A stunning final lap from Gonzalez secures the win following two red flags.

After the shortest winter break in recent history, the Moto2 World Championship roared back into action this weekend with the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. 2025 Moto2 champion Diogo Moreira has moved on to the MotoGP class, and competition for his crown is already fierce.

While many may have predicted that Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) would start the season at the head of the field – having finished the 2025 season as runner up to Moreira – it was in fact his teammate, Senna Agius, who claimed first blood with his first pole position in the class at the Chang International Circuit. Agius becomes the first Australian to take pole in Moto2 since 2021 Champion Remy Gardner in the Styrian GP.

Joining Agius on the front row of the grid were Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) and Dani Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), with Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – PONT GRUP – MSI), Celestino Vietti (Sync Group SpeedRS Team), and Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) lining up on the second row. Manuel Gonzalez would start the race from 7^th place, while Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – PONT GRUP – MSI) was the highest placed rookie on the grid in 11^th.

The riders lined up on the grid in the sweltering heat on Sunday not once, but three times following two red flag stoppages. In the first start, Izan Guevara was the leader into turn one, but he ran wide into turn three and Dani Holgado pounced from 4^th to 1^st at the same turn. Angel Piqueras crashed out of 9^th place, with Mario Aji (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) crashing later in the lap at turn twelve.

David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was involved in a huge crash on the third lap of the race, which eventually resulted in a red flag. Alonso crashed following contact with Agius, and was subsequently collected by Filip Salac (OnlyFans American Racing Team) who immediately ran to check on the Colombian who appeared to have been knocked out. The red flag was thrown as the riders came through the incident on the following lap, and Alonso was stretchered away, reported as conscious, and transported to the medical centre.

Alonso’s team have since reported that the rider is “strong and will come back stronger” with medical checks showing “no fracture” in spite of reports of arm pain.

The race was soon restarted – with riders lining up on the grid based on positions at the end of lap three, meaning that Holgado would be on pole ahead of Ortola and Guevara. Salac and Agius were allowed to restart, but had to do so from the pit lane as they had not completed the full three laps.

The second start aimed for an 11-lap race with a quick-start procedure, and Holgado took the lead, only for the red flag to be required again following a lap one, turn 3 incident for Sergio Garcia (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Luca Lunetta (Sync Group SpeedRS Team). Both riders were conscious, but needed to be stretchered off and transferred to the medical centre for checks. Garcia’s team have reported no fractures, but that he is going to hospital for treatment on a finger injury.

Presumably hoping that it would be “third time lucky”, the riders lined up on the grid for a third time – grid positions the same as the second attempt, and Salac and Agius once again having to start from pit lane.  The 7-lap shootout saw Dani Holgado take an early lead ahead of Guevara, Gonzalez, and Ortola, with Collin Veijer lurking just off the lead group in 5^th.

Once again there were early crashes, with Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) crashing out at turn 3, while Zonta van den Goorbergh (Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing GP) and reigning Moto3 Champion Jose Antonio Rueda’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) race ended at turn 9.

Gonzalez and Holgado engaged in battle for 2^nd place, with Guevara having taken the lead. Gonzalez was soon through on Holgado, and set about putting pressure on Guevara – hounding him until he made a move to pass him on lap six of seven. Manuel Gonzalez rode an impeccable final lap – even managing to hold off a stunning attempt from Izan Guevara to ride around the outside of him at the final turn – to take the first win of the 2026 season. Guevara took a well-earned 2^nd place, with Holgado rounding out the podium in 3^rd.

Ortola, Veijer, Vietti, Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Dani Munoz (Italtrans Racing Team), Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), and Ayumu Sasaki (Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing GP) were the 4^th to 10^th place finishers.

Moto2 returns to action for the for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Brazil from 20^th to 22^nd of March.

Featured Image: IntactGP