What a race. What a last-lap, last-corner pass. And with a Long Lap penalty to go with it. Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Exocom – MSI) is a Moto2 race winner for the first time after the 4 rolls out an unbelievable last-corner move on David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) to clinch victory in Brno, and in P3, the home hero – Filip Salac. The OnlyFans American Racing Team rider makes his dreams come true to stand on the Czech GP podium having finished just 0.7s away from the win.
From pole, Alonso held onto the P1 baton into Turn 1 as Ortola, who faced a Long Lap penalty from Row 2, got off to a flyer to propel himself into P2. Salac lost a few places on Lap 1; the Czech star was shuffled down to P6 behind the top two, Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP).
World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) climbed three places to P10 at the end of Lap 1 after his grid penalty. And a lap later, Gonzalez had squeezed past Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) to slot into P8.
Ortola dived into the Long Lap penalty loop on Lap 4, and such was the gap to Guevara in P3, Ortola came out in P2 still. Guevara was up the inside of his compatriot into Turn 8, but Ortola hung it around the outside and then had the inside line into Turn 9. Job done for Ortola, but the gap to race leader Alonso was now 1.4s.
Not for long though. Ortola set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:58.636, to cut the margin to Alonso back down to beneath the one-second barrier. And a little further behind, Gonzalez was now P6 behind fifth place Salac, with Guevara and Agius in P3 and P4.
A big move in the podium places came on Lap 11. Agius lunged up the inside of Guevara at Turn 7, but it was a move that sent both wide. That saw the door open for Salac, who swept through on the Australian and Spaniard to grab hold of P3, with the gap to Alonso and Ortola standing at around half a second.
Until it wasn’t. By Lap 13, Salač was right on the coattails of the top two, and with four laps to go, the blue touch paper was lit in the Moto2 Czech GP fight. Ortola made two moves, one at Turn 1, another at Turn 4, but Alonso bit back to hold onto the lead.
This was building up to a thrilling finale. Alonso vs Ortola vs Salac, with Agius 0.8s away in P4. Then, Salac suddenly lost crucial ground with two laps to go to drop him 0.8s from the top two, and just 0.5s away from Agius.
Last lap time. It looked like it was Alonso vs Ortola for the win, with Salac now in defensive mode to hold onto a dream home Grand Prix podium. No move came until the final couple of corners arrived. Alonso led, but Ortola set up a beauty. Turn 13 saw the 4 hang it around the outside to pounce up the inside of Turn 14, and it was a classy pass underneath the Colombian that saw the Spaniard earn his first Moto2 victory.
It’s Alonso’s first podium of the season, but having led for 99% of the race, that might sting a bit for the 80. Still, a great ride, and what definitely won’t sting will be Salač’s podium for the Czech star and the thousands of Czech fans in Brno. It’s not the win, but it’s back-to-back podiums for Salac – and a dream come true to stand on the famous Brno rostrum.
Agius’ P4 was a very solid afternoon’s work after the Aussie lost his right knee slider during the race, and the same – minus the knee slider part – can be said for Gonzalez’s comeback to P5. P13 to a top five, and beating your main title rival on the final lap, signals a job well done for the title race leader. That title rival is Guevara, who finished P6 at the flag after a good battle with Gonzalez.
Holgado faded to P7 to finish less than half a second ahead of eighth place Roberts, as Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) loses ground in the championship with a P9. Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continued his points streak as the reigning Moto3 World Champion earned P10.
Tune in for more Moto2 fun when we go racing at the Cathedral of Speed next weekend!
