Joe Roberts won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at the Mugello Circuit, in Italy. Riding his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex on Pirelli control tires, the American held off Spaniard Manuel Gonzalez by 0.067 second to take his first win and fourth podium finish of the season.
Gonzalez had to settle for the runner-up spot on his QJMOTOR Gresini Kalex, and Alonso Lopez finished a close third on his MB Conveyors SpeedUp Boscoscuro.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Roberts fights off Gonzalez on the last lap to take first victory since 2022
In a blockbuster Moto2™ race at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) took victory in a nail-biting last lap decider, the American repelling the best efforts of Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) to take top honours for the first time since the 2022 Portuguese GP. Completing the podium was MB Conveyors SpeedUp’s Alonso Lopez, who was elbows out in the front fight, as ever.
Off like a rocket at the start, Roberts led early on the opening lap. He had close competition though, with Lopez and a Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) following on eagerly. A flying start also came in from Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) as well, who stormed to seventh after starting 12th.
Lopez would follow Roberts until lap four before he pounced at San Donato, but it wouldn’t be until Turn 3 before he could make the move stick. Unfortunately for the MB Conveyors Speed Up team, it was glory for one and disaster for another in that moment as Lopez’ teammate Fermin Aledguer crashed out after contact from Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team).
Still in the lead, Lopez now had Gonzalez behind as he had found his way through on Roberts. Slightly further back in the lead pack, disaster stuck for Binder who skittled into the gravel at Arrabbiata 1, an early end to what had been a strong weekend all round.
In a six-rider battle for the lead, everything was building to a grandstand last half of the race. The action kicked off as Roberts and Lopez ran wide at Turn 1 – giving them both more work to do – and allowing Gonzalez and Canet to the lead. But it wouldn’t be long before Roberts would then return the favour and find his way through to the front with just three laps remaining, asking questions of the others at the front.
As a dramatic finish loomed, Roberts entered the final lap in the lead. Gonzalez got a fantastic slipstream and attacked round San Donato, but the American hit back at the next available chance, diving to the inside at Turn 2. Under the highest of pressure, Roberts held strong to take his first victory since the 2022 Portuguese GP by just 0.067s. Gonzalez’ search for a first Moto2™ win goes on, and Lopez picked up third podium of the season.
Claiming fourth was Championship leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI), whose advantage in the standings has reduced to seven points. Behind Garcia was teammate Ogura, who Garcia pipped on the last lap, ahead of Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) and home hero Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) claimed eighth as IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia’s Somkiat Chantra and OnlyFans American Racing Team’s Marcos Ramirez rounded out the top 10.
Next up is the TT Circuit Assen in three weeks’ time for what is set to be yet another dramatic Grand Prix, so join us for more at the Cathedral!
More, from a press release issued by Pirelli:
Record Moto2™ and Moto3™ races in Mugello with standard Pirelli tyres
First win of the year for Roberts in Moto2™ and fifth victory for Alonso in Moto3™; new all-time and race lap records with Pirelli using tyres from the DIABLO Superbike range
The Grand Prix of Italy, raced at the Mugello International Racetrack, had American Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team/Kalex) winning in Moto2™ and Columbian David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team CFMOTO/CFMOTO) taking victory in Moto3™.
With this triumph, his first of the season, Roberts is now second behind Sergio Garcia in the Moto2™ standings, whereas Alonso, now with five wins this year, leads the overall Moto3™ standings with a 37-point advantage over David Holgado.
Satisfaction in the Pirelli camp: thanks to the performance of the DIABLO Superbike range tyres, which are available for purchase regularly on the market, new all-time and race lap records were set for both categories in Mugello, significantly improving on the previous record times.
Giorgio Barbier
Motorcycle Racing Director
A nice bounty of records and a great show on the track
“We are closing out this weekend in Mugello with satisfaction after setting new all-time lap records on Saturday and new race lap records today, all using standard tyres and not prototypes, so products that are sold regularly on the market and available for purchase by all riders. Today in Moto2™, an astonishing 10 riders dropped below the previous race lap record, with Canet improving on it by more than 7 tenths, whereas in Moto3™, there were 15 riders who did at least one lap below the previous record and Veijer set the new record on the tenth and penultimate lap, a full 1.5 seconds faster than the previous one and, even more impressive, after a red flag with a jump start, so without being able to use the tyre warmer on the starting grid. This means that the tyres performed extremely well, demonstrating highly consistent performance all the way to the end of the race. I think it was also significant to see two riders with Kalex frames on the podium in Moto2™, because this means that, by working on the setup and gradually gaining experience, bikes with different frames can battle on an even pitch for victory. Now we have three weekends off before two consecutive GP rounds, in Assen and on the Sachsenring.”
Moto2™
With asphalt temperatures in line with those of the past couple days, for the race, the riders confirmed the solutions that had been most used in practice, so almost everyone was on the grid with the soft SC0 rear and the soft SC1 front. The only exceptions were Binder, Baltus, and Agius who preferred the medium SC2 at the front.
The race was held over a distance of 12 laps due to a restart of the Moto3™ race. American Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team/Kalex) won after starting from pole position ahead of Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2/Kalex) and Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors SpeedUp/Boscoscuro), all with the same tyre options.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing/Kalex) set the new race lap record on the second lap with a time of 1’50.476, improving on the previous one by more than 7 tenths which had been set in 2021 by Sam Lowes. Besides him, another 10 riders did at least one lap faster than the previous track record time.
Moto3™
With asphalt temperatures higher than 30°C, most of the riders on the grid opted for the medium SC2 front and soft SC1 rear combination. The only three riders to put the soft SC1 solution on the front were Furusato, Whatley, and Buasri, whereas Lunetta, Roulstone, Kelso, Muñoz, Farioli, Esteban, Almansa, and Dettwiler opted for the medium SC2 at the rear.
After a red flag on the fifth lap due to an accident, there were 11 laps left to race at the restart with 7 riders making tyre changes: Lunetta, Furusato, Kelso, Rossi, Muñoz, Fernandez, and Piqueras. Overall, the medium SC2 front was used by 22 out of 26 riders, whereas 18 riders opted for the soft SC1 rear. All the riders on the podium used the SC2 front and the SC1 rear.
After starting from pole position, David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team CFMOTO/CFMOTO) won his fifth race of the year and now firmly leads in the overall championship standings. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP/Husqvarna), second across the finish line, set the race lap record with a time of 1’54.738 on the tenth and penultimate lap, breaking the previous record by 1.5 seconds which had been set by Sasaki in 2023. Overall, 15 riders dropped below the previous track race lap record.
FIM Red Bull MotoGP™ Rookies Cup
The fourth round of the talent cup which is part of the Dorna Road to MotoGP™ project was also held on the Tuscan track. All the riders’ KTM machines are equipped with Pirelli DIABLO Superbike tyres in SC2 compound at the front and rear. The seventh and eighth race of the season, held over a distance of 13 laps, were won respectively by Spaniard Máximo Quiles and Argentine Valentin Perrone.
With a time of 1’59.921, Spaniard Alvaro Carpe set the new all-time lap record for the track in this category, breaking the one set by Angel Piqueras in 2023 by 8 tenths, whereas in Race 1, Malaysian Hakim Danish set the new race lap record on the ninth lap with a time of 2’00.198.
