Full round up from opening FIM Junior GP round in Portugal

2023 FIM JuniorGP World Championship
Round One – Estoril

This year, the FIM JuniorGP World Championship, Moto2 European Championship, European Talent Cup and the new Stock European Championship will battle it out across seven rounds as each go in a bid for glory and action got underway over the weekend at its traditional starting point in Portugal: the iconic Circuito do Estoril.

FIM JuniorGP World Championship Qualifying

The JuniorGP front row wasn’t decided without drama, with rookie Joel Esteban (Aspar Junior Team) seemingly set for a dream debut pole, only for his best lap to be cancelled which then dropped him down the time-sheets. One rider’s loss was another’s gain, as 16-year-old Luca Lunetta put in a scorching effort under the Portuguese sun, with a 1m44.340s earning him a maiden JuniorGP pole position.The front row is an all Italian lockout, with Alessandro Morosi (Eagle-1) and Nico Carraro (Aspar Junior Team) claiming P2 and P3 respectively.

Xabier Zurutuza (MTA Junior Team) came through Q1 to earn a launch from the head of the second row, and he’ll be joined by Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and the aforementioned Esteban. It’s a field that is packed with quality, with the likes of David Almansa (Finetwork Mir Racing Team) and 2022 race winner Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Racing Thailand) needing to come from further back on the grid if they are to challenge on Sunday.

There was also a good news story for British Talent Team’s Eddie O’Shea, who has bounced back from recent surgery to qualify inside the top 10.

The quickest Aussie youngster in qualifying was Jacob Roulstone in 11th just ahead of Kiwi Cormac Buchanan. Angus Grenfell was 22nd.

FIM JuniorGP World Championship Race

In an enthralling race that was restarted due to a red flag, the impressive Carraro beat Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) to the chequered flag first by just 0.002s, having got into the slipstream of the Spaniard out of the final corner.

Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) crossed the line third, but was disqualified due to not meeting the correct weight regulations for the class. As a result, Jakob Rosenthaler (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Racing Team Intact GP Junior Team) was promoted onto the podium.

Young Aussie Jacob Roulstone crossed the line less than a second behind the winner to claim fifth place and bag 16-points.

Countryman Angus Grenfell took 19th place at the chequered flag, crossing the line 13-seconds behind the winner.

FIM JuniorGP World Championship Race Results

FIM JuniorGP World Championship Points

Moto2 European Championship Qualifying

In the Moto2 class, Senna Agius begins his 2023 title charge from pole position with the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Team rider recording a 1m39.336s during qualifying. Carlos Tatay and Xavier Cardelus join Agius at the front of the grid in P2 and P3 respectively.

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Niccolo Antonelli (MMR) was actually third quickest but incurred a technical infringement (underweight) and thus was penalised two grid positions and will start from the opening race from P5.

Harrison Voight qualified eighth on the Yamaha Phillipines backed Stylobike machine.

Moto2 European Championship Race One

Senna Agius launched from pole position and bolted away from the field in the opening contest of the 2023 season. Having got the perfect start from the line, the 17-year-old Australian had to do it all again due to a red flag after a crash for Martin Vugrinec.

Agius pulled the pin again at the restart to come home seven-seconds ahead of Carlos Tatay (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and compatriot Harrison Voight (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) – both of whom are class rookies.

Moto2 European Championship Race One Results

Moto2 European Championship Race Two

Harrison Voight and Carlos Tatay crashed out of podium places in the second bout, with the Australian pointing the finger of blame firmly at Tatay.

Agius though romped home towards a second win of the day to claim the maximum 50 points on offer in Estoril. His winning margin wasn’t quite as emphatic as before, but he still had more than four-seconds to spare over Xavi Cardelus (Promoracing) as the Andorran opened his account for the season, as did Niccolo Antonelli (MMR), with the Italian coming home third.

Moto2 European Championship Race Two Results

Moto2 European Championship Points

European Talent Cup Qualifying

ETC veteran Brian Uriarte will launch from pole position in both races, with the Spaniard’s 1m46.107s giving give him the perfect platform to chase a fifth win in the class.

Young Aussie Carter Thompson set the eighth quickest time while countryman Marianos Nikolis had to contest the Last Chance race to try and earn his place on the starting grid but unfortunately missed the cut after suffering some mechanical problems.  Nikolis was on pole for the LCQ but crashed while leading.

European Talent Cup Race One

Brian Uriarte, Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Hakim Danish (Monlau Motul) formed a breakaway trio out front and entered wheel-to-wheel combat over 15 laps.

Victory wasn’t decided until the three riders took the chequered flag within 0.054s of one another, with Uriarte first ahead of Salmela and Danish completing the podium.

Carter Thompson went out of the race on lap three after some technical problems provoked a crash.

European Talent Cup Race One Results

European Talent Cup Race Two

Uriarte went back-to-back, with an even closer finish in Race 2. The young Spaniard pinched the win off of 2021 ETC Champion Maximo Quiles on the line with only 0.006s between them.

Quiles, who finished fourth in Race 1 after starting at the back of the grid and going through the LLP loop, was gutted to have missed out but still goes home with a P2 result, while David Gonzalez (Cuna de Campeones) capped an impressive run with a maiden podium in the class.

Carter Thompson took the chequered flag in 14th place to open his points account for the season but suffered with some bike problems during the race.

European Talent Cup Race Two Results

European Talent Cup Points

Stock European Championship Qualifying

Eric Fernandez claimed pole position for the opening Stock European Championship race. A 1m41.395s from the Spaniard gave him a narrow advantage on the time-sheets over Dani Muñoz (SP57 Racing Team) while Marco Garcia (EasyRace Team) joins them on the front row.

Young Aussie Archie McDonald heads row two but will have a long lap penalty to serve during the opening race after being deemed to have ridden irresponsibly in the way he rejoined the track after a crash late in the session.

Stock European Championship Race

Dani Muñoz carved out his own little piece of history as the maiden race winner in the new category, with the opportunity handed to him on a plate as poleman Eric Fernandez (FAU55 TEY Racing) crashed just three laps in.  Muñoz then dominated, crossing the stripe 11-seconds clear of the rest of the field.

Marco Garcia (EasyRace Team) and Alex Millan (Fifty Motorsport) battled for second. In the end, it was Garcia who put in a classy ride to take the second step on the box, with Millan beginning his campaign with a third placed finish.

Young Aussie Archie McDonald recovered from a long lap penalty to claim sixth place

Stock European Race Results

Stock European Championship Points

JuniorGP Calendar 2023

1. 06/07 May: Circuito do Estoril (Estoril, Portugal)
2. 20/21 May: Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana (Valencia, Spain)
3. 03/04 June: Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain)
4. 01/02 July: Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimao, Portugal)
5. 15/16 July: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Montmeló, Spain)
6. 07/08 October: MotorLand Aragón (Alcaniz, Spain)
7. 04/05 November: Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana (Valencia, Spain)