The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider finished the British Grand Prix in fourth place after battling for victory right up to the final lap
Dani Holgado was at the centre of one of the most thrilling battles in the intermediate class this season. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider fought his way back to take the lead and challenge for victory, although an incident on the final lap denied him his second win of the year and he crossed the finish line in fourth place. Filip Salac was the main beneficiary of this incident and took the win at Silverstone, followed by Iván Ortolá and Alex Escrig in second and third place respectively. David Alonso had a difficult race and finished twenty-first after having to serve a penalty.
The British Grand Prix has gone down as one of the most thrilling Moto2 races to date. Dani Holgado faced a major challenge in reaching the podium positions, starting from seventh on the grid. The difficulty of overtaking other riders in this category was no obstacle for the Spaniard, who managed the race well from the moment the lights went out and quickly began to climb the order. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar rider took the lead with seven laps to go and had to defend it tooth and nail. Just on the final lap, an incident with Manu González – who celebrated his victory prematurely and braked on the finish line – caused him to lose positions after colliding with González and deploying his airbag. Although he tried to regain the lead on that final lap, he had to settle for fourth place despite completing one of his best races in the category. Meanwhile, David Alonso faced a very different scenario. The Colombian started from nineteenth position and closed in on the points in the opening laps. Compounded by a lack of confidence throughout the weekend, Alonso’s race was hampered by the penalty he received following a collision with another rider on the first lap. After completing the ‘long lap’, Alonso lost further positions and finished the Silverstone race in twenty-first place.
4th Dani Holgado (+1.743): “I had a very positive race; I managed it well from the start and tried to push when the others were easing off. It’s a difficult and very long circuit, but I battled hard and was always fighting for first place. I tried to win the race and get the best possible result. Despite the final lap, where some rather strange things happened, I’m very happy with the race. I didn’t expect it at all; nobody expects them to cut the finish line at the last moment. Nobody’s going to take away my excitement about this race and all the positives from today.”
21st David Alonso (+20.029): “First of all, I’d like to apologise to Collin Veijer. On the first lap, I went into the chicane a bit late and couldn’t avoid the contact. Overall, I struggled all weekend and, in the race, with the ‘long lap’ it was even harder for me to make up ground. I was struggling to pick up speed and find my rhythm. Apparently, I had some margin, but if I pushed a bit harder I felt like I was going to crash, and that makes it difficult to ride. Now it’s time to put this weekend behind us and start preparing for the next race, which will be at Aragón in two weeks’ time.”
