Leading every lap, commanding the Grand Prix and taking his first victory, there’s only one word that can describe Daniel Holgado’s (CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team) Catalan GP: perfect. Blasting off from pole and making it look easy, the #27 became the ninth different winner of the season ahead of Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and super-sub Daniel Muñoz (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in a tense 21-lapper. Elsewhere, Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) extends his advantage to 38 after a disastrous Sunday for his rivals.
A lightning getaway from polesitter Holgado saw him snatch the holeshot and lead the opening laps ahead of Dixon. At Turn 4 on the opening lap, the #96’s teammate Filip Salac (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was forced out wide and into the gravel whilst further around the corner, a fast-starting Ayumu Sasaki’s (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) Grand Prix was over, crashing out. Settling down on Lap 3, Holgado headed Dixon whilst Muñoz gave chase in third, continuing his impressive showing ahead of Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) and Championship leader Gonzalez in P5.
At the start of Lap 6, Muñoz’s charge continued as he bounced through into second ahead of Dixon under braking for Turn 1. At half distance, Salac was taken out further behind by Jorge Navarro (KLINT Forward Factory Team) at Turn 1 whilst at Turn 7, it was a fast crash for Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), dinting his title hopes with Gonzalez up in P5. On Lap 16, Gonzalez attempted to pass Guevara at Turn 1 but went wide and thus lost the place but a lap later, made it work and secured fourth.
Back at the front, Holgado’s impressive ride continued, pulling out a 2.5s gap to Muñoz. The replacement rider was starting to come under pressure from a resurgent Dixon, just half a second between them before on the penultimate lap, the Brit took P2 at Turn 1. Further back in P12, Diogo Moreira’s (Italtrans Racing Team) weekend got worse as he was issued a Long Lap Penalty for exceeding track limits.
One Aspar rider may have taken their first win back at Balaton Park and it was the same again but for the other side of the box. A flawless ride from Holgado saw him take a lights-to-flag victory, a first in Moto2 and becoming the ninth different winner of 2025. Dixon held off Muñoz for a first podium since Germany whilst Muñoz’s is his first ever. Gonzalez extends his Championship lead with P4 ahead of Guevara who matched his season’s-best in fifth.
Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) was next up ahead of teammate Alonso Lopez whilst David Alonso (CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team) surged through from 25th to eighth. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) rounded out the top ten. Moreira’s penalty left him 14th, a blow to his title aspirations.
Nine winners in 2025, will we welcome a tenth at Misano next week? Don't bet against it!