ALONSO AND HOLGADO CLASH OVER THEIR RELATIONSHIP AFTER INDONESIAN GP CRASH

David Alonso and Dani Holgado’s strained relationship has come into the open after their collision at the start of the Indonesian Grand Prix, with the Moto2 team-mates offering sharply different accounts of how things stand between them.

Holgado tagged the rear of Alonso’s bike at Turn 1, sending the Colombian into a heavy highside and leaving both Aspar riders out of the race. Holgado accepted responsibility and apologised, saying he had braked and found himself alongside Alonso. Speaking on arrival at Phillip Island ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Alonso suggested the crash was only one part of a deeper rift. Motorsport.com reported that the pair had been involved in numerous incidents since sharing the Aspar garage, with the Indonesian collision appearing to be the breaking point.

“My experience with Holgado seemed just like the ones before,” Alonso said. “But, in the end, life is beautiful, and you have to keep moving forward.” He added: “When you're not a good person, there's nothing you can do. I'll go about my business, and he'll go about his, and that's that.”

Alonso said there was no meaningful bond between them in the Aspar team. “There’s no relationship, there’s no chemistry in the team — and it’s not even a team,” he said. “The incident is the least of it. Did someone knock me down? This is racing; sometimes they knock you down, other times you knock someone else down. That’s the least of it.” He said there was “a lot more going on behind the scenes” and that he was choosing to go his own way.

The pair have known each other since racing together in Aspar’s Moto3 Junior team in 2021. Holgado, however, rejected Alonso’s assessment and said he still considered their relationship good. He said he had also been taken out at Misano, and that riders must stay humble because incidents can happen to anyone. “I already apologised because I ruined his race on the first corner,” Holgado said, adding that he never wants to cause another rider to crash. He said he respects rivals because they risk their lives on track to entertain fans.

Holgado suggested Alonso’s comments may have come in the heat of the moment. “I have a good relationship with him; we always have,” he said. “I greet him without any problem, and everything's the same in the team.” The two have not discussed the dispute, but Holgado said he would be willing to talk and expected they would do so in the future. He described the situation as “pure, unadulterated rivalry” and said he was not dwelling on it.

With five rounds remaining, Holgado is fourth in the standings on 170 points, four ahead of Alonso in fifth. Their rivalry will continue in MotoGP next season. Alonso will join LCR Honda alongside Johann Zarco, while Holgado is set to ride for Gresini Ducati with Joan Mir. Alonso had originally been expected to move to Honda’s factory squad after signing with HRC, but Diogo Moreira was promoted instead.

Alonso has nevertheless described LCR as the right place to begin his premier-class career. “I think it’s the best option to start in the MotoGP class, where the first year you have a lot of things to do,” he said. He called the team professional but also family-like, and welcomed the chance to learn from Zarco. “I think it’s a good combination: his experience, my excitement.”