Moto2: Gonzalez beats Salač to extend golden victory run
Catch me if you can. For the first time since Fermin Aldeguer in 2023, a Moto2 rider has won three races in a row – step forward, Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP).
The #18 rolls out another masterclass to pocket a 2026 hat-trick, but the Spaniard was pushed most of the way by second place Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team). That’s the Czech star’s first podium since 2024, and what timing too, with the Czech GP appearing on the horizon. Third place went to Senna Agius as the Australian hands Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP a double podium in Hungary, which is the #81’s third top three of 2026.
From the front row, Salač earned the holeshot to pinch P1 off second place Guevara, as Gonzalez made up one place off the line to grab P3. That then became P2 as Gonzalez carved past title rival Guevara, and it got worse for the latter too as Agius, then Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), moved on through to demote Guevara to P5.
Lap 4 saw two riders fighting to get into the top 10 crash out together into Turn 3, as Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Exocom – MSI) and Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team) came into contact and crashed. An early dose of drama, and there was more. Not a crash, but Guevara was handed a Long Lap penalty for an unsafe change of direction at the race start. At this stage, on Lap 4, Guevara had made a move back past Holgado for P4 behind Salač, Gonzalez, and Agius – but it wouldn’t be P4 for long.
On Lap 7, Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crashed out of P7 at Turn 5 while shadowing the Aspar duo of Holgado and David Alonso, as Guevara came out from his Long Lap in P6. That could have been a lot worse for the #28, who was now 4.1s off the lead.
Having led for the entire race, Salač lost P1 for the first time on Lap 12 of 22. Turn 9 was Gonzalez’s chosen spot to pounce, so now, could the Czech star respond?
A personal best lap from Gonzalez, a 1:40.932, saw the title race leader’s advantage grow to 0.6s, with Agius closing in on Salač by just under a couple of tenths on the same lap. However, Salač was digging his heels in, and on Lap 14, the #12 was slightly faster than the new race leader.
And that was the same story for the next two laps, but then, Gonzalez hammered in a fastest lap of the race to stretch his lead back out to over half a second. However, yet again, Salač had a response. The Czech wasn’t throwing in the towel here.
With two to go, though, it seemed Gonzalez had now done enough to shake off Salač. The margin climbed to 0.9s, which then became 1.6s, as Gonzalez bagged a hat-trick of Moto2 wins to continue his incredible early-season form. Fair play to Salač, the Czech rider stands on the rostrum for the first time since 2024 ahead of his homecoming at Brno next time out, and Agius just about held off a hard-charging Alonso in the closing stages.
0.4s split the Australian and Colombian at the flag, with Holgado a distance P5. Guevara loses ground in the championship to Gonzalez after his P6, the gap now 49.5 points, with Celestino Vietti (MB Conveyors SpeedRS Team) coming from P12 on the grid to collect a P7. The Italian is now 52.5 points behind Gonzalez.
Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) earned P8, it’s a personal best result for Alberto Ferrandez (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) in P9, with Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) completing the top 10 Shout-outs to Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Taiyo Furusato (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), the rookies pick up their best Moto2 results to date in P11 and P14 respectively.
Gonzalez marches on. The #18 is in a league of his own right now, as we now look ahead to a trip back to the wonderful Brno.
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