David Alonso secured his second victory of the 2026 Moto2 season by winning the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, moving up to fourth in the intermediate class world championship standings with 191 points.
Alonso Overcomes Late Scare in Sepang to Claim Win
The Sepang race tested riders over 17 laps across the 5,543-meter circuit, where tire management proved crucial. Daniel Holgado started from the front row and grabbed the holeshot, leading the opening lap ahead of compatriot Ángel Piqueras and Alonso. Holgado maintained his advantage through the early stages while championship leader Manuel González fought through the pack from ninth to seventh on the opening lap, tracking his main title rival Izan Guevara.
A dream day for David Alonso in #Moto2 with teammate @daniholgado96 and @angelpiqueras18 on the podium 💪#MalaysianGP 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/ZptMRpvbVW
Alonso bided his time behind his teammate before making his move for the lead on the sixth lap. Once out front, the 2024 Moto3 world champion attempted to break the chasing group, extending his gap in the middle phase of the race while Holgado and Piqueras battled for second position. Guevara ran comfortably in fourth ahead of González in fifth.
The race dynamic shifted with four laps remaining when Holgado shook off Piqueras and began hunting down Alonso. Drama struck on the penultimate lap at turn fourteen when Alonso suffered a severe moment of instability on his Kalex machine, nearly high-siding out of the lead. He caught the machine brilliantly, preserving a three-tenth-of-a-second cushion over Holgado to cross the finish line first.
Standings Shift After Sepang Podium Battle
Alonso’s victory lifts him to 191 points in the provisional standings, leapfrogging teammate Holgado, who finished second in Malaysia and now sits fifth with 190 points. Piqueras claimed the third step of the podium, marking his first career Moto2 podium finish.
Into the Top 5 goes Gonzalez and he's just behind Guevara now 👀#MalaysianGP 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/fhuqDqYfWO
At the top of the championship table, González holds onto the world championship lead with 276.5 points after finishing fifth. Guevara sits just three and a half points behind on 273.5 points after finishing fourth in Sepang, keeping the title fight intensely close as the season enters its final rounds.
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