Öncü Triumphs Amid Chaos in Action-Packed Moto2 Race at Sachsenring

There was no shortage of talking points at the Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany, where the Moto2™ class served up a race brimming with drama, surprises, and raw emotion. At the center of it all was Turkey’s Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who emerged victorious for the second time this season, holding his nerve in the midst of relentless pressure from Belgium’s Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) before a red flag abruptly ended the contest. Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) completed the podium in third, collecting his 19th career rostrum finish — though the Briton’s race was anything but smooth sailing.

Dark clouds threatened overhead as the Moto2 field launched off the line, and the tension quickly turned into chaos. Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), starting fourth, jumped the start — an error that would cost him dearly. To make matters worse, Agius collided with polesitter Dixon just moments into the race, forcing Dixon to drop down the order to sixth by the end of Lap 1. At the front, Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) made a strong start to lead ahead of Öncü and Baltus.

Meanwhile, further down the order, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) was putting in one of the performances of the day. The Brazilian rider had lined up 25th on the grid but launched a stunning comeback, slicing through the field with surgical precision. By Lap 4, he had broken into the top ten. Just two laps later, he was up to seventh, capitalizing on every opportunity and showing incredible race pace.

Then, fate dealt a blow to race leader Arbolino. On Lap 7, the Italian lost the front and crashed out of second place at Turn 12. His misfortune handed Dixon a lifeline, promoting him back into third. Moreira, not content with simply recovering positions, kept his charge alive. On Lap 12, he overtook Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) for fourth and began closing the gap to Dixon ahead — a podium now within reach.

But the race’s most controversial moment was just around the corner. On Lap 16, Moreira made an overly ambitious attempt to pass Dixon at Turn 3. Misjudging the move, he clipped Dixon’s rear wheel and ran off the circuit. As he rejoined the track, he inadvertently veered back onto the racing line, directly in the path of David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team). With no time to react, Alonso collided with Moreira at Turn 4, and both riders went down heavily. It was a dramatic and dangerous incident — but thankfully, both walked away uninjured. Moreira’s heroic recovery ride ended in a heap of controversy and shattered carbon.

With two of the front-runners out, the battle for victory fell to Öncü and Baltus, who had managed to distance themselves from the chasing pack by over a second. Behind them, Arenas, Dixon, and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) were scrapping for what looked like the final step on the podium.

But Sachsenring wasn’t finished dealing out drama. At the start of Lap 21, Ramirez misjudged his braking into Turn 1 and plowed into Arenas. The collision took both Spaniards out of the race and badly damaged the air fence, prompting officials to wave the red flags for safety reasons. With the incident occurring past two-thirds race distance, the result was declared based on the previous full lap’s running order.

That meant Deniz Öncü, who was leading at the crucial moment, was crowned the winner for the second time in 2025 — a well-earned victory built on speed, resilience, and sharp racecraft. Baltus claimed second after a strong and consistent ride, while Dixon was rewarded for his gritty effort with a return to the podium, his first since his win in Austin earlier this year.

Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) finished fourth, salvaging vital points to extend his advantage in the standings. Celestino Vietti (Folladore SpeedRS Team) came home in fifth after keeping a clean race through the chaos.

Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) put in a solid shift to finish sixth, just ahead of Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), who bounced back from a heavy crash in qualifying to grab valuable points in seventh. Izan Guevara (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) ended the race eighth, while Ayumu Sasaki (RW – Idrofoglia Racing Team) celebrated his best-ever Moto2 result in ninth. Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) rounded out the top ten and now heads to his home Grand Prix in Brno with momentum on his side.

It was a wild Sunday in Saxony, filled with triumph, heartbreak, and everything in between. With the legendary Brno circuit up next, the 2025 Moto2 title race shows no signs of slowing down.

Images MotoGP Press Release