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 | 1'58.211 Alex Escrig |
| Q1 | 1'42.064 Somkiat Chantra | 1'41.555 Daniel Munoz |
| Q2 | 1'41.514 Manuel Gonzalez | 1'41.168 Diogo Moreira |
| Course | Canet, Roberts, Gonzalez (See here) | Moreira, Veijer, Alonso |
| All time lap record | 1'41.514 Manuel Gonzalez 2024 |
When the lights went out, Diogo Moreira held his position. Quickly put under pressure by Collin Veijer, the Brazilian was unable to pull away in the opening laps. However, there was no need for the championship leader to take unnecessary risks. After a few laps, Manuel Gonzalez was only 6th. Behind them, Aron Canet and Barry Baltus got in each other's way at the start and dropped to 7th and 11th respectively.
After six laps, Collin Veijer finally found a way past the race leader. David Alonso then overtook Jake Dixon to move into a provisional podium position. Among the Fantic drivers, Aron Canet moved up to 6th place, while Barry Baltus climbed to 8th, setting his sights on Manuel Gonzalez.
Once past the halfway point, the gaps at the front stabilized. Behind them, Barry Baltus set an impressive pace, dropping his rivals one by one. Having moved up to 5th place, he was already 4 seconds behind his teammate, Aron Canet, who was just off the podium.
With just a few laps to go, Collin Veijer struggled with his tires. Diogo Moreira closed to within two-tenths of a second. Veijer launched his attack with three laps remaining and easily overtook the Dutchman. The rest of the race was smoother, and the Brazilian cruised to another victory. With Manuel Gonzalez finishing 6th, the number 10 driver will head to Valencia with a 24-point lead.
Moto2 Portugal – Race results:
Ranking : MotoGP.com
