Daniel Holgado is struggling – the MotoGP newcomer is in a slump

With third and first places in Thailand and Brazil, Daniel Holgado had got off to a very good start to the 2026 Moto2 season. This was followed by a run of poor form for the Aspar rider. Following two less than successful races in Austin and Jerez, he was disqualified at Le Mans. A fifth-place finish in Barcelona then heralded a return to form. At Mugello, Holgado also made it back onto the podium. This was followed by a number of top-10 finishes. Following the Assen Grand Prix, it was announced on 2 July that Holgado would be moving up to MotoGP in 2027 – Gresini Ducati had snapped up the 21-year-old.

With the MotoGP contract in the bag, Holgado raced to second place at the Sachsenring. He got off to a good start to the second half of the season with a fourth-place finish at Silverstone. But then came another run of poor form – 7th place at Aragon, a retirement at Misano and another 7th place at the Red Bull Ring. It seems his rivals currently have a little more to offer.

“We finished the weekend in Austria in seventh place. I’m not particularly happy with the result, but I’m glad I gave it my all,” was the Spaniard’s summary of his race at Spielberg. “In the final part of the race, I was lacking a bit of pace and I didn’t feel entirely comfortable. I’m not 100 per cent satisfied. I’d like to thank the team for all their hard work; I’ll keep working to find something and be more competitive in the next race.”

99.5 points behind Manuel Gonzalez

In the World Championship standings, Daniel Holgado, in sixth place, is already 99.5 points behind leader Manuel Gonzalez (Intact GP). However, the top three are within reach. He is just 22.5 points behind Ivan Ortola, who is currently third. Team-mate David Alonso, who will also be racing in MotoGP in 2027, is currently fourth in the overall standings.

Next weekend sees the Japanese Grand Prix. Holgado has very fond memories of the Twin Ring Motegi – he won last year’s Moto2 race there.

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02.10.2026 - 01:55