Recapping the Catalunya Moto2 and Moto3 contests

MotoGP 2025

Round 15 – Catalunya Moto2 Race Report

Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team) couldn’t have asked for a better Catalan GP. From pole position to the chequered flag, the Spaniard was untouchable, taking his first Moto2 win and becoming the ninth different victor of the 2025 season. Behind him, Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and stand-in rider Daniel Muñoz (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the podium after a tense 21 laps, while Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) stretched his championship lead to 38 points on a difficult day for his closest rivals.

Holgado wasted no time off the line, grabbing the holeshot and immediately dictating the pace. Dixon slotted into second, while chaos unfolded behind: Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) ran wide at Turn 4 and Ayumu Sasaki (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) hit the deck, his race over before it had barely begun. By Lap 3, Holgado led from Dixon and Muñoz, with Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) and Gonzalez giving chase.

Muñoz was on the move early, diving past Dixon for second on Lap 6. At the halfway mark Salač’s day ended completely, tagged out of contention by Jorge Navarro (KLINT Forward Factory Team), while Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) crashed heavily at Turn 7, a serious dent to his title hopes. Gonzalez, meanwhile, made his way past Guevara on Lap 17 to take fourth after an earlier failed attempt.

Holgado had already checked out. By the closing laps he had a cushion of over two seconds, leaving Dixon and Muñoz to fight for the remaining rostrum spots. On the penultimate lap, Dixon slipped through into second at Turn 1, denying Muñoz a fairytale P2 but leaving the Spaniard still with a maiden podium to celebrate.

When the flag fell, Holgado was in a class of his own to claim a landmark win. Dixon’s runner-up finish ended his podium drought stretching back to Germany, while Muñoz made sure his super-sub role won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Gonzalez’s fourth place added another eight points to his advantage at the top, with Guevara equalling his season-best result in fifth.

Dani Holgado – P1

“It’s a great day, it’s my first Moto2 victory. We all know it’s a difficult category, but we already stood on the podium in Austria, and now getting this victory means a lot. I didn’t expect these results at the start of the season, but as we’ve been working with the team, we’ve seen that it could happen. Nobody knows how hard we work after a weekend to look for details that allow us to improve constantly, to arrive at the next circuit as prepared as possible. When you achieve it, like today, it brings out the pride and joy that we showed under the podium in the celebration.”

Further back, Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) headed teammate Alonso Lopez in sixth and seventh, while David Alonso (CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team) charged from 25th on the grid to an impressive eighth.

Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) completed the top ten.

Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) endured a tough afternoon, a late Long Lap Penalty dropping him to 14th and further hurting his title challenge.

Senna Agius had a turbulent start and fell back from eighth to 14th place. As the race progressed, he exceeded the track limits once too often due to grip problems and had to serve a long lap penalty, which threw him back from 11th to 14th place once more. He continued to lose ground in the final laps and ultimately crossed the finish line in eighteenth place.

Senna Agius – P18

“There isn’t much to say today because it was a really bad race for us. From lap five onwards, I had absolutely no grip. Riding without grip in a long race like here in Barcelona was a disastrous feeling. I couldn’t open the throttle and was just coasting through the middle of the corners. We now need to analyse why that was the case. My long runs with the pace on used tyres were much better throughout the weekend, and I had expected to be fighting for the top places today. So we were very unlucky, but hopefully we can make up for it next week in Misano.”

Catalunya Moto2 Results

Catalunya Moto2 Top Speeds

Moto2 Championship Standings

Catalunya Moto3 Race Report

Ángel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) struck a decisive blow in the Moto3 title fight with victory in Barcelona, clawing five points back from Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the championship leader salvaged second place despite an early Long Lap penalty.

Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) completed the podium, the Japanese rider hanging on after a last-corner lunge to secure his second rostrum of the season.

David Almansa (Leopard Racing) converted his maiden pole into the holeshot, with Joel Kelso (LEVEL-UP MTA) and David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) close behind.

Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) rocketed forward from ninth to sit fourth by the opening corners, while Piqueras dropped to sixth and Rueda took his penalty at the start of Lap 3, rejoining way down in 15th.

By the end of Lap 4, Piqueras had fought his way into third, while Rueda was already slicing through the pack to rejoin the leading freight train. Almansa continued to dictate the tempo up front, though on Lap 9 Quiles snatched the lead before being quickly pushed back by Almansa and Piqueras. The battle remained frantic, and by Lap 11 Rueda had made his way to the front for the first time.

Quiles’ challenge came undone at Turn 1 soon after, running wide and tumbling from podium contention to 14th. Rueda looked like he might escape, stretching half a second clear with four laps to go, but the chasing pack reeled him back in. Almansa, Piqueras, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Furusato and a charging Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), who had started from the very back, all kept themselves firmly in the fight.

The last lap saw the decisive moves. Piqueras dived into Turn 1 to snatch the lead, while Rueda was shuffled back to fourth. A desperate move at Turn 5 didn’t come off for Rueda, leaving Piqueras still in control as they headed for the final sector. At the last corner, Rueda launched a late attack on Furusato to grab second, but the win was already Piqueras’, a critical victory in the championship chase.

Furusato held on for third, with Almansa and Fernandez narrowly missing the podium in fourth and fifth. Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) claimed sixth ahead of Kelso, Muñoz, Yamanaka and rookie Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in tenth.

Joel Kelso – P7

“It was an intense race, the group was very tight, and every overtake required great precision. I tried to stay at the front, but we were missing that little something extra in the final laps to fight for the top five. Still, I’m satisfied with our pace and the team’s work. We can build on this for an ever stronger end to the season.”

Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) returned with an 11th-place finish, while Quiles ended up a disappointed 12th after his earlier mistake. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) and Marcos Uriarte (LEVEL-UP MTA) completed the points.

Jacob Roulstone was delivering a solid early race pace and was in tenth place just ahead of teammate Perrone before he was forced to retire from the race on lap 10 following a technical issue.

Jacob Roulstone – DNF

“Really unfortunate once again. It seems that when everything is going good, I can’t catch any luck. I don’t know how many ladders I walked under this year, but I am really upset. It is the third time this year that I am having this issue, I know it is out of the team’s control, so it’s just a really big shame. I felt really strong from lap 1, I showed top speed, so it is sad. Luckily, we already have another chance next week in Misano, and we will want to show our potential.”

A challenging run of form recently has New Zealand grand prix racer Cormac Buchanan searching for answers. Sunday’s Catalunya Grand Prix ended prematurely for the Southland teenager when he crashed out of contention halfway through the Moto3 World Championship race.

Cormac Buchanan – DNF

“It’s incredibly frustrating to end another race like this. My team and I have been working so hard and we deserve to have a decent result but it’s just not coming together for me at those crucial times right at the moment. We need to find a solution fast because our fortunes must change. No racer ever goes out there to crash and this one really hurts in the sense of letting my team down. I am just so grateful for the belief they have in me as we work together with their experience to get my rookie season back on track.”

The KTM 1-2 confirmed the Austrian manufacturer as the 2025 Moto3 Constructors’ World Champions.

Catalunya Moto3 Results

Catalunya Moto3 Top Speeds

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar

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