MotoGP Portuguese GP: Full Moto2 and Moto3 race results

The 19-lap Moto3 season-opener kicked off proceedings for the 2023 lightweight class campaign in typically wild fashion.

Having taken the lead on the second lap from fourth on the grid, Tech3 KTM rider Dani Holgado fended off a hard-charging lead group of 10 competitors to claim a first grand prix victory for himself and the team in the class.

Holgado held off David Munoz on the BOE KTM across the final lap to take the chequered flag 0.160 seconds clear.

MT Helmets KTM rider Diogo Moreira completed the podium for the first time, marking Brazil’s first rostrum in the lightweight class since 2007.

Ajo KTM rookie Jose Rueda briefly took the lead late on, and finished a fine fourth on his debut ahead of the Leopard Honda of Jaume Masia and Intact GP Husqvarna’s Ayumu Sasaki – who started from pole.

Daniel Holgado, Red Bull KTM Tech3 leads

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The top 10 was completed by Angeluss MTA Team KTM rider Stefano Nepa, Prustel GP CF Moto duo Xavi Artigas and Joel Kelso – who grabbed the holeshot off the line – and Tech3’s Deniz Oncu, who recovered to 10th after being forced to start from pitlane when he stalled on the warm-up lap.

Australian Kelso was taken to the medical centre following the race after suffering a sickening incident directly after the chequered flag.

As Holgado celebrated his victory, Kelso was caught unsighted as he went to pull a tearoff strip from his visor and clattered into the back of the Tech3 rider.

Kelso was thrown off his machine and landed headily on the asphalt, while Holgado escaped unscathed.

Moto3 race results

Cla	Rider		Bike	Gap	Interval
1	Daniel Holgado		KTM
2	David Munoz		KTM	0.160	0.160
3	Diogo Moreira		KTM	0.175	0.015
4	Jose Antonio		KTM	0.206	0.031
5	Jaume Masia		Honda	0.233	0.027
6	Ayumu Sasaki		Husqvarna	1.090	0.857
7	Stefano Nepa		KTM	1.125	0.035
8	Xavier Artigas		CF MOTO	1.137	0.012
9	Joel Kelso		CF MOTO	1.268	0.131
10	Deniz Öncü		KTM	1.409	0.141
11	Kaito Toba		Honda	2.852	1.443
12	Collin Veijer		Husqvarna	6.904	4.052
13	David Salvador		KTM	6.931	0.027
14	Tatsuki Suzuki		Honda	9.722	2.791
15	Riccardo Rossi		Honda	9.748	0.026
16	Ryusei Yamanaka		GASGAS	9.771	0.023
17	Matteo Bertelle		Honda	19.803	10.032
18	Mario Suryo Aji		Honda	20.317	0.514
19	Romano Fenati		Honda	29.900	9.583
20	Taiyo Furusato		Honda	29.948	0.048
21	Joshua Whatley		Honda	29.904
22	Syarifuddin Azman		KTM	29.969	0.065
23	Ana Carrasco		KTM	30.066	0.097
	Ivan Ortola		KTM	1 Lap	1 Lap
	David Alonso		GASGAS	6 Laps	5 Laps
	Filippo Farioli		KTM	14 Laps	8 Laps
	Scott Ogden		Honda
	Lorenzo Fellon		KTM
View full results

The first round of the 2023 Moto2 season saw Pedro Acosta set his intentions early on, as he absorbed race-long pressure from Aron Canet to claim victory.

Pons Kalex rider Canet grabbed the lead off the line from first-time poleman Filip Salac on the Gresini Kalex, with Acosta moving through into second on lap two.

On the following tour Acosta took the lead from Canet going through Turn 14, with both riders easing away from the pack behind.

Canet kept Acosta in check for much of the race, but in the closing three tours the Ajo KTM rider pulled away by 1.3s to get to the chequered flag unbothered.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Ajo

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Tony Arbolino completed the podium for the Marc VDS squad, as Salac finished fourth from Yamaha VR46 Master Camp rider Manuel Gonzalez.

Aspar’s Jake Dixon rounded out the top six ahead of fellow Briton Sam Lowes (Marc VDS), with Albert Arenas eighth on his first outing with Ajo KTM, Honda Team Asia’s Somkiat Chantra ninth and the second Gresini-run bike of Jeremy Alcoba 10th.

Moto2 race results

Cla	Rider		Bike	Time	Gap	Interval
1	Pedro Acosta		Kalex	-
2	Arón Canet		Kalex	1.358	1.358	1.358
3	Tony Arbolino		Kalex	4.460	4.460	3.102
4	Filip Salač		Kalex	7.110	7.110	2.650
5	Manuel Gonzalez		Kalex	8.193	8.193	1.083
6	Jake Dixon		Kalex	9.146	9.146	0.953
7	Sam Lowes		Kalex	9.649	9.649	0.503
8	Albert Arenas		Kalex	12.270	12.270	2.621
9	Somkiat Chantra		Kalex	13.941	13.941	1.671
10	Jeremy Alcoba		Kalex	13.840	13.840
11	Celestino Vietti		Kalex	14.086	14.086	0.246
12	Barry Baltus		Kalex	14.515	14.515	0.429
13	Fermin Aldeguer		Boscoscuro B-21	15.445	15.445	0.930
14	Joe Roberts		Kalex	25.444	25.444	9.999
15	Sergio García		Kalex	26.876	26.876	1.432
16	Darryn Binder		Kalex	40.233	40.233	13.357
17	Borja Gomez		Kalex	41.710	41.710	1.477
18	Dennis Foggia		Kalex	41.806	41.806	0.096
19	Lorenzo Dalla Porta		Kalex	42.116	42.116	0.310
20	Sean Dylan Kelly		Kalex	42.141	42.141	0.025
21	Marcos Ramirez		FORWARD	44.802	44.802	2.661
22	Rory Skinner		Kalex	45.630	45.630	0.828
23	Jordi Torres		Kalex	1'02.643	1'02.643	17.013
	Alonso López		Boscoscuro B-21
	Zonta van den Goorbergh		Kalex
	David Sanchis		FORWARD
	Bo Bendsneyder		Kalex
View full results