The Moto2 championship came down to the final race in Valencia. Since summer break, Diogo Moreira overcame a 60-point deficit to lead the championship by 24 points. Former leader Manuel González came into the weekend needing a win to have a chance of reclaiming the title. As the final race came to an end Izan Guevara took his maiden win. However, it was Moreira who took all the glory as he won it all.
Looking Towards 2026
This weekend marked a final outing for some in Moto2. Championship leader, Diogo Moreira, has a confirmed seat in MotoGP in 2026. He’ll partner Johann Zarco to complete the Castrol Honda LCR line-up.
Also moving series is seven-time winner Jake Dixon. Having been in Moto2 since 2019, the Brit faces a new challenge in 2026 as he heads to World Superbikes. Teaming up with MotoGP rider Somkiat Chantra, the duo will make up the Honda HRC team. Albert Arenas is also exiting the series, heading to the Supersport World Championship next year.
In contrast, some will leave the series with 2026 as an unknown. Rookie Yuki Kunii will exit Moto2 alongside Marcos Ramírez and Darryn Binder. Some riders have an uncertain future, such as Tony Arbolino and Izan Guevara, as their plans are yet to be announced.
A Crash Starts the Weekend
Álex Escrig was quickest during a shortened Free Practice 1. With riders struggling at Turn 6, the practice session came to an early end when Adrián Huertas and Ayumu Sasaki crashed one after the other, and a red flag was called. Sasaki was able to walk away from the track, whereas Huertas required a stretcher to leave.
Huertas suffered fractures in both radii and required surgery on one of his arms. Due to this, he was declared unfit to ride and consequently withdrew from the final race. Sasaki also had to withdraw as he’d broken his ankle during the crash. Both riders are recovering ahead of 2026.
Daniel Holgado led the way in the timed practice session, ahead of Jake Dixon and Daniel Muñoz. In surprising fashion, Moreira missed out on advancing to Q2 and would have to face the first qualifying session. Muñoz was fastest ahead of qualifying and whilst Manuel González was looking strong in P4, Moreira was still struggling to find pace down in P7.
Albert Arenas, Arón Canet, Filip Salač and Moreira were the four riders to advance from Q1. In Q2, it was a three-way fight for pole position, with Holgado, Izan Guevara, and Senna Agius all taking record-breaking lap times. Ultimately, Holgado won out and received pole position with a time of 1:31.715. After struggling in the early stages, González put in a lap good enough for P5, whereas rival Moreira would start P9.
Guevara Wins The Race
The race started with a crash and Canet received a double long lap penalty for causing a collision with Barry Baltus. Escrig also received a double long lap penalty for pushing Moreira wide at the start. Holgado got a good launch, but Guevara was better and he took the lead of the race immediately.
Despite a good start, González looked to be struggling on his bike as he conceded position to Iván Ortolá. He was able to reclaim the position a few laps later and started to hunt teammate Agius and Arenas. However, disaster struck for González in the second half of the race. Despite being quicker than the front runners initially, González’s tires started to falter and he was overtaken, falling down to P8. Finding himself only one place ahead of Moreira, his titles hopes were fading.
On Lap 17, Moreira and Dixon both overtook González. Throwing his hands up in frustration, his tires were dead. As the field surpassed him, González pulled into the pits. Whilst he returned to track a lap down, there was nothing else he could do as he accepted P2 in the championship.
Guevara had been steadily building a gap to Holgado throughout the race, but the #27 had more to show as the race neared conclusion. With three laps left, Holgado was on Guevara’s tail and was waiting for a perfect opportunity to pass for the lead. For Guevara, it was then a race of defending. He managed well, keeping his lines tight and clean – preventing any chances for Holgado behind. On the final lap, Holgado attempted a pass but would ultimately lose time and allow Guevara to secure his first win.
Moreira Wins The Title
But the glory went to Moreira. Despite also struggling with his tires towards the end and falling back to finish P10, he secured the biggest win of the year: the 2025 Moto2 title. He became the first Brazilian champion and will start his MotoGP career with a title to his name.
With his win, Guevara became the 12th different winner in Moto2 this year. He’ll hope to carry this victory as momentum in contract negotiations as he continues to look for a seat for 2026. Whilst the title wasn’t a dominant run like in Moto3 and MotoGP, the series provided an ultimate title battle in its final round. Moreira won but Gonzalez will be hungry to take the title next year.