Gonzalez (Intact GP) after finishing 2nd: “I don’t always want to win anymore!”

The starting position for World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez ahead of the Moto2 race at Assen was not ideal. In qualifying, he had to settle for 7th on the grid. Aspar rider David Alonso had secured pole position, just as he had done at Brno.

Starting from the third row, the Intact rider got off to a solid start. At the front, the two Pramac riders, Alberto Ferrandez and Izan Guevara, battled it out with Alonso for the lead. Alonso then managed to open up a small gap – by the halfway point of the race, his lead stood at around one second. But Gonzalez refused to be shaken off and managed to close the gap. On lap 17, he overtook Alonso for the first time. Behind the pair, Intact team-mate Senna Agius was closing in.

In the final laps, Gonzalez, Alonso and Agius were locked in a thrilling three-way battle for victory. On the penultimate lap, Alonso attempted to pass the leading Gonzalez at the Timmer chicane – but Gonzalez managed to fend off the Colombian’s attack. On the final lap, Alonso tried again at the same spot, this time on the outside rather than the inside – and he succeeded. Gonzalez crossed the finish line 0.024 behind Alonso. Senna Agius finished third.

“Even though I couldn’t push to the absolute limit today to win, I’m satisfied in the end. I managed to make up positions lap by lap, and we had good pace,” said Gonzalez, summing up the race. “When I was following David, I was a bit faster. But when I was leading the field, the wind was so strong, and I pushed a bit too hard, putting too much strain on the front tyre. That made it difficult to steer the bike.”

In the World Championship standings, Gonzalez extended his lead over Izan Guevara (Pramac Yamaha) to 57.5 points. “Ultimately, we’ve secured another podium finish and extended our lead in the championship, which is really positive,” emphasised the Spaniard. “What’s more, a second place on a track where I’ve never been particularly strong before is another positive aspect. So we’ll carry on in exactly the same way at the next race. Of course, I wanted to win and close the door at the final chicane, but in Moto2 you have to be right on the limit when braking if you want to overtake a rider. In the final sector, I was a bit short on speed in Turn 15, which allowed David to close the gap and overtake me on the outside whilst I was trying to close the door on him. In the end, we didn’t manage to secure the win, but our eighth podium in ten races is something we can be proud of. A big thank you to the team for all their hard work and dedication under these challenging conditions.”

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28.08.2026 - 08:55

Learning from the experiences of 2025

Last year, Manuel Gonzalez was the dominant rider in the Moto2 World Championship for a long time. In the end, however, he had to concede defeat to Diogo Moreira – the Brazilian became world champion and moved up to MotoGP. What did Gonzalez learn in 2025, and what is he doing differently this season? “The right mindset is the key to winning this championship. It’s all about not making mistakes. In this sport, there are many factors that can influence the results. I can only try to be as perfect as possible in the things that are within my control,” the 23-year-old explained. “I try to stay calm – even when I’m having a difficult weekend. I’m also no longer trying to win at all costs – as I did last year, when I was strong and always wanted to win. This season, I’m just focusing on the championship. We’re keeping our cool and trying not to make any mistakes.”

In two weeks’ time, the race weekend will take place at the Sachsenring. At the home Grand Prix of the German Intact team, Manuel Gonzalez is aiming to stand at the very top of the podium once again.