As Moto2 joined the premier class at COTA this week, all eyes were on championship contenders Daniel Holgado and Manuel González. The pair won the opening rounds of the year, and a mere four and a half points separated them. However, a third race brought a third winner as González’s teammate, Senna Agius, took the victory.
Whilst many were expecting the championship Top 2 to battle for the win this weekend, it was Holgado’s teammate, David Alonso, who took the spotlight. A penalty saw him face a recovery ride come Sunday’s race and ultimately finished P4. But despite his impressive speed, it was Agius who takes the third win of the year.
Alonso Smashes Lap Record in Practice
The weekend kicked off with Free Practice 1, and the young riders quickly found pace. Within minutes, Tony Arbolino was at the top of the leaderboard and on the cusp of the lap record set by González last year. Attempts to best him were halted when Arón Canet brought out the first yellow flag. The Spaniard had a moment in Turn 1.
Senna Agius was the first rider to best the lap record, shooting to the top with a 2:07.027. The lap times being this quick in FP1 was a sign of where the weekend would go, and it was a close battle between the riders. Consequently, as the chequered flag fell, the top 12 were all within one second of each other. Celestino Vietti topped the session, with Alonso hundredths of a second behind.
Considering the pace of FP1, practice only got quicker. In a session marred by yellow flags, many found their laps restricted. However, that didn’t prevent Alonso. The Colombian was battling for first place throughout the session. Eventually, he finished on top, nearly half a second ahead of the field. Whilst the CFMoto Aspar Team had one driver on top, championship leader Holgado struggled through the session and was forced to face Q1.
Ahead of qualifying, Holgado continued to struggle around COTA. FP2 saw him crash in the latter stages. The final practice session saw riders prepare to qualify and, therefore, be on their best behaviour. Arbolino led the leaderboard as the final session came to a close.
A Maiden Pole Taken Away
In Qualifying 1, Ayumu Sasaki was the culprit of a red flag. Losing the rear of his bike in Turn 3, he then slid through the esses section, ending up at Turn 6. Fortunately, Sasaki was okay. The bike was not. With debris and fluid affecting the track, race officials presented a lengthy red flag in order to clean the track.
When it eventually got underway again, Holgado had found the pace he’d previously been missing. A 2:05.814 saw him take the top spot and the fastest lap of the weekend. He advanced to Q2 alongside Ángel Piqueras, Álex Escrig, and Canet.
Like its predecessor, Q2 started with a minor delay when Iván Ortolá slid out at Turn 8. However, only a yellow flag came out. Traffic was the main headline in this session, with riders battling for position. Holgado was unable to replicate his Q1 speed, whereas his teammate was flying. Going over a tenth quicker than anyone else, Alonso flew to pole position with a 2:05.203. This saw him achieve a maiden Moto2 pole.
So Alonso starts the race from the front, lining up beside Barry Baltus and Alonso López? That’s what was assumed, but no. Unfortunately for Alonso, a post-qualifying tyre pressure penalty saw him tumble down the starting grid. Now, he starts two places behind his teammate in P17. Now, REDS Fantic Racing’s Baltus is in prime position to take his maiden win.
A False Start
The Moto2 race got off to a flying start but quickly stopped. Holgado and Joe Roberts collided into Turn 1, and yellow flags were brought out. Only a few turns later, the race was halted. Blu Cru Pramac Yamaha Moto2 rider Alberto Ferrández made a mistake into Turn 11, causing a big crash with seven riders. The red flag was shown on Lap 2.
Luckily, all riders were conscious. However, Piqueras, Ferrández, and Sergio García were all sent to the medical centre. As officials cleared the track, long lap penalties were handed out for Holgado, Baltus and Daniel Muñoz: Holgado for causing a crash and the other two for unsafe changes of direction.
Whilst no update has been yet given on Ferrández or García, Piqueras has shared on social media that he has sustained fractures to his femur and ankle. He has undergone a successful surgery and now focuses on recovering.
Agius On Top In A Shortened Race
Once again, Moto2 saw a shortened race. Due to the lengthy red flag, the race distance was amended to 10 laps. On the sighting lap, Deniz Öncü crashed but was able to start. An issue for Filip Salač saw him start from the pit lane.
Alonso got a great start, immediately finding himself up to P10 at the end of the first lap. His teammate didn’t have the same fate, losing places at the start. His long lap penalty saw him fall further back to P20. At the front of the grid, Baltus and López were battling for P1. Agius, however, got the best of both of them and found himself in the top spot.
The crashes weren’t over, though. Collin Veijer, Jorge Navarro, and Mario Aji all crashed throughout the race, but these were standalone incidents only causing local yellow flags. Sasaki also received a long lap penalty towards the end for an unsafe rejoin.
Despite having a nervous bike and some moments where he almost crashed, Vietti was able to finish P2, half a second behind Agius. The pair were joined on the podium by Izan Guevara. After starting 17th, Alonso ran out of laps to get on the podium and had to settle for a P4. With Holgado out of the points, González once again takes the championship lead.
With Qatar being postponed, we now see a four-week break until Moto2 returns in Jerez. Throughout the weekend, Alonso looked like the man to beat. Despite his speed, Agius was able to beat him. The Australian now has three Moto2 victories to his name. But you can’t help but wonder, if Alonso could make his way up to fourth in a shortened race, what could he have done with the full race distance?