

Manuel Gonzalez

P6 – (+7.929)
Moto2 World Championship 2025 - P2 - 257 Points

"It was a very tough race, even though I got off to a pretty good start and was able to make up a few positions in the early laps. I rode very fast, pushing the limits, but also trying to avoid mistakes. However, I wasn't too happy with riding of the bike and then made that mistake in exit of turn five. So, I tried to change my riding and learn from the others. But it's not easy to be faster, even if you try lots of things. I was confident in what I was doing, but we didn't have enough speed today. Next weekend we're off to Valencia, where we'll keep working and try to win the championship. So, we'll try to win the race. Because, as always, our goal is to win the next race. We will definitely give it our all until the end. Valencia is another home race where we can feel the passion of the Spanish crowd. We will go there to enjoy the weekend as much as possible and finish the championship in the best way possible. I am happy with the team, and I am happy with the work, so we are looking forward to a nice season finale."

Senna Agius

P9 – (+9.707)
Moto2 World Championship 2025 - P10 - 140 Points

"It wasn't a bad race, even though I didn't get off to the best start and the first lap didn't go perfectly. That's why I fell back a few positions. I also had a little trouble finding my speed at the start of the race, which is why I ended up losing a few positions. I think if I had been able to attack at the beginning, I would have made some really good progress, because I had good pace at the end of the race. In the last three laps, I overtook some good riders and made it into the top ten. So, let's take the positives, because we have a strong race pace. That's important, but right now the focus is on being faster in the early stages, qualifying better, and getting a better start to the race. Many thanks to the guys, they are working hard, and together we will solve these problems to be more competitive at all types of tracks. The good thing after this weekend is that the guys and I are clear on how we can improve. I think we need to focus on that now to finish the season in Valencia in the best possible way."

Jürgen Lingg

Team Manager

"We were confident about Portimao because Manu was incredibly fast here during pre-season testing. The weekend also started very well on Friday. Everything went well for both of our riders. Unfortunately, the weather on Saturday morning did not allow for any further attempts. Later in qualifying, everything went well at first, but then things took a somewhat unfortunate turn. The speed of both riders was certainly better than their starting positions of 7th and 14th would suggest. There were a few unfortunate incidents, but that's just the way it is. Nevertheless, the starting positions for the race were not ideal. We knew that both riders had a strong pace. But to be able to put that into practice, you also need a good start, because overtaking is always difficult in Moto2. In addition, the first lap did not go as hoped, and Manu had a moment of shock. This cost him contact with the leading group, which he was unable to regain. In the early laps, he also suffered from increased tyre wear because he had pushed too hard. But he fought like a lion, just like Senna. Manu did a good race, apart from that one small mistake, and got the best out of it. We'll take that with us. But we also have to accept that Diogo deserved to win today. On a positive note, both our riders were fast in the race, even if the results don't quite reflect that. After this race, we are at least already vice world champions. But there is still a theoretical chance of winning the title in Valencia, even if it is very small. We will certainly fight there until the last corner and to the finish line to turn the tide. Anything is possible."

Pictures Moto2 - Sunday Portugal GP 2025

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