Parabéns, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team)! The Samba Carnival has started as Brazil crowns a new sporting superstar, with Moreira taking the 2025 Moto2 World Championship and becoming the first Brazilian champion in Grand Prix racing. Already confirmed with a move up to MotoGP for 2026, the 21-year-old firecracker from Sao Paolo is graduating as Champion with four wins and nine podiums in 2025, and he clinches it under the pressure of a title-deciding last round – having only taken over at the front with two to go.
WHO IS DIOGO MOREIRA?
Born in Brazil’s biggest city on the 23rd of April 2004, the #10 was always destined to be a star. A rookie winner in 2019’s European Talent Cup campaign saw the then-15-year-old move up to JuniorGP, where he was on the podium in his second season. That second season was combined with a sole season in the Red Bull Rookies Cup where he celebrated four podiums and whilst that victory eluded him, he was knocking on the door hard.
THE GRADUATION TO GRAND PRIX RACING
At just 16 years of age, he found himself in the spotlight – quite literally – for his Moto3™ debut at Lusail in Qatar. 18th on the grid? No problem: a fine debut in P6 was a sign of things to come because next time out, he was on the front row. Pole position came at Silverstone in the middle of the year and a streak of top ten finishes welcomed him to eighth overall. That was just the start and whilst 2023’s season saw him finish in eighth again, the monkey was off the Brazilian’s back with a first win coming at Mandalika from pole. He opened the season with two podiums and it was clear that his pace was right there – the results would be coming eventually, but if he could be consistent, he’d be a title contender in the future.
Moving up to Moto2 is always a challenge for rookies and Moreira was no exception. A first top ten didn’t come until a fourth in Germany, but there had been plenty of flashes up to that point. Ending the season with five consecutive top ten finishes and a maiden podium in the class in Barcelona, eyes turned to him for 2025.
2025’S PATH TO SUCCESS
And here we are, talking about the highlights of what has been a historic crowning season. Things didn’t start ideally, having to wait until Silverstone in May for a first taste of Prosecco on the podium, but after that, the floodgates opened. Aragon saw him pipped at the line in the closest Moto2 finish ever, missing out by 0.003s before he banked poles in the next two rounds at Mugello and Assen. It was at the latter where he rode one of his hardest races to return the favour Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) had paid him in the podium battle in Italy a week before, holding him off in a tense showdown to take his first victory in Moto2.
Now a title contender and a threat to Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), he started the second half of the season with victory in Austria, P2 in Hungary and then three podiums and a win on the overseas tour. Yet despite that, it was a fifth place at Sepang that saw the pendulum swing from Spain and Gonzalez to Brazil and Moreira, with the former crashing out just three laps from home. Next time out at Portimao, he took victory to extend his advantage to 24 points going into the finale, with just two points needed to bring him the title. Clinching the title in a final round decider, a P10 - coupled with Gonzalez's no score - was good enough to sign himself and Brazil into the history books!
BR(AZ)ILLIANCE ACHIEVED
We haven’t got a word count big enough to go through Brazil’s most famous and successful sporting stars but of course, football rules the roost. Legends such as Pele, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Neymar all national heroes and global stars – with all but Ronaldo using the #10, perhaps an indication or a hint for what Moreira will use in 2026? In motorsport, Ayrton Senna is a legend after his three F1 titles whilst Felipe Massa and Rubens Barrichello carried that torch onwards with 11 wins each and both being F1 runners-up. Alex Barros is synonymous with MotoGP, taking seven victories, but now, the country can get ready for a new hero on two wheels.
Brazil, are you ready? You’ve got a new World Champion heading up to MotoGP – and you’ll be able to see him in action at home in Goiania from 20th – 22nd of March!