Agius digs deep for podium in Jerez Moto2 showdown

Gonzalez delivers victory for adoring home fans as Agius wins epic duel with Moreira

The Spanish crowd in Jerez witnessed a stunning Moto2 performance from home hero Manuel Gonzalez, who dominated the race from flag to flag, while Aussie Senna Agius battled hard for a career-first Moto2 podium.

It was Gonzalez who launched cleanly from the line, while chaos nearly erupted behind when Albert Arenas narrowly avoided crashing into Agius at Turn 1. Meanwhile, Brazilian Diogo Moreira was in a hurry, slicing through the field aggressively to climb from fifth to second by Turn 6. Further back, Daniel Holgado’s race was over before it really began in an unfortunate Lap 1 fall.

By Lap 2, Moreira was glued to Gonzalez’s rear tyre, applying heavy pressure. However, Baltus was flying — setting the fastest lap on Lap 3 and muscling past Agius at the final corner to move into third. The lead quartet of Gonzalez, Moreira, Baltus, and Agius quickly broke away, leaving Deniz Öncü and company trailing.

As the race settled, it became clear that consistency would be critical, with tyre life looming as a major factor. Gonzalez began to stretch his advantage, edging away to over a second by Lap 6. Baltus wasn’t waiting around either, dispatching Moreira with a sharp move at Turn 6 on Lap 7 and setting off in pursuit of the leader.

Agius, meanwhile, had to overcame an early dip in pace to fend off Öncü and Arenas, before the young Aussie mounted a charge. He was the fastest man on track on Lap 8 and had reeled Moreira back in by mid race distance, visibly more confident aboard his Kalex.

Drama struck at Turn 13 when David Alonso collided heavily with Izan Guevara, taking both riders out in a nasty crash.

Out front, Gonzalez was supreme — his pace relentless and error-free. By Lap 17, his advantage had ballooned to nearly four seconds, and he looked every bit the complete package.

The battle for the podium wasn’t over yet, though. While Baltus pulled clear in second, the fight between Moreira and Agius began to boil over. After several failed attempts — including running wide at Turn 4 — Agius finally made his move stick on Lap 19 with a bold pass down the back straight, charging past Moreira into Turn 6 and nearly running onto the grass. These two have already had some fierce battles over their short careers and this chapter was to be no different.

Moreira, determined not to go down without a fight despite his fading Pirelli tyres, attempted a lunge into the final corner on Lap 20 — shades of Rossi vs. Gibernau in 2005. Both riders ran wide, but Agius coolly reclaimed the position on the exit.

From there, Agius kept his calm to pull away on the last lap, securing an gritty Moto2 podium in third place behind Gonzalez and Baltus.

Gonzalez savoured the moment, celebrating with his home fans through the stadium section, capping off a masterclass performance that firmly underlines his status as a future star. The young Spaniard’s blend of qualifying pace and race management will make him a formidable contender as the season progresses — a confident rider who has every reason to be.

Gonzalez now leads the Moto2 championship by seven points over Canet, with Dixon third and Agius tied for sixth in an increasingly tight title race.

Jerez Moto2 Race