Senna Agius salvages solid Le Mans points

Agius kept his Moto2 title challenge on track with a hard-fought seventh at Le Mans, while Joel Kelso Moto3 was left to rue what might have been in Moto3

Le Mans once again lived up to its reputation for producing unpredictable race weekends, with morning rain giving way to a drying track by the time the support classes rolled out. The changeable conditions created plenty of uncertainty, but by race time the circuit had improved enough for slick tyres in Moto2, while Moto3 delivered a bruising contest filled with crashes and championship drama. For the Australians, Agius emerged with valuable points after a difficult Sunday, while Kelso was one of a number of riders caught out in a punishing lightweight-class encounter.

Moto2 – Guevara stamps down title credentials

Agius finished seventh in a red-flagged and shortened Moto2 race, limiting the damage on a weekend where he was forced to work much harder than usual to stay in the championship fight.

After a smooth Friday, qualifying proved far more difficult for the Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP squad. Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez still managed to secure fifth on the grid, but Agius was left back in 11th on the fourth row. That was always going to leave the Australian with plenty to do at Le Mans, especially in a field as closely packed as Moto2.

The weather added another complication. Rain arrived in the morning exactly as forecast, although the shower was only brief. By the time the Moto2 race preparations were being completed on the grid, the track had dried almost completely, prompting every rider to opt for slick tyres.

From his first Moto2 pole, Izan Guevara made the ideal start to lead into the first corner, while Gonzalez quickly moved into second from the middle of the second row. There was instant drama for Daniel Holgado, who had started from second but crashed out with a highside at the exit of Turn 7 on the opening lap.

At the end of lap one, Guevara led Gonzalez, with Filip Salač in third and Barry Baltus fourth. Salač then moved into second before the red flags were shown following Jorge Navarro’s crash at the final corner. Navarro was back on his feet, but the race was stopped because of the safety conditions.

That reset the contest entirely. The restart was reduced to nine laps and the original grid positions were reinstated. There was also a reprieve for Holgado, whose Aspar team repaired his machine in time to send him back out of pit lane with just 15 seconds remaining.

The restart was no calmer than the original start. Salač came in way too hot into the opening chicane, forcing Agius to run wide to avoid being taken out, while Baltus crashed out at Turn 6. Guevara, meanwhile, kept clear of trouble and stretched his lead to 0.9 seconds as Holgado and teammate David Alonso scrapped hard on the opening lap, with Holgado dropping from second on the grid to ninth.

More incidents followed. On lap two, Collin Veijer and Daniel Muñoz ended up in the gravel together at Turn 6, while Celestino Vietti was handed a Long Lap penalty for causing the crash involving Baltus, dropping him from fifth to ninth.

Agius was making steady progress through the field but found himself embroiled in a battle with Vietti. A significant lack of straight-line speed meant Senna had to make his gains under brakes and through the corners, but he eventually executed a clean last gasp pass on the Italian to cement seventh position.

At the front, Guevara’s lead was 1.1s on lap five before Gonzalez and Ivan Ortola began to turn up the pace. Gonzalez eventually dropped Ortola and chased Guevara on his own, but the race leader responded each time and remained in control. He crossed the line to secure his first victory of the season, with Boscoscuro also defeating Kalex for the first time in 2026.

Gonzalez finished 0.5s behind in second to retain the championship lead, while Ortola completed a stunning comeback from 14th on the grid to finish third and claim his first podium of the year. Alonso Lopez and the injured David Alonso rounded out the top five, with Vietti recovering to sixth.

Agius’ seventh-place result ended his recent run of victories, but it still represented an important salvage effort in trying circumstances. Joe Roberts and Salač completed the top nine, while Aron Canet’s 10th marked his best result of the season. Holgado eventually finished 11th.

Heading to Catalunya, Gonzalez now leads Guevara by 9.5 points in the title standings, with Agius third and 20.5 points from the top.

Senna Agius
“I’m satisfied because it wasn’t a bad race. I was very aggressive at the start and made up a few positions. But there were some heavy contacts on the first lap, which is why we lost touch with the leading group and couldn’t fight for the podium. Still, I worked my way back up to 7th place, which is a good result and marks a strong comeback. That’s not bad. We struggled a bit this weekend to be able to rely 100 percent on the bike, but in the race, we found the right direction and scored some good points for the championship. I’m looking forward to taking that with me to Barcelona, where I really like it, and being able to ride the bike more freely there. Riding in Barcelona is always a bit different, though. Still, I’m looking forward to it. But first, I want to give a big shout-out to my crew, because they always do a fantastic job for me.”

2026 French Moto2 Race

2026 MOTO2 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 5

Moto3 – Quiles untouchable in sodden conditions

Kelso’s Le Mans weekend came to an abrupt and frustrating end in a crash-filled Moto3 race that was controlled from start to finish by championship leader Maximo Quiles.

The Australian made a solid launch from the front row and initially looked well placed in the early stages, despite being shuffled back to fourth by a charging Marco Morelli. Kelso stayed in touch with the lead group over the opening laps before his race then ended in the gravel on lap three, making him one of several early casualties in a race that quickly turned into a battle of survival.

Out front, Quiles was untouchable. The CIP GreenPower rider got the holeshot from the middle of the front row and was never headed, producing a lights-to-flag win that extended his championship lead to 46 points. Adrian Fernandez, who had started from pole for Leopard Racing, finished second and in doing so moved into second overall in the standings, while also returning to the podium for the first time in over a year. Matteo Bertelle completed the top three, his first podium since COTA 2025.

The opening lap was immediately chaotic. Brian Uriarte was the first to fall after his wide line at Turn 2 backfired, before David Muñoz crashed at Turn 3. Cormac Buchanan then highsided on the exit of Turn 7 as the attrition rate began to climb.

The incidents continued on lap two, when Casey O’Gorman’s impressive start came undone in the gravel at Turn 10. Valentin Perrone also crashed on lap two, before Kelso’s race came to an end a lap later. By that stage, Quiles was already asserting control at the front while riders behind him struggled to cope with the conditions.

There was more championship drama as Alvaro Carpe, who arrived in France second in the standings, crashed out at Turn 10. Moments later, Marco Morelli went down at Turn 13 after briefly climbing into second place. That handed the runner-up position back to Fernandez and moved Bertelle into third, although the Italian was later given a Long Lap penalty for shortcutting at Turn 10.

Further down the field, Scott Ogden crashed at Turn 3 and Rico Salmela fell at Turn 10, adding to an ever-growing list of retirements.

By the closing stages, Quiles had things comfortably under control. He held a 2.1-second lead over Fernandez, while Bertelle had third effectively secured. The victory was a huge result for Quiles, who not only collected back-to-back Moto3 wins for the first time, but also took a major step forward in the title race.

Veda Pratama finished fourth, while Joel Esteban produced one of the rides of the day by charging from 20th on the grid to fifth. Guido Pini came through from the fourth row to take sixth and return to the points after a disappointing Jerez. Adrian Cruces finished seventh for CIP GreenPower on home soil, ahead of David Almansa in eighth. Eddie O’Shea claimed a career-best ninth for GRYD MLav Racing, with Hakim Danish completing the top 10.

2026 French Moto3 Race

2026 Moto3 championship standings after round 5