Moto2 Japan – Race: Gonzalez’s gamble pays off leads him to victory

Moto2 heads to the Motegi track this week to contest the Japanese Grand Prix. Championship leader Ai Ogura will be defending his interests at home, trying to increase an advantage that is starting to weigh. We will therefore have to keep an eye on the #79, while the weather will be uncertain this weekend. For now, it is time for the riders to contest the Race. Yesterday, the Qualifying was disrupted by rain, which gives us a grid that does not represent the hierarchy in place this weekend.

Moto2™ Japan, Motegi	2023	2024
FP	1'50.477 Somkiat Chantra	1'50.287 Filip Salac
P1	1'50.396 Somkiat Chantra	1'49.716 Filip Salac
P2	1'49.978 Somkiat Chantra	1'50.672 Aron Canet
Q1	1'50.089 Alonso Lopez	1'49.742 Manuel Gonzalez
Q2	1'49.898 Somkiat Chantra	1'52.693 Jake Dixon
Course	Chantra, Ogura, Acosta (See here)	Gonzalez, Ogura, Salac
All time lap record	1'49.898 Somkiat Chantra 2023	1'49.716 Filip Salac

While the Moto3 Race, which hosted the coronation of David Alonso, started in the dry, the rain returned for the start of the Moto2 race. Before the end of the first lap, some riders raised their arms to signal the danger, and the red flag was waved to stop the race.

The choice of tires is therefore of capital importance, and we are seeing very different strategies, between dry track tires, rain tires, or a mixture of the two. The championship leader, Ai Ogura, is taking a risky gamble, since he is on the starting grid with slicks, while many drivers who made this choice returned to the pits before the restart, regretting their gamble. A choice that favors the end of the race. If the track dries, estimates predict lap times fifteen seconds slower than normal with rain tires.

Twenty minutes after the initial start time, the second start was launched. Jake Dixon once again maintained his advantage at turn 1. The Briton completed the first of twelve laps (the race having been shortened following the interruption) in the lead, from van Izan Guevara and Alonso Lopez.

Ai Ogura had a difficult first lap, but the Japanese rider quickly seemed to have more grip than the others. Fourteenth after the first lap, the Japanese rider finished the second lap in eighth position. Although he had to avoid the kerbs, which were still very wet, the local hero was able to brake much later than his opponents, whom he overtook with disconcerting ease.

After three laps, the championship leader is already in the wake of Jake Dixon. The latter will not put up any resistance. Behind, Manuel Gonzalez makes the same comeback as Ogura thanks to a similar choice of tires. The difference in traction when accelerating allows him to offer himself numerous overtaking moves on the outside to ensure the show.

After five laps, the difference between slick and wet tyres is already five seconds. While Pirelli is unable to communicate each rider's choice of rubber, as they were made in a hurry, the difference is clear on the track, and the riders fitted with dry tyres are gradually moving up the field.

On the sixth lap of the race, we can deduce that the first five are on slicks, namely: Ogura, Gonzalez, Salac, Alcoba and Van der Goorbergh. Behind, it is Xavier Artigas who makes an impressive comeback from the last row on the starting grid, thanks to the same bet as the others.

While he was more than two seconds behind Ai Ogura, Manuel Gonzalez put in a series of fast laps and caught up with him. An intense fight for victory then began. Gonzalez got the better of his opponent with four laps to go. The local hero was unable to resist. Manuel Gonzalez thus secured his first surprise victory in the World Championship, and therefore in Moto2.

Celestino Vietti was the first rider on wet tyres to reach the finish, in seventh position. One of the big losers of the day will certainly remain Albert Arenas, who stopped just before the start to get rid of his dry tyres.

Moto2 2024 Japanese Grand Prix FP result at Motegi:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com