The 2026 Moto2 World Championship officially got underway at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. The opening round unfolded in dramatic fashion, with the race interrupted twice by red flags and ultimately reduced to two restarted sprint segments. In the end, Daniel Holgado secured third place for the CFMOTO Aspar Team, claiming the squad’s first podium of the new season.

At the start, Izan Guevara launched strongly from second on the grid to seize the early lead, but the situation changed at Turn 3 when several riders, including pole-sitter Senna Agius and Iván Ortolá, ran wide. Holgado capitalised immediately, moving from fourth into first position. However, on lap three at Turn 9, a collision triggered the first red flag, forcing the race to be stopped and the distance shortened. Shortly after the first restart, another incident brought out a second red flag, and the final result was decided in a seven-lap sprint.

In the decisive seven-lap dash, Holgado once again led the field but was soon overtaken by Guevara. Manuel González then joined the battle, passing Holgado on lap two of the restart and launching an aggressive charge on Guevara. In the closing stages, the two Spanish riders fought intensely through multiple corners, with González making a decisive move two laps from the finish and defending his advantage on the final lap to take victory. Holgado maintained his composure and pace to secure third place at the chequered flag, earning CFMOTO Aspar its first Moto2 podium of the 2026 campaign.

Meanwhile, Iván Ortolá of the QJMOTOR-PONT GRUP-MSI Team also delivered a strong and consistent performance. Despite running wide in the early stages, he remained competitive through both restarts and stayed within the leading group throughout the race. He ultimately crossed the line in fourth position, just behind the podium finishers, giving QJMOTOR a powerful start to the new season. According to the official MotoGP results, the gap separating the top four riders was minimal, underlining the high intensity and competitiveness of the race.

As the opening round of the season, the Thailand GP not only laid the foundation for the 2026 championship standings but also demonstrated the growing competitiveness of both CFMOTO and QJMOTOR on the Moto2 world stage.