A Nailbiter to the Finish: Öncü Edges Moreira by 0.003s in Moto2™ Showdown

A mere three-thousandths of a second decided the winner at MotorLand Aragon as Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) just pipped Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) to the chequered flag in what will go down as the tightest finish in Moto2’s modern era. Hot on their heels in third was Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), chalking up his third podium in four outings with a stellar ride.

Holeshot and Havoc on Lap 1

Fresh off a historic Moto2 pole, Moreira grabbed the holeshot through Turn 1, only for Öncü to dive underneath at Turn 7 and claim the lead. Almost immediately the race took a dramatic turn for the CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team—Daniel Holgado lost the front in the downhill braking zone at Turn 12, collecting his teammate David Alonso in the spill. Both riders were out on Lap 1, leaving the rest of the field to regroup.

Baltus Briefly in Command

By Lap 2, young Belgian Barry Baltus had surged into P1, taking advantage of the early shuffle. Meanwhile, championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was carving through the pack from a poor qualifying position, up to 14th by the same point—just one spot ahead of 2024 Aragon winner Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS). On Lap 3, Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) made a bold move past polesitter Moreira into third, dropping the Brazilian to P4.

Mid-Race Tensions and Breakaways

By Lap 6, the front four riders—Baltus, Öncü, Canet, and Moreira—were locked together in an intense quartet, with Alonso López (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) chasing in fifth, 1.4 seconds back. Further down, Gonzalez was making solid progress, hovering only 0.7 seconds adrift of that battle for the podium group by Lap 11. Joined by Filip Salač, Senna Agius, and Joe Roberts, the pack behind was equally competitive.

Öncü’s Mid-Race Charge

Öncü stamped his authority on laps 13 and 14, posting back-to-back fastest laps to open a 0.5-second gap over Baltus. Moreira answered on Lap 15 with the new benchmark lap of the Grand Prix, cutting Öncü’s lead back to 0.7 seconds after a brief tussle with Baltus.

Final-Lap Drama: Turkey vs. Brazil

Entering the last lap, the duo were neck and neck—Moreira’s flying time on Lap 18 erased the deficit entirely. Down the back straight, Moreira edged into the lead at Turn 5. Yet Öncü had one last trick. Around the outside of Turn 17 he held his line, then carried the outside line through Turn 18, elbows nearly touching, before stealing the win by just 0.003 seconds—the smallest margin in Moto2’s four-stroke era.

Closing the Points

Baltus couldn’t match the pace in those final two laps but still celebrated his third podium of the season. Senna Agiusand Filip Salač rounded out the top 5, while Canet slipped back to sixth as the race pace took its toll. Joe Robertsbested teammate Marcos Ramirez by 0.060 seconds for seventh, and Gonzalez’s relentless comeback run finished ninth—enough to keep him perched atop the championship standings.

What’s Next? Mugello Awaits

Two weeks from now, the paddock rolls into the undulating turns of Mugello. Will Öncü’s perfect late-race timing translate to more wins? Can Moreira turn agonizing seconds into triumph? And will Gonzalez defend his points lead on Italian tarmac? Stay tuned—Moto2’s drama is far from over.

Official MotoGP Press Release