What an absolute machine of a race. That is the only way to describe an insane Moto2 Czech GP at Brno that finished with a last-lap, last-corner masterpiece. Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Exocom – MSI) is finally a Moto2 winner, and he did it the hard way—taking his maiden victory after serving a Long Lap penalty and hunting down the leader in a thriller.
From pole, David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) grabbed the P1 baton into Turn 1, while the #4 machine of Ortola launched off Row 2 to slot straight into P2. Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) had a rougher start on Lap 1, slipping down to P6 behind the early frontrunners. Meanwhile, World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was on the march. Carrying a grid penalty, Gonzalez clawed back three spots to P10 by the end of Lap 1, before dispatching Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) a lap later to sit P8.
Ortola took his Long Lap on Lap 4. Thanks to a comfortable cushion back to Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) in P3, the Spaniard emerged still sitting in P2. Guevara tried to sneak up the inside into Turn 8, but Ortola simply hung it around the outside and snatched the inside line for Turn 9. Clean, beautiful, and job done. The only issue? Race leader Alonso was now 1.4s up the road.
Not for long, though. Ortola dropped a hammer blow with the fastest lap of the race, a 1:58.636, shrinking the gap back under a second. Further back, Gonzalez had pushed his way into P6, trailing Salač, Guevara, and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP).
The podium fight blew wide open on Lap 11. Agius lunged up the inside of Guevara at Turn 7, sending both wide and cracking the door wide open for Salač. The Czech hero swept through on both the Australian and the Spaniard to snatch P3, suddenly sitting just half a second off the leaders.
By Lap 13, Salač was right on the gearbox of the top two. With four laps to go, the fight ignited into pure chaos. Ortola threw two separate jabs—one at Turn 1 and another at Turn 4—but Alonso bit back every single time to keep the lead. Then, with two laps remaining, Salač heartbreakingly lost touch with the top two, dropping 0.8s back and suddenly having to defend his rostrum spot from Agius.
Last lap time. Alonso led the charge, but Ortola was setting up something special. Turn 13 saw the #4 machine hang it around the outside before diving straight up the inside at Turn 14. A stunning, classy pass underneath the Colombian secured the Spaniard his first-ever Moto2 victory.
For Alonso, leading 99% of the race only to lose it at the final corner has to sting, even if it marks his first podium of the season. But in the grandstands, the roof came off for Salač. Back-to-back podiums and a dream come true on the famous Brno rostrum for the thousands of local fans.
Agius delivered a very solid P4 despite losing his right knee slider mid-race. Right behind him, Gonzalez capped off a brilliant recovery from P13 on the grid to P5, beating his main title rival on the final lap. That rival, Guevara, crossed the line in P6 after a tough scrap.
Holgado faded to P7, holding off Roberts by less than half a second. Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) lost valuable championship ground in P9, while reigning Moto3 World Champion Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) extended his points streak by finishing P10.
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