Unbelievable Moto2 race at Motegi: Guevara wins, Intact team in shock

Even before Race 16 of the Moto2 season, one thing was clear: the title in the middleweight World Championship class would not be decided at the Mobility Resort Motegi. This is because six riders still have a realistic chance of winning the title in the standings. The frontrunners are Intact rider Manuel Gonzalez, who heads into Motegi with 35.5 points ahead of Izan Guevara and 77 points ahead of Ivan Ortola.

Whilst the top two in the World Championship had secured positions on the front row – with Guevara on pole and Gonzalez in third – Ortola could only start the Japanese Grand Prix from seventh on the grid. His rivals Holgado (4th) and Alonso (6th) also had better starting positions. Future KTM MotoGP rider Senna Agius, in 10th place, also had high hopes.

Things got off to a bad start for Team Honda Asia. Mario Aji crashed his Kalex during the warm-up lap. However, thanks to a quick-thinking team, they managed to get Aji on the grid. Two substitute riders were also on the starting grid for the 19-lap race. Moto2 European Champion Milan Pawelec stood in for KTM Ajo’s star rider Collin Veijer, whilst Unai Urradre started in place of the equally injured Angel Piqueras. The injured Alberto Ferrandez was absent. His team-mate Izan Guevara was therefore on a solo mission as the warm-up lap began.

When the starting lights went out, the day’s drama unfolded for Intact GP! Manuel Gonzalez raised his hand and had to be pushed off the grid as his bike had lost power. The World Championship leader had to set off from the pit lane. By the time number 18 got going, his closest rival was already in the lead.

The Pramac rider had won the start ahead of Tony Arbolino and Filip Salac. Ivan Ortola had moved up to fourth place. Senna Agius was in 11th place after one lap, with Gonzalez in last place, 30 seconds behind. One lap later, Gonzalez set the fastest lap of the race in 1:47.7 mins.

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But the World Championship runner-up, who was leading the race, struck back with a time of 1:47.6 mins. One lap later, Gonzalez was faster again. However, his day was already over, as he trailed the final points-scoring position by 20 seconds in such a tightly contested field.

Shortly before the halfway point, the top five had established themselves. In a well-ordered formation, Guevara led the field ahead of Arbolino, Salac, Ortola and Alonso. Guevara was 1.5 seconds ahead of Alonso. Meanwhile, Manuel Gonzalez had caught his first rival – in 25th place. Senna Agius, in 12th place, wasn’t making much headway either.

On lap 11 of 19, Arbolino turned up the pressure, but Izan Guevara controlled the lead without making any mistakes. Filip Salac had also shown his ambitions and, in third place, had built up a one-second lead over Ortola and Alonso. Then, on lap 12, it was all over for Mario Aji; the Indonesian had spun off at Turn 5. Meanwhile, Celestino Vietti was shining in sixth place. The Italian set the fastest lap of the race and closed the gap to Ortola and Alonso in fourth.

With five laps to go, Guevara crossed the line 0.2 seconds ahead of Arbolino – whilst Gonzalez was lapping in 23rd. With three laps remaining, Arbolino launched an attack, but the Fanti rider overdid it and lost crucial metres to Guevara. The Pramac rider kept his nerve – the number 28 crossed the line 0. seconds ahead of Arbolino. Filip Salac showed remarkable consistency to finish third.

Ortola, Alsonso and Vietti rounded off the top six. Senna Agius’s attempt to make up ground came to nothing. The Aussie could not manage better than 13th place. 15th place, and with it the final World Championship point, went to Zonta van der Goorbergh. Manuel Gonzalez, the tragic hero of the Japanese Grand Prix, was flagged off in 22nd place.

Despite the drama surrounding Manuel Gonzalez, nothing changed at the top of the standings. However, the Intact rider’s lead shrank to a mere 10.5 points.