- After securing pole position on Sunday morning, Daniel Holgado (Kalex) won the Moto2™ race of the 2026 Grand Prix of Brazil, which ran over a distance of 26 laps. The Spanish rider held the lead firmly until the last three laps, before engaging in a close battle with David Muñoz (Kalex). Eventually, Holgado prevailed and crossed the finish line ahead of Muñoz and Manuel Gonzalez (Kalex), who completed the podium in second and third place, respectively. All riders used Pirelli soft-compound tyres on both axles — SC1 on the front and SC0 on the back — which delivered a consistent and versatile performance throughout the weekend, adapting well to the characteristics of the Brazilian circuit, even with the very high asphalt temperatures recorded during the race.
- The Moto3™ race, initially scheduled over 24 laps, was interrupted by a red flag.
The restart featured a five‑lap sprint. Starting from pole, Máximo Quiles (KTM) clinched victory. Behind the Spaniard, Marco Morelli (KTM) finished second, with Veda Pratama third on Honda.
Between the first start and the restart, the riders made several tyre changes, mostly switching from medium SC2 compounds to the soft SC1 option, better suited to what effectively became an ultra‑fast sprint race. In detail, at the first start, 21 out of 25 riders opted for the medium‑compound SC2 on the front, while the choice for rear tyres was split evenly between soft and medium options. When the race restarted, 15 riders mounted soft SC1 at the front, while 21 out of 25 selected soft SC1 rear tyres. To take over the podium, Quiles went for a medium front and soft rear combo, while the other two winners chose soft compounds on both axles.
- Race day was the hottest of the entire weekend, with approximately 32°C of air temperature. Asphalt temperatures reached 56°C during the Moto3™ race and 58°C during Moto2™.
Versatility and consistency, even with high asphalt temperatures
“Selecting the tyres for the race was not an easy task for teams and riders. After getting in Brazil on Sunday, with very little information available, and having to rely solely on the data gathered during Saturday morning’s FP2, Moto2™ riders opted for the softest compounds available on both axles, an option they know well and have used in all dry sessions.
In Moto3™, also due to the race restart, all compounds were involved. When the race first started off, with 24 laps scheduled, many chose the medium SC2 option for the front, while rear tyre preferences were evenly split between soft and medium compounds. After the race was shortened to a fast five‑lap sprint, the natural choice became the softest compounds on both axles, which are clearly the most effective over a short distance. It is worth noting, however, that Quiles won using SC2 front.
Today was significantly hotter than Friday and Saturday, and this introduced yet another key variable regarding tyre performance with such high asphalt temperatures. Our evaluation is positive: in demanding conditions, our tyres showed excellent versatility, adapting well to different temperature ranges, while also maintaining a strong performance consistency over the race distance.
We are therefore pleased with our debut on this circuit, and we are ready to head to Austin, which will host the Grand Prix of the Americas next weekend.” |
