Dani Holgado won the Qatar Moto2 Grand Prix after a race that kept changing shape before the final battle for second was settled in the closing metres. Ivan Ortola finished runner-up, with Alex Escrig third and only 20 thousandths separating the two riders at the chequered flag.

Holgado turns the race around

Escrig started from pole and immediately took control, building a lead of almost one second. Holgado, Muñoz and Alonso fought behind him while the gap gradually disappeared. Holgado caught the leader and made the decisive pass on lap 14, then extended his advantage to almost two seconds. Ortola moved past Alonso before taking second place from Escrig, who eventually held third by the narrowest of margins.

A major shift in the title fight

The most significant championship development came with only a few laps remaining, when Izan Guevara retired with a technical problem. Pramac said that Guevara’s motorcycle had switched off and would no longer change gear. The team added that the engine restarted when Guevara released the clutch, but said the motorcycle had already been malfunctioning from the opening lap.

Manu Gonzalez converted the opportunity into sixth place and increased his championship lead to 13.5 points. With 50 points still available from the Portimao and Valencia races, Gonzalez will have his first title match point in Portugal. To settle the championship there, he must score at least 12 more points than Guevara. Collin Veijer also crashed at the start after contact with Celestino Vietti, who finished tenth. Zonta Van de Goordbergh and Furusato were also involved in crashes.