Dani Holgado presented his credentials at the World Cup
In the Indonesian Moto3 Grand Prix held this weekend, Alicante rider Daniel Holgado secured a 14th place finish after two penalties altered the course of the race, preventing him from fighting for the victory won by Brazilian Diogo Moreira.
Although Jaume Masiá crossed the line in sixth, he started the event as the top contender from the Asian round. Masiá’s main rivals in the championship faced tougher luck: Japan’s Ayumu Sasaki crashed during the formation lap. Holgado, who had led the race, was forced to serve a two-long-lap penalty, dropping him back to 14th position.
Masiá sits on 209 points, holding a 16-point lead over Sasaki, who left Indonesia with zero points and 193 so far. The San Vicente driver remains third in the standings with 192 points, just a step behind the leaders.
Holgado initially ceded several spots and even clipped the Turkish rider Deniz Öncü. Yet the youngster from Alicante steadied his rhythm and assumed the role of race leader, with Masiá close behind in a tight pack that included Collin Veijer, David Alonso, Moreira, David Muñoz, and Öncü in a group of seven riders.
Pilot who dreams of doing something great
In the Indonesian event, the pace Holgado set kept the chase group engaged, though he opened space on one segment of the track to push for a better position in the lead pack. The action drew a long-lap penalty, a move that could have reshaped the final outcome, and Holgado returned to the action in tenth place after the penalty was served.
From that moment, the Alicante native pressed on to reconnect with the leading six on a demanding pace. With three laps remaining, Holgado overtook Alonso for sixth, just before entering the penultimate lap where Masiá kept leading the group.
At that stage, Holgado faced another long-lap penalty for cutting into Turn 9. He opted not to take the penalty in the last two laps, which would have added 3.5 seconds to his time. The decision left him in ninth place as the final lap began, and he dropped to 14th by the end of the race, a contrast to the earlier heroics during the event as penalties reshaped the podium scene.
At the front, Moreira managed to close the gap with Alonso and Muñoz, seizing the top two positions as the race concluded. The next round of the World Championship is scheduled in Australia the following weekend.
From leader to approved
The overall tempo of the race kept the field moving, testing each rider’s endurance and decision-making under pressure. The penalties administered during the race had a notable impact on Holgado’s result, transforming a potential win into a points haul and a finish that still reflected strong speed and strategic risk-taking. As the championship heads toward Australia, Holgado remains a key figure in the Moto3 contest, one of several young riders eager to showcase speed, consistency, and racecraft on the world stage.
In the final analysis, Moreira benefited from a composed run to the podium, followed by Alonso and Muñoz in second and third respectively. The Indonesian round offered a mix of speed, aggression, and disciplined execution that typifies Moto3 — a platform where small margins decide outcomes and where each rider learns, adapts, and pushes toward future success.