The Moto2 title race momentum pendulum keeps swinging one way and then the other in 2026 as we witness Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) roll out a Red Bull Ring masterclass to clinch a crucial second win of the season. It’s a 25-point haul that sees the #28 chop World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez’s (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) points lead back down to 35.5 points after the latter crosses the line in P4 behind second-place Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and third-place David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team).
Starting from the middle of the front row, Gonzalez nailed the start and grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, as Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Campolor – MSI) and polesitter Salač went elbow to elbow through the opening corner and into Turn 2. Hanging it on the outside into Turn 2a, Salač then had the inside line into Turn 2b and pounced up the inside of Gonzalez to take the lead, and this halted Gonzalez’s momentum and speed, seeing the title race leader get punted back down to the lower ends of the top 10.
More big moves were coming though. Turn 9 saw both Ortola and the fast-starting Guevara carve their way past Salač to demote the Czech rider to P3. And as the top three started to stretch their legs at the front, Gonzalez tried to wrestle his way past fourth-place Alonso, which didn’t work, as Gonzalez fell to 2.4s off the lead by Lap 6 of 23.
On Lap 11, Guevara’s lead was up to 1.8s over the Ortola vs Salač battle; Alonso was a further second behind the podium positions, Gonzalez was just over a second adrift of the Colombian, as a change for P2 then came. Salač passed Ortola into Turn 4, so could the Czech rider begin reeling in Guevara?
Ortola slipped behind Alonso on Lap 15 when the Spaniard had a moment coming through Turn 2b as the battle for the podium began to bubble up nicely, with Gonzalez still a looming threat to the top three in P5. And sure enough, on Lap 17, at Turn 4, Gonzalez passed Ortola for P4. Meanwhile, up front, Guevara’s endured a real scare on his front end as it folded at Turn 9. What a save. It cost the race leader a second, whose lead came down to 2.2s on Lap 19.
Guevara steadied the ship though. The gap was still hovering above two seconds with three laps to go, as Salač kept Alonso 0.9s in arrears. Gonzalez sat 1.1s behind a podium spot in P4, while Ortola hadn’t let the championship leader get away – 0.3s split the Spaniards.
Apart from that big save, it was a flawless Sunday stride to victory for Guevara. And a huge one in his quest for 2026 Moto2 title glory too. Salač and Alonso completed the podium, with Gonzalez claiming 13 points in P4 to see his championship lead cut back down to 35.5 points ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Ortola couldn’t bite back at Gonzalez in the end; the rider third in the standings finished P5. Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing), Deniz Öncü (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and rookie Luca Lunetta (BETA Tools SpeedRS Team) were your P6 to P10 finishes at the Red Bull Ring, as Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was forced to retire after encountering issues in the Grand Prix. Is that now the MotoGP-bound Australian’s title hopes over?
This compelling Moto2 title race takes another turn. Guevara responds, and heading to Japan, less than 40 points is the gap between Gonzalez and the Austrian GP winner. Next? A trip to Japan.
Moto2 Austrian GP race results!