Spanish rider Izan Guevara (GasGas) secured his fourth win of the Moto3 season, dominating the Motorland Aragon Grand Prix from start to finish. The victory widened his lead in the interim World Cup to 34 points after the weekend’s results affected his closest rivals.
Trailing Guevara on the podium were Japanese rider Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) and Spanish rider Daniel Holgado (KTM). Both athletes continue to press for the world title, with Guevara holding a comfortable 34-point advantage as the series advances, according to statements from his team.
Qualifying day brought a rough patch for Ayumu Sasaki’s squad when the behavior of two mechanics triggered an unsportsmanlike episode. Their actions blocked Spaniard Adrián Fernández (KTM) from exiting the workshop, delaying him just as Sasaki prepared to leave. The disciplinary commission issued a penalty of 2,000 euros and suspended the mechanics for two major races, enforcing consequences that were to be observed in Australia and Malaysia due to ongoing travel restrictions tied to the pandemic in Japan.
In response, Ayumu Sasaki apologized via social media for the incident and for the mechanics’ conduct, extending similar apologies from Max Biaggi, the six-time motorcycle world champion. Despite the off-track tension, Sasaki remained focused at the start, unable to overtake the pole sitter Guevara, who exploded off the line and moved into the lead early, with the Spaniard setting the pace from the front.
Guevara set the early tempo, breaking away from the pack as Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda), Iván Ortolá (KTM), and John McPhee (Husqvarna) chased in a high-speed early phase. The main challenge at the outset came from Sasaki and Holgado, while Deniz Öncü (KTM) and other favorites stayed within striking distance, maintaining a lead group that included a fast-tracking pursuit.
Defined groups
The fifth round did not alter the overall order, but it clearly outlined the battle lines among the contenders. Guevara, Sasaki, and Holgado formed the core trio, with McPhee, Ortolá, and Suzuki lurking not far behind in a tight cluster. They hovered about four seconds ahead of a second cohort, just a second behind the top three, while the main pack was led by Sergio García Dols (GasGas) as the championship’s previous winner kept a careful eye on the chasing field.
Italy’s Dennis Foggia (Honda) remained the main challenger to Guevara but found himself struggling to climb back into contention, sitting on the fringes of the points zone and unable to make the late surge needed to draw level in the standings. The Dutch attempt for a comeback faded as the laps clicked away, signaling that the title fight would hinge on Guevara’s consistency and the pressure from Sasaki and Holgado.
Guevara kept a steady rhythm, resisting the pressure from Sasaki and Holgado as the chasing group stretched toward seven seconds behind. With Foggia not showing the pace to climb, the battle pivoted on the pace set by the leading trio, a dynamic that kept the field entertained until the closing stages.
In the group contest, Deniz Öncü and a sizeable contingent of riders remained within striking distance as the race moved toward its final laps. The Spanish contingent featured a cluster including Adrián Fernández, Iván Ortolá, David Muñoz, Jaume Masiá, and Carlos Tatay, among others, forming a secondary pack that tested the leaders’ resolve.
In a tense moment, David Muñoz and Adrián Fernández collided, forcing Fernández to retreat to the back of the group while Muñoz faced a penalty for an infraction that affected the race dynamics. Guevara kept pushing, and Holgado found himself unable to close the gap to the leader, the Spaniard ultimately staying in the hunt but unable to overtake in the final circuits.
Guevara maintained control through the closing laps, leaving Holgado and Sasaki to duel for runner-up honors as the Spaniard crossed the line to seal his fourth victory of the season and extend his outright lead in the standings with minimal challenge from his rivals. The podium featured Guevara, Sasaki, and Holgado, with a resilient Spanish contingent among the main finishers.
In the aftermath, several Spaniards—Adrián Fernández, Iván Ortolá, David Muñoz, Jaume Masiá, and Carlos Tatay—joined the top tier of the results, while Xavier Artigas (CFMoto) finished eleventh, Sergio García Dols (GasGas) thirteenth, Ana Carrasco (KTM) twenty-fifth, and María Herrera (KTM) twenty-seventh, highlighting the breadth of Spanish talent in the Moto3 class.