Recapping the Moto2 and Moto3 contests from Mandalika

MotoGP 2025

Round 18 – Mandalika Moto2 Race Report

It was a stellar display from Brazilian star Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), who claimed a commanding victory at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, taking another chunk out of Manuel Gonzalez’s (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) championship lead — before a post-race twist turned the title race on its head. Gonzalez, who crossed the line second, was later disqualified for a technical infringement, scoring zero points and watching his advantage slashed to just nine ahead of the Australian GP.

Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) celebrated his second Moto2 podium, elevated from third to second after the ruling, while Aron Canet (Fantic Racing)’s gritty charge from outside the top 20 to fourth became a much-deserved podium and a lifeline in the title chase.

From lights out, Guevara made the perfect getaway from the front row to snatch the early lead from polesitter Moreira, but the Brazilian was quick to respond, reclaiming P1 on Lap 2. Behind them, Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) made a strong start from the second row to slot into second, with Gonzalez sitting comfortably in fourth. The race quickly turned chaotic when Holgado’s teammate, David Alonso, suffered a huge crash at the penultimate corner — fortunately, escaping uninjured.

By Lap 6, Gonzalez was on the move, dispatching Guevara to climb into second as the two Spaniards began to chase down Moreira. However, drama struck at Turn 17 when Holgado folded the front and went down, ending his podium challenge. Meanwhile, Canet was putting on a masterclass from the back, slicing through the field from 21st to fourth, with Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) in hot pursuit.

At the halfway mark, the gap between Moreira and Gonzalez stabilised around one second as both matched each other’s pace lap after lap. Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing) was also on a charge, passing Arenas for fifth in the closing stages, while Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) returned to the top ten for the first time since his Brno win.

But out front, Moreira was in total control. Riding with poise and precision, the 20-year-old converted his second consecutive pole position into a dominant win, his second in Moto2 and his second at Mandalika after his maiden Moto3 victory was also taken in Indonesia. Behind him, the shock disqualification of Gonzalez for a post-race technical infringement meant the biggest shake-up yet in the 2025 title fight. The team explained that it was a procedural error during a recent update that prevented it from completing correctly.

With the amended results, Guevara inherits second place for his best result of the year, and Canet’s late-race heroics are rewarded with third, a crucial podium that reignites his championship hopes. Baltus’s fourth makes it a strong day for Fantic, while Arenas rounded out the top five ahead of Roberts in sixth. Rookie Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI) impressed in seventh, followed by Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), and Adrian Huertas (Italtrans Racing Team) completing the top ten.

Senna Agius started from 22nd position after a difficult qualifying session and right from the off he collided with several opponents, which briefly took him off course and resulted in a long lap penalty. The 20-year-old quickly found his rhythm again, overtaking competitor after competitor and fighting his way into the points. At one point, he was even in eleventh place before seeing the chequered flag in thirteenth – but Gonzalez’s disqualification ultimately moved him up to twelfth place and earned him four World Championship points.

Senna Agius – P12

“We had a good rhythm today. However, I entered the first corner a little too hot and bumped into a couple of riders. Unfortunately, I was the one who ended up in the gravel. I think that was the reason for the long lap penalty. After the long lap, I more or less fell back to last place and worked my way back up to 11th. In the end, we finished 12th with a competitive pace. We’ll take that with us into the next race: a little more confidence. It’s a tough time overall, but we have to stay strong and turn this final phase of the year around, because today I felt that we took a step forward today and understand the direction for the next races.”

The Mandalika weekend has thrown the championship wide open. Moreira’s back-to-back podiums have turned up the pressure, Gonzalez’s costly DSQ resets the points game, and Canet’s comeback keeps him right in the hunt.

Mandalika Moto2 Results

Mandalika Moto2 Top Speeds

Moto2 Championship Standings

Mandalika Moto3 Race Report

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) sealed the 2025 Moto3 World Championship in style with a win at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. A dramatic race ended early in a Red Flag, causing a parc ferme shuffle before the podium was confirmed as Rueda, Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) following post-race penalties for Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team).

Plenty of riders got a brilliant launch, but it was Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) who emerged from Turn 1 in the lead, with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Fernandez and early P2 and P3. Rueda dropped to P13 by the end of Lap 1, while title rival Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) had made great progress, the #36 was up to P6. That turned to P4 on Lap 2 as the Spaniard got his elbows out, with Fernandez and Quiles now ahead of Kelso at the front of the freight train.

At the start of Lap 5, Piqueras was forced to run wide after being sandwiched by Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Muñoz, which saw Piqueras drop to P10, one place behind Rueda. Then, one of the frontrunners was on the floor as Kelso tumbled out of contention at Turn 10 to end his podium hopes in Indonesia.

Lap 7 saw Quiles lead for the first time as Rueda climbed to P6. It was a front group of twelve and at this stage, Piqueras was eighth but with Quiles leading, Rueda wasn’t yet in a title-winning position. However, later around the lap, he was. Rueda was up to P3 at the halfway stage and as things stood, the Moto3 crown would be his.

On Lap 12 of 20, Rueda remained in a title-winning place. He was P2, Quiles was nipping at his heels in P3, while Piqueras was struggling to make progress in P9. Fernandez was leading the way until the #99 slid through into the lead at Turn 10 on Lap 13. Did the chasers have a response, or was Rueda about to clinch his first World Championship title in the perfect way possible?

It was getting better for Rueda, too, because Quiles dropped to P8, one place behind Piqueras, before three riders crashed at Turn 16 on Lap 14. Carpe, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) were down and out of contention and then Quiles and Piqueras were handed Long Lap penalties for short-cutting Turn 9 as the drama amped up.

Barring a mistake from Rueda, something he’s barely made all season, the 2025 title was about to be his. Piqueras took his Long Lap on Lap 17, and the #36 was then P8, but Quiles continued on his way in P4.

With three laps to go, Rueda was leading until Turn 10. Muñoz then slipped up the inside to take the lead before huge drama for the #64 as Fernandez attacked him and made contact, with Muñoz left skittled out into the run off and the #31 in the lead.

Rueda then hit the front but just after he’d taken over, the red flag came out. With the countback, not only was Rueda was officially the 2025 Moto3 World Champion, after a double Long Lap penalty was handed to Fernandez, Rueda was also the winner in Indonesia. Quiles completed his Long Lap penalty just before the red flag, but it wasn’t soon enough to count, and the #28 was handed a three-second post-race penalty. That promoted Lunetta to P2 and Pini to P3, the latter celebrating his first Moto3 podium.

Quiles dropped to P4 after his penalty, as Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) collected his best result of the season – and his Moto3 career.

Jacob Roulstone – P5

“Very pleased with my race! I think I did the best first few laps of my career, and I am very happy with our start. I struggled a bit from mid-race with the front tyre because I attacked a lot at the start, so maybe I cooked it a bit too much. Messy race, the hottest and most challenging one, but I am really happy, and relieved to score a top 5. This result means a lot for us, because we want to show that we still deserve to be in that paddock. Thanks to the boys for their hard work, and we are now heading to my own round in Australia, which I am super excited about. We will go for it again, so I can’t wait!”

Fernandez ended the race in P6, with Piqueras seventh as he sees his title chances officially disappear. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Stefano Nepa (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Kelso, despite his crash, completed the top 10 in Indonesia.

Joel Kelso – P10

“Not the Sunday we were hoping for. We started strong, fighting for P4, but unfortunately dropped back to P25 after a few issues. From there, we pushed to the limit and managed to climb back up to P10. There’s some disappointment, because we really felt the podium was within reach today, no doubt about it. That said, overall it was a great weekend. Our race pace was strong, the bike felt good, but sometimes that’s just racing, things don’t always go your way.”

Now it’s next stop Australia, with the crown secured but plenty still on the line as a spectacular season of Moto3 competition rolls on! See you Down Under and check out the full results from Moto3.

Mandalika Moto3 Results

Mandalika Moto3 Top Speeds

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar

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