Recapping the Moto2 and Moto3 contests from Portimao

Portimao Moto2 Race

Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) took a significant step toward the 2025 Moto2 World Championship with victory at Portimão, extending his points lead to 24 heading into the season finale at Valencia. The Brazilian controlled the final laps to beat rookie Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by less than half a second, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) completing the podium.

Starting from pole, Moreira led into Turn 1 before settling behind Veijer as the early laps produced a tight six-rider fight also involving Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing) and Aron Canet (Fantic Racing).

Gonzalez ran as high as fifth mid-race but lost ground after a moment at Turn 5 and dropped behind Canet and Baltus, eventually regrouping to finish sixth.

By lap 15, Moreira had closed on Veijer and made his move with a clean pass at Turn 11. From there, he maintained the lead despite late pressure from the Dutch rookie, who held off Alonso to claim his first Moto2 podium.

David Alonso – P3

“Sometimes it’s good to be competitive and look for those last two tenths, but on days like today you have to remember where we come from, from fighting with the safety car in the first race in Thailand to now getting three consecutive podiums. We still have a little way to go, but the work has been very good and the team deserves these results. The race was very long, but it was very much in the Moto2 style, with everyone setting their own pace. We had to be within the same tenth the whole time, and I’m not used to that, but it will be good for me in the future.”

Canet took fourth place, while Baltus finished fifth, securing the Fantic Racing team the Moto2 Teams’ Championship.

Dixon crashed out of seventh on the final lap, ending his slim title hopes. Behind Gonzalez in sixth, Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) took seventh and, with that result, clinched the Rookie of the Year title.

Dani Holgado – P7

“It wasn’t an easy race, especially at the start, because it took me a while to find my pace and, above all, to get a good feeling. It was difficult to stop the bike under heavy braking, but even so, I think I had a great race. Despite the difficulties, I kept pushing, recovered positions, and was able to ride at a competitive pace. I’m also happy because I’ve won the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title. The team deserves it immensely because they’ve worked so hard to achieve the results we’ve had throughout the year. I only have words of gratitude for them for all their effort and dedication. They’ve helped me become a better rider and a better person. Let’s enjoy this magnificent end of the season together in Valencia.”

After a difficult start, Senna Agius fought his way back into the points with some precise overtaking manoeuvres. In a furious final lap, he finally secured ninth place and seven World Championship points.

Senna Agius – P9

“It wasn’t a bad race, even though I didn’t get off to the best start and the first lap didn’t go perfectly. That’s why I fell back a few positions. I also had a little trouble finding my speed at the start of the race, which is why I ended up losing a few positions. I think if I had been able to attack at the beginning, I would have made some really good progress, because I had good pace at the end of the race. In the last three laps, I overtook some good riders and made it into the top ten. So, let’s take the positives, because we have a strong race pace. That’s important, but right now the focus is on being faster in the early stages, qualifying better, and getting a better start to the race. Many thanks to the guys, they are working hard, and together we will solve these problems to be more competitive at all types of tracks. The good thing after this weekend is that the guys and I are clear on how we can improve. I think we need to focus on that now to finish the season in Valencia in the best possible way.”

The win gives Moreira a 24-point lead over Gonzalez heading into the Valencia finale, with both Fantic riders and Dixon now out of mathematical contention. The Brazilian needs only a top 14 finish at the last round to clinch his first world title before moving to MotoGP in 2026.

Portimao Moto2 Results

Moto2 Championship Standings

Portimao Moto3 Race

Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) produced a commanding ride to win the Moto3 Portuguese Grand Prix, breaking clear of the field to take victory by more than a second ahead of Angel Piqueras (QJMotor – FRINSA – MSI) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia). The result marks Quiles’ fourth win of the season and moves him closer to Piqueras in the fight for second in the championship standings.

Australian Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) made a strong start from pole, controlling the opening laps as the leading group traded places in typical Moto3 fashion. Joel Esteban (Red Bull KTM Ajo) briefly moved into second before a near highside at the final corner shuffled the order, allowing Quiles to drop momentarily to sixth before recovering.

Kelso led through the halfway point but ran wide at Turn 5 on Lap 10, opening the door for Quiles and Piqueras to move through. From there, Quiles set a relentless pace that allowed him to escape the pack, quickly opening a decisive gap that he maintained to the flag.

Maximo Quiles – P1

“It was a brutal race. From the start, all the riders began pushing hard, but I didn’t feel very good at first. Then I had a scare when I almost collided with Joel Kelso, and from that point on, the race became tense. I was able to relax, and in the last part of the race, I felt very good. From the sixth lap onwards, I switched to ‘hammer mode’ and maintained a very consistent pace. I hadn’t managed to do that in other races, but this time I said to myself, ‘concentrate and be smooth’. I want to keep this mindset going so I can push hard in the last race and be better prepared for next year.”

Behind the runaway leader, Piqueras managed to regroup to secure second, keeping his advantage over Furusato intact in the final laps. For the Japanese rider, the result delivered his second consecutive podium, the first time he has achieved back-to-back top-three finishes in his Grand Prix career.

Joel Kelso regrouped to claim seventh, which saw him slip to sixth in the championship standings, but a good result this coming weekend in Valencia could see the Australian finish the season as high as fourth.

With one round remaining, second place in the Moto3 World Championship remains undecided between Piqueras and Quiles, who will settle the contest on home soil in Valencia next weekend.

Portimao Moto3 Results

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar