Moto2: After the two threw down at Mugello over the podium, the stakes were even higher in Assen as Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) beat Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) went down to the wire.
The Brazilian made history by taking his first Moto2 win, and first for Brazil by just 0.056s in a fascinating fight to the flag, as championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) battled his way back to a P3 finish following a sluggish opening few laps.
Having bagged a first front row of his rookie campaign, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI) collected the holeshot, but polesitter Moreira pounced back to lead through turns three and four. Having fought off a fast-starting Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) on Lap 1, Canet forced his way to the front on Lap 2 to lead the Dutch GP. Meanwhile, Gonzalez was P9.
Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) completed his two Long Lap penalties by Lap 5, that dropped the Belgian to P14, as Ortola began to get a little beaten up by the chasing pack. Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) were through to demote Ortola to P7.
Lap 7 saw Baltus’ Grand Prix end at Turn 1, while at the front, Canet and Moreira were 1.2s clear of Öncü, who in turn was 1.3s clear of Roberts as the American led a gaggle of riders that included Gonzalez, who was now past Dixon and starting to make up ground after a sticky start to his race. And on Lap 12 of 22, Gonzalez was into P3 after a tidy pass on Öncü at Turn 5. The gap to title rivals Canet and Moreira? Three seconds.
In the battle for the top four, Öncü’s race ended at the final chicane on Lap 14 to promote Dixon to P5, as Moreira continued to shadow Canet in the fight for the win. With three to go, Moreira remained right up the tailpipes of Canet’s Triumph-Kalex – where and when was a move coming? The change for the lead came on the penultimate lap at Turn 3. Canet was wide, Moreira went through, so was that the race-winning move?
Last lap time! Moreira led us onto it, but the duo were locked together. It was as you were coming into the final, jaw-dropping sector at Assen, and Canet wasn’t close enough. Moreira earned a debut Moto2 win to hand Brazil their first Moto2 win too – a massive moment for the #10.
Gonzalez did hold onto an important P3 ahead of Dixon, who collects a very solid and confidence-injecting P4 from P11 on the grid. Roberts fended off teammate Marcos Ramirez by 0.061s at the line as the American and Spaniard cross the line in P5 and P6, ahead of Arenas, Alonso Lopez (Folladore SpeedRS Team), Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Dani Holgado (CFMoto Inde Aspar Team). Both home heroes, Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP) and Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), pick up points in P12 and P14 respectively.
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