The curtain has officially lifted on the 2025 Moto2 season, and under the floodlights of Lusail, the Italjet Gresini Racing team experienced the full rollercoaster of Grand Prix racing: grit, speed, frustration, and fire. Round 2 of the championship offered up both promise and heartbreak, with Albert Arenas powering to a hard-earned ninth place, while Darryn Binder’s weekend was cut short by a technical issue after a heroic comeback effort.

🏁 Albert Arenas #75 – Strong Points, Stronger Intentions

Albert Arenas proved once again why he’s a rider to watch this season. After showing impressive pace throughout the practice sessions and qualifying, he lined up with high expectations. The race, however, tested both rider and machine, and although it wasn’t the cleanest run, Arenas kept his cool and delivered a solid P9 finish, collecting valuable points for the championship fight.

“I’m a bit disappointed with the race, especially because we could have done better: I had good pace but I wasn’t as effective as yesterday. We scored some points and gathered some important data: we’ll need to work on the balance of the bike with a lighter fuel load because I struggled more compared to the rest of the weekend. I want to focus on the positives and we’ll keep working hard: we want to be with the front group soon.”

His quote says it all — this was a race where experience and composure made the difference. While not the standout result the team may have hoped for, it marked another step forward in the championship journey, and the lessons learned will fuel the next round.

🔧 Darryn Binder #15 – A Weekend of Promise Ends in Frustration

For Darryn Binder, this race was supposed to be a story of resilience. After recent injuries, simply making the grid at Lusail was already a huge win. But Darryn wasn’t there just to make up the numbers — his pace in warm-up had shown real potential for a strong finish. Then, just as the lights were about to go out, disaster struck.

“I was quite excited going into the race after the good pace we showed in warm up. Unfortunately, when we lined up on the grid I already had an issue with the bike, but I still gave it a shot and went out there for the start. After 2 laps the problem got worse and worse and I was forced to retire. It’s a real shame as I think we had a good chance to end the weekend on a high. It’s never nice to have a technical issue take you out, but that’s racing. We’ll take the positives from the weekend and come back stronger next time.”

It was a tough pill to swallow, especially after the team’s hard work and the progress Binder had made in his recovery. But even in adversity, there were clear positives — the speed is there, the mindset is sharp, and Binder’s fighting spirit hasn’t dulled a bit.

🏁 Looking Ahead: The Fire’s Still Burning

Qatar was a reminder of how fine the margins are in Moto2. For Italjet Gresini Racing, the weekend delivered a mix of pride and pain — but also motivation. Arenas is building momentum, and Binder’s pace showed he’s ready to fight as soon as reliability holds. As the championship moves forward, so does the hunger.

Whether it’s top-10 consistency or comeback stories that defy the odds, the Italjet Gresini Racing team is just getting started. The fire is lit, and the best is yet to come.