Moto2 Sachsenring: Ortola beats Holgado, IntactGP duo in the top six!

Following the thrilling Moto3 race, which was only decided on the final lap, the Moto2 riders got ready. Following two sunny days, race day at the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring also offered perfect conditions for the riders in the middleweight class: under sunny skies and at 25°C, the 27 riders set off on the 25-lap Grand Prix.

Ivan Ortola started the Sachsenring GP from pole position on his Kalex. World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez from the German IntactGP team was in second place on the grid. The front row was completed by Pramac rider Izan Guevara on the highest-placed Boscoscuro.

Curiously, Marc-VDS rider Aron Canet crashed during the formation lap. In the race, a crash at Turn 1 would lead to his retirement. After 15 of 25 laps, the former Moto2 frontrunner was out of the race.

Gonzalez gets overtaken after the start

The pole-setter won the sprint to the first corner: Ortola entered the opening corners in the lead, whilst behind him Guevara held off Gonzalez. All riders negotiated the first few corners well. Forward rider Alex Escrig got off the line too early and was subsequently handed a double long-lap penalty, which knocked him out of the top 10.

Championship leader Gonzalez was the big loser in the opening stages. Having started from second on the grid, he lost third place to Daniel Holgado at Turn 8 and emerged from the opening lap in fifth. His IntactGP team-mate Senna Agius also managed to slip past him. One lap later, David Alonso also overtook Gonzalez’s Kalex. The number 18 IntactGP Kalex was now running in sixth place.

Ortola was setting the pace at the front. The Brno winner had Guevara and Holgado in his wake. On lap 5, Holgado took second place from Guevara. Agius watched the duel from fourth position and was also within striking distance.

It took six laps for Gonzalez’s lap times to match those of the riders at the front. By this point, the World Championship leader, riding in sixth position, was already two seconds behind. The top five – Ortola, Holgado, Guevara, Agius and Alonso – were all within a second of each other. For Mario Aji, the Sachsenring GP was over after ten laps. The Indonesian slid into the run-off area at Turn 3.

Highside by Aspar rider David Alonso

Spectators at the almost sold-out Sachsenring witnessed a tactical race for long stretches, with few overtaking manoeuvres. Turn 1 proved a challenge for two experienced riders, Aron Canet and Celestino Vietti.

At the start of the 17th lap, Alonso took fourth place from Agius. The Aspar rider braked past the IntactGP Kalex in Turn 1. Ortola, at the front, had pulled slightly clear. Behind him, Holgado and Guevara were within striking distance of each other.

Alonso was battling to get on the tail of Guevara’s Boscoscuro. In doing so, the young Spaniard pushed too hard and crashed out on lap 18 following a highside. The bump at the exit of Turn 3 had claimed another victim. The future Honda MotoGP rider returned to the Aspar pit disappointed.

Daniel Holgado steps up the pressure, but Ivan Ortola keeps his cool

In the closing stages, a duel developed between Ortola and Holgado. Guevara was running in third place and had lost touch. Behind them followed the two IntactGP riders, Agius and Gonzalez, who were out of striking distance. Taiyo Furusato put in a strong performance, completing his laps in sixth position. The battles in the chasing pack, where seventh place was at stake, were more exciting.

Holgado stepped up the pressure on Ortola over the final two laps. At the start of the last lap, just 0.145 seconds separated the two Spaniards. Ortola kept his nerve, rode clever lines and secured the win. Holgado attempted a manoeuvre in the final corner but pulled back. In doing so, Holgado almost lost control of his Kalex, but managed to avoid a crash. A good six-tenths of a second separated Ortola and Holgado as they crossed the finish line.

Guevara closes the gap on Gonzalez

Guevara crossed the finish line 3.2 seconds behind and closed the gap on Gonzalez. Agius held on to fourth place. Behind them, there was a surprise in the closing stages: Furusato overtook Gonzalez, whose lap times had dropped significantly.

Seventh place went to Filip Salac. Moto3 World Champion Jose-Antonio Rueda put in a strong performance to finish eighth, ahead of his Ajo team-mate Collin Veijer. Luca Lunetta rounded off the top 10. Former Supersport World Champion Adrian Huertes picked up five points in eleventh place. Joe Roberts, Ayumu Sassaki, Angel Piqueras and Alex Escrig completed the points-scoring positions.

Last year’s winner, Deniz Öncü, finished 17th and scored no points. The Turkish rider spent a long time in the chasing pack but was overtaken in the closing stages.