While the MotoGP and Moto3 titles have already been decided, the final two rounds of the Moto2 season are far from uninteresting! On the contrary, the battle between Manuel Gonzalez and Diogo Moreira for the world title has never been so intense. Heading into Portugal, the Brazilian leads the overall standings, nine points ahead of his closest rival: he therefore has his first opportunity to clinch the world crown. To do so, he must leave Portimao with a 26-point advantage over his opponent. Thirty-five points behind the leader, Barry Baltus should not be ruled out either. The Belgian could spring a surprise if his rivals underperform and remain in contention for the title in the final round of the championship in Valencia.
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Moto2™ Portimao, Portugal |
2024 |
2025 |
| FP1 | 1'44.900 Manuel Gonzalez | 1'41.460 Aron Canet |
| Practice | 1'42.362 Alonso Lopez | 1'41.210 Aron Canet |
| FP2 | 1'41.716 Manuel Gonzalez | |
| Q1 | 1'42.064 Somkiat Chantra | |
| Q2 | 1'41.514 Manuel Gonzalez | |
| Course | Canet, Roberts, Gonzalez (See here) | |
| All time lap record | 1'41.514 Manuel Gonzalez 2024 |
As in the morning session, Aron Canet started the practice session on the right foot. Setting a time of 1:41.210, he placed himself ahead of Jake Dixon and Albert Arenas. The session already held significant stakes, as the 14 fastest drivers advanced to Q2. It was therefore imperative for the championship leaders to be there. In this regard, at the start of the session, Manuel Gonzalez set the provisional 5th fastest time, while Diogo Moreira was only 14th after half the allotted time. The Brazilian was then safe but still in danger.
It was crucial to set a good time early in the session, because 14 minutes before the end of Practice, the white flag with a red cross was waved to signal the arrival of rain.
At the end of the session, the riders failed to improve their times, while the Aspar riders, already qualified for Q2, were caught out and made mistakes. The previously mentioned top three remained unchanged. Diogo Moreira thus narrowly avoided going through Q1. Third in the overall standings, Barry Baltus finished Practice in 9th position and is also safe for the rest of the weekend.
Moto2 Portugal – Practice standings:
Ranking : MotoGP.com
