Van den Goorbergh just misses out on points in Portimão as Sasaki crashes out
Zonta van den Goorbergh crossed the finish line in sixteenth place in Sunday’s Moto2 race at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Dutch rider finished just outside the points, while teammate Ayumu Sasaki crashed out early in the race, leaving RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP empty-handed on their way to Valencia.
Under sunny conditions, the Moto2 race in Portimão got underway at 11:15 a.m. local time – one hour earlier than usual due to a revised schedule – and was contested over 21 laps. Van den Goorbergh lost several positions from his twelfth-place grid slot on the opening lap, while Sasaki also dropped back slightly from 23rd on the grid.
For Sasaki, the race came to an early end on lap five following a crash in Turn 5, where he made contact with another rider. The Japanese rider has received a Long Lap penalty for the incident, which he will have to serve during the race in Valencia.
Van den Goorbergh managed to regain ground in the second half of the race and eventually finished sixteenth. It means RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP leaves the 21st Grand Prix weekend of the season without points, but the team won’t have to wait long before action resumes in just five days’ time in Valencia.
Zonta van den Goorbergh (P16 / +18,833):
“I am leaving Portimão with a satisfied feeling. First of all, because of the way we have been working this weekend. I think we have made a step by going in this direction. Secondly I think I can be quite satisfied with the race I did today. Especially in the second half of the race I was feeling fast, and I was doing the same lap times as the guys in front. I got the feeling back that I missed in the last couple of races. In the first part of the race I didn’t have a good feeling with the full fuel tank, and we’ll have to analyse why I felt on the limit with the front. Anyway, we need to take the positives and we managed to be consistent when the tyre dropped. We look forward to the last race and continue working in this way.”
Ayumu Sasaki (DNF):
“It has been a difficult weekend, ending with a tough race. I crashed out on the fifth lap after contact with another rider, so I want to make my apologies. We weren’t fast enough this weekend and I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike, so it has been a struggle. We’ll refresh our mind and try to improve ourselves in Valencia. Hopefully we can end the season in a positive way.”
Javi Martínez – RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP Team Principal:
“It’s been a positive Sunday overall. Sasaki had a bit of bad luck with the crash and we’ll have a long lap penalty for the next race, while Zonta had a good race overall, finishing just short of the points.”
The upcoming weekend will see the 22nd and final Grand Prix of the 2025 season take place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.