Five years after their last visit to Brno, the Moto2 paddock witnessed one of the most memorable duels of the season: the battle for victory between Barry Baltus and Joe Roberts. Under the guidance of his new team manager Roberto Locatelli, the young Belgian has established himself from the start of the season, becoming an outsider who has become a key figure, eventually joining the fight for the world title.
After securing his first pole position in Moto2, Barry Baltus confirmed his newfound racing style. From the moment the lights went out, the Belgian rider took the lead, leading for seven laps and resisting constant attacks from Joe Roberts, before finally yielding to finish the race in second place. This fifth podium of the season symbolizes not only his newfound consistency, but also his ability to compete at the highest level, for the first time in his Moto2 career.
What will be remembered from this first half of the season is the intense head-to-head with the American. Together, Baltus and Roberts opened up a gap of more than three seconds over the rest of the field. Even though the victory went in favor of the American, the value of this result in the race for the title is undeniable: thanks to this performance, Baltus strengthened his position at the top of the general classification.
© Fantic Racing
Fantic Racing won over by Baltus: “He is the revelation of the year”
The weekend's performance did not escape Roberto Locatelli, Team Manager of Fantic Racing, which evokes a mixture of pride and surprise in praising No. 7. “It was a fantastic day for Barry Baltus. I told him to stay in front from the start because the track only had one clean line, and going off that line could damage the tires. He managed his race perfectly, followed an excellent Roberts, and brought home a really important second place. It boosts his championship hopes. He is becoming one of the biggest surprises of this 2025 season, and we are proud to have him in the team.”
This observation, shared in the Fantic Racing box, is based on some telling figures: after twelve Grands Prix, Baltus now sits third in the provisional standings with 134 points, 54 points behind leader Manuel Gonzalez. Five podium finishes and a recently rediscovered consistency widen the gap with a more choppy start to the year.
His rise is already a pleasant surprise for Locatelli and his staff, who now have two drivers to put pressure on Manuel Gonzalez in the championship, during the last ten races of the season.
