Daniel Holgado secured a victory at the Lusail International Circuit on Sunday navigating a Moto2 race defined by early-lap collisions.
Holgado completed the race in 35 minutes and 13.340 seconds, holding off challengers to take the top spot on the podium, according to Kompas.tv.
Ivan Ortola finished second, trailing the winner by 2.265 seconds, while Alex Escrig, who started from pole position, rounded out the top three with a gap of 2.285 seconds.
The race saw an immediate impact on the standings, as championship leader Manuel Gonzalez finished in sixth place, extending his lead over Izan Guevara, who was forced to retire from the event following a crash, Kompas.com reported. Gonzalez now holds a 13.5-point advantage over Guevara in the championship hunt.
Mario Aji Finishes 22nd After Difficult Weekend
For Indonesian rider Mario Suryo Aji, the Qatar Grand Prix proved to be a challenging outing. Starting from the 21st position on the grid, Aji moved through a crowded first corner and briefly climbed as high as 16th place during the opening lap. However, he struggled to maintain his pace against the lead group and ultimately finished in 22nd position, failing to secure points.
The Idemitsu Honda Team Asia rider revealed that the weekend was hampered by technical hurdles that emerged as early as the first free practice session on Friday. These issues prevented the team from identifying an optimal bike setup and achieving peak performance.
“Saya pikir ini adalah salah satu akhir pekan yang perlu dilupakan. Kami tidak memulai dengan baik sesi latihan bebas pada hari Jumat, dan meskipun kami berhasil pulih sedikit pada hari Sabtu, itu tidak cukup,” kata Mario Aji, dikutip dari laman resmi Honda Team Asia.
Following the race, Aji expressed his disappointment, describing the result as a blow to his expectations of being more competitive throughout the weekend. Honda said that while Aji started well, he eventually lost touch with the group ahead of him due to an inability to sustain his pace.
Early Race Incidents and Tactical Shifts
The race start was marked by high tension and immediate contact. As Escrig battled to maintain his pole-position advantage against Holgado, a collision occurred at the first turn involving Collin Veijer and Celestino Vietti.
By the third lap, Aji had slipped to 17th, struggling to keep pace with Ayumu Sasaki, trailing him by 0.4 seconds. At the front, Escrig held a 0.6-second lead over Daniel Munoz, who faced constant pressure from Holgado.
By the fourth lap, Escrig extended his lead to 0.9 seconds. The lead group shifted on the fifth lap when David Alonso overtook Munoz for third place. Throughout this period, Aji remained in 17th, facing further pressure from Xabi Zurutuza.
/data/photo/2026/03/01/69a423a15af35.jpg "Photo: Kompas")
Upcoming Challenges in Portugal
The result in Qatar leaves Aji in 27th place in the overall standings with 3 points. Aji is now focused on the next round of the championship, which is scheduled to take place in Portugal from November 20-22, 2026.
“Kami punya cuti seminggu, yang akan memberi saya beberapa waktu untuk fokus kembali, dan saya benar-benar berharap kami bisa memiliki akhir pekan yang jauh lebih baik ketika kita kembali ke Portugal,” tukasnya.
While Aji plans to use the break to evaluate his performance and regain focus, it remains unknown whether the team can resolve the underlying setup issues that plagued his Qatar campaign before the Portuguese round begins.
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