IntactGP’s Manuel Gonzalez put on a masterclass performance at the Chang International Circuit, cruising to victory in the opening round of the 2025 Moto2 season.
The Spaniard showcased his dominance throughout the weekend, leading from lap three onwards to secure his debut win for IntactGP by an impressive margin of 2.787 seconds.
At the start, Celestino Vietti made a strong launch from second on the grid, snatching the lead into Turn 1 ahead of polesitter Gonzalez. Senna Agius also had a flying start, surging into third place by overtaking Aron Canet on the opening lap.
Gonzalez made his first move on Vietti at the end of lap two, but the Italian swiftly countered, regaining the lead in the very next corner.
Meanwhile, Darryn Binder and Izan Guevara were making steady progress into fourth and sixth place, but both riders were dealt a massive blow after being handed double long-lap penalties for a jump start.
Undeterred, Gonzalez attacked Vietti again on lap three, and this time, he made it stick—taking the race lead and quickly pulling away from the field.
Canet, determined to recover from a slow start, climbed back into fourth, but soon found himself under pressure from Diogo Moreira. With Gonzalez extending his lead to seven tenths at the front, the real fight was shaping up further down the order.
In the midfield, Barry Baltus was locked in a heated battle for sixth place, fending off challenges from Marcos Ramirez and Jake Dixon. Ramirez eventually made his move, setting his sights on the top five.
Up ahead, the battle for second place intensified, as Agius closed the gap on Vietti and attempted a move. However, contact between the two saw Vietti crash out, promoting Canet and Moreira into podium contention. Race direction ruled Agius at fault, handing him a long-lap penalty that dropped him to fourth place behind Canet and Moreira.
Despite being the quicker rider, Agius remained patient in his fight for third, only making his move on Moreira with two laps to go. But the Brazilian was determined to reclaim the spot, executing a daring overtake on the final lap.
At the front, Gonzalez remained unchallenged, confidently taking the chequered flag to secure his maiden Moto2 victory.
Behind him, Canet held on for second place, while Agius managed to outlast Moreira’s challenge to secure the final podium position.
Moreira missed out on the podium by just three-tenths, finishing in fourth, while Ramirez capped off a strong ride in fifth.
Baltus secured sixth place, ahead of Jake Dixon, who made a solid debut for Marc VDS in seventh. Rookie Dani Holgado impressed in eighth, while Filip Salac finished ninth, eight-tenths ahead of Alonso Lopez, who rounded out the top ten for SpeedUp Racing.
Further down the order, Albert Arenas (11th) led home Deniz Öncü (12th), while Tony Arbolino (13th) ensured a respectable finish for Pramac Yamaha.
WorldSSP graduate Adrian Huertas secured 14th, with Mario Aji claiming the final point in 15th.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
