Gonzalez was joined on the podium by Salac and Agius at Balaton Park

Hot on the heels of last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, this weekend the Moto2 paddock returned to Balaton Park for the Grand Prix of Hungary. Heading into the qualifying sessions on Saturday, championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) was the favourite to claim pole position having been the fastest man around the circuit on Friday, but the times were tight and Gonzalez found himself lining up in 4^th place.

It was Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) who claimed pole position – breaking the streak of different pole sitters at every round so far this season. He was joined on the front row by Filip Salac (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), with Agius showing no signs of being at a disadvantage having missed the first race at the Balaton Park circuit last season.

Joining Gonzalez on the second row were Alex Escrig (KLINT Racing Team) and Dani Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), while Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), and David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) made up the third row of the grid.

The first corner on the Balaton circuit is notoriously difficult to negotiate on the first lap of a race, and despite some hairy moments from Guevara and Lopez, everyone made it through the first section of the track unscathed. Guevara was later issued with a long lap penalty for an “unsafe change of direction” for cutting right across the front of Salac off the line, while there was no punishment for Lopez who had gone way too hot into the first turn and was lucky not to take anyone with him when he cut across the front of the pack.

Things settled, and it was Salac who was leading the race ahead of Guevara, Gonzalez, Agius, Holgado, Escrig, and Veijer. Lap two was a tough one for Guevara who was passed by Agius and Holgado in quick succession, dropping him to 5^th.

Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Exocom – MSI) and Dani Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) collided and crashed out of the race at turn three on the fourth lap of the race, as Guevara made his way back through on Holgado for 4^th. Guevara completed his long lap penalty on lap seven, which dropped him back down to 6^th place, just behind the Aspar duo of Holgado and Alonso. Yellow flags were brought out on the same lap as Collin Veijer crashed at turn five. The Dutch rider was able to remount; however, he finished the race in 23^rd position and a lap down.

There was a battle building for 10^th position as six riders – Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Escrig, Zonta VD Goorbergh (Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team), Taiyo Furusato (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), and REDS Fantic Racing teammates Barry Baltus and Tony Arbolino vied for the final points positions.

Out at the front, Salac and Gonzalez were pulling away from Agius, and on lap twelve Gonzalez made his move for lead and never looked back. Gonzalez was able to stay ahead of Salac for the remaining laps and he wheelied across the line to celebrate his fourth win of the season, and his third in a row. Salac wheelied across the line too to take 2^nd place, and his first podium of the season, while Agius held off a late challenge from Alonso to claim 3^rd.

Alonso took 4^th place ahead of teammate Holgado, with Guevara, Celestino Vietti (MB Conveyors SpeedRS Team), Lopez, Alberto Ferrandez (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), and Tony Arbolino rounding out the top ten, with reigning Moto3 champion Jose Antonio Rueda claiming 11^th.

Victory for Gonzalez sees him extend his championship lead to 49.5 points over Guevara, with Vietti and Agius a further 3 and 8 points back respectively.

Moto2 returns to action for the Grand Prix of Czechia at the Automotodrom Brno from 19^th to 21^st June 2026.

Featured Image: IntactGP