Furusato & Munoz share the Rookies Cup wins at Mugello

2021 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Round 3 – Mugello, Italy

Race 1

Japanese 15-year-old Taiyo Furusato only rode a KTM for the first time on Friday and had never seen Mugello before, however he took an incredible debut Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup victory regardless. He came out best from a 17 rider battle that started in spitting rain and ended with a cavalry charge to the line where he narrowly clung on to win.

Diogo Moreira crossed the line second ahead of David Muñoz but had exceeded track limits on the final circuit so was demoted one position. 15-year-old Spaniard Muñoz claimed the second step on the podium ahead of the 17-year-old Brazilian as a result.

That battle wasn’t follow-the-leader, it was major position changes throughout the race. Noah Dettwiler, the 16-year-old Swiss, climbed from the back of the pack to lead a Rookies race for the first time.

Pole man Marcos Uriarte meanwhile dropped to the back of the pack and the 16-year-old Spaniard ended up finishing 12th. Collin Veijer was brilliant at the front in the tricky early laps but the the 16-year-old Dutchman was 11th at the flag.

It was amazing battles all the way but Furusato’s victory stood out. The fact that he took the lead on lap four was sensation enough, riding the RC 250 R for the first time, but he didn’t look on the edge either. He smoothly held the advantage for a few laps before the slipstreaming pack demoted him.

It was as though he took time to reassess because when he hit the front again in the final laps he was even more certain and composed, he eked out enough of an advantage so that he could not be passed on the slipstream run to the line.

After winning the first four Asia Talent Cup races of the season he has now added a sensational Rookies Cup debut win.

New Zealand’s Cormac Buchanan finished 23rd.

Taiyo Furusato

“I’m so so happy, as you say, first race, first victory, first time at Mugello and on the KTM, all first, but I could win the race. In the race I could improve and everything felt perfect for me. Yesterday was the first time I had ridden a KTM but I found it’s positive points and the negative points, Today I could use the positive points and work with those.”

David Muñoz

“The race was very very good because yesterday was difficult for me. The feeling with the bike was not so good. Today it’s much better the feeling with the bike is good and I’m very happy with it. The track was OK, even with a little rain I had good feeling. Now we can focus on tomorrow and another good race.”

Moreira

“The race was very good. In the last laps I tried to push very hard because in the first laps I felt the rain and I was careful. Then I tried lap by lap to fight back, tried to get positions each lap. Finally, on the last lap, I got to second and tried to win the race but I touched the green, that’s the race. But I’m happy for the race and tomorrow we have a second one and let’s see. I think the weather will be better, and I will try to win the race.”

Daniel Holgado

“Today was an incredible race but more difficult than I expected. I did a good job through the race and the result is not bad but I am glad that we have another opportunity tomorrow. Tomorrow I will give more and get a better result. I have to say sorry to my fellow Rookie Mario Aji for the last corner.”

Race 2

David Muñoz snatched both the race win and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup points lead with a slipstream lunge in the final metres at Mugello in the second and final Red Bull Rookies Cup race of the weekend.

Previous points leader and fellow Spaniard Daniel Holgado had a handy advantage out of the last corner but the 16-year-old was swamped right before the line and crossed it fourth

Six KTM 250 Rs seemed to occupy just a couple of square metres as they flashed across the line. Colombian 15-year-old David Alonso was second ahead of Spanish 16-year-old Iván Ortolá.

Pole man Marcos Uriarte was chased by Matteo Bertelle – who had looked a likely winner as he led on the penultimate lap, however they finished fifth and sixth respectively.

The results show that just 0.173 seconds covered the top six. It had been a 17 KTM pack at the front until Race 1 winner Taiyo Furusato had a big moment half way round the last lap and split the group.

He recovered to finish 14th and it was Dutch 16-year-old Collin Veijer who led that group home in seventh, small consolation for having been a strong front runner again as he was in Race 1.

Improving in Race 2, Cormac Buchanan finished 18th.

Long on talent but very short on words, 15-year-old David Muñoz as usual almost looked a touch surprised to be interviewed as the victor in the winners enclosure.

David Muñoz

“It’s been an incredible weekend for me, 2nd position yesterday and victory today, so amazing, I have no words. It’s good to be leading the championship but I must just focus on the next races and think about that, it’s the only way to do it.”

David Alonso

“It was a positive weekend because it is a new track for me and little by little I got the confidence and found the good lines to do a good performance. This was a crazy race so I think that 2nd position is really good also because in the last races I wasn’t on the podium. So now we are back here again and this is so great for my confidence. I enjoyed this race a lot and now I am looking forward to Germany, another new track to enjoy.”

Ivan Ortolá

“It was a very hard weekend, in the first practice on Friday it was very difficult because it was my first time at this track and it’s a difficult track. But finally in the Qualifying I found a good feeling with the bike and I could take second position on the grid. The first race was very difficult because of the weather conditions, I made only the 10th position but it was a very very strong, very hard race. This race was very hard psychologically because you can be in the first position coming into the straight but at the end of the straight 10th or 11th. So I’m very happy because we made this podium, it is very important for the championship and I want to dedicate this race to Jason.”

Daniel Holgado now holds the standings lead on 71-points from David Alonso on 67, with Diogo Moreira third overall on 64-points. David Munoz is fourth on 58, while Alex Milan completed the top five.

Results