Piqueras tops JuniorGP at Aragon | Agius crowned in Moto2

2023 FIM JuniorGP World Championship
Round Six – Aragon

We saw an epic round of action in the 2023 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP World Championship at Motorland Aragon, where Australian Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Junior Team) took a double-win to wrap up the Moto2 European Championship.

Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) became the latest to be crowned Champion in the JuniorGP class, while in the European Talent Cup, the title race is still on despite Maximo Quiles’ (Aspar Junior Team) double.

In the Stock European Championship, Eric Fernandez (FAU55 TEY Racing) beat Daniel Muñoz (SP57 Racing Team) in a final lap belter, although 17-year-old Muñoz is the 2023 Champion.

FIM JuniorGP World Championship Race

Starting with the sole race of the day for the JuniorGP class, Angel Piqueras went from pole position but didn’t break clear of the pack behind.

He was always inside the top five, despite an array of riders around him and challenging for victory, including Luca Lunetta (AC Racing Team), Nico Carraro (Aspar Junior Team) and David Almansa (Finetwork Mir Racing Team), the latter of which had to serve a double Long Lap Penalty.

Making his first start in the class in 2023, Casey O’Gorman (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) was right in contention through, whilst Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) was battling with Lunetta at various points.

From 12th on the grid, it was an impressive climb through the field for Eddie O’Shea (British Talent Team) who was inside the top six, as was Thai star Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Racing Thailand).

Moving up from 14th on the grid, it was a fine ride by Jacob Roulstone (Aspar Junior Team) until the last lap, when he was taken out by title-contending teammate Joel Esteban, who struggled in the race; David Almansa also caught up in the crash.

Top Aussie finisher was Angus Grenfell in 18th, with New Zealand’s Cormac Buchanan in 20th. Ryan Larkin was also competing finishing 25th.

Piqueras took victory and thus the title, with the Valencian holding off Lunetta to the line while Adrian Cruces (Finetwork Mir Racing Team) rounded out the podium. With a double header in Valencia, the battle for runner-up in the standings is unpredictable.

RelatedPosts

Difficult weekend for Aussie youngsters at Catalunya FIM JuniorGP

May 21, 2024

Archie McDonald racing in Europe and ASBK in 2024

February 18, 2024

Angus Grenfell – P18

“Overall a good weekend for me, I made critical steps and improved my riding, I’m getting closer and closer. A big thanks to Artbox Team and especially Alonso Guillem , @laraahr_ , Daniel, Dani Feral , @andreauriguen and Victor. See you all for the last dance in Valencia in a couple weeks time.”

Jacob Roulstone – DNF

“Perfectly planned race ended by being taken out by my teammate fighting for the win on the last lap, 3rd last corner. A real shame after I rode really smart and timed it perfectly and very proud of one of my best races. These things happen and nothing my team or I could do. Thanks to them for the hard work all week, I can’t thank them enough. We try again in a few weeks time for the final round in Valencia.”

FIM JuniorGP World Championship Race Results

FIM JuniorGP World Championship Points

Moto2 European Championship Race One

In the Moto2 ECh, Senna Agius went from pole to lead all of Race 1 although he was under early pressure from a fast-starting Yeray Ruiz (FAU55 TEY Racing), who jumped the start and only got to serve one of two Long Lap Penalties before falling at Turn 2; thankfully, he was OK.

Agius’ title rival Xavier Cardelus (Promoracing) couldn’t replicate his strong pace from before, finishing P6.

Ahead of the Andorran, the battle for the podium was unchained: teammates Roberto Garcia (Cardoso-Fantic Racing) and Borja Gomez pipped Barcelona race winner Unai Orradre (STV Laglisse Racing).

It was a DNF for Aussie Harrison Voight who looked on his way to a podium position.

Harrison Voight

“Tough day today! Race 1: DNF – I was penalised for having 2 slow sectors on my out lap in Q1. Starting 20th and I climbed my way up to 6th, latching onto the group fighting for 2nd. Just as I latched onto them @xavicardelus had a massive moment (close to highsiding) and I had no where to go, running up the back of him and somehow we JUST stayed on. Unfortunately I had pains in my left leg, not being able to change gears so race 1 came to an end with 7 laps to go.”

Moto2 European Championship Race One Results

Moto2 European Championship Race Two

In Race 2, Agius didn’t have it all his own way and the 18-year-old Australian had to deal with Alberto Surra (Team Ciatti-Boscoscuro) for the first two thirds of action.

Surra was pushing hard and trying to ruffle the Championship leader’s feathers but soon enough, Agius got ahead of the #67 to take another victory and with it, the title in 2023.

A historic achievement with it being the first title for Australia in the class and once again, the class proves itself as a true stepping stone to the Moto2 World Championship, with Agius moving up to the big time in 2024.

Completing the podium in Race 2 was Borja Gomez, who took the second podium of the day just a few hours after the first of his career.

Harrison Voight struggled to recapture his race one form, and had to settle for 13th.

Harrison Voight – P13

“Race 2 was just unlucky and I got pushed around on the first lap. Tried pushing my way forward and catching others although dealing with the pain & a couple of mistakes into turn 7 ruined all that hard work.
Anyway! many valuable lessons this weekend and a boost of confidence, We keep at it.”

An honourable mention to Alberto Ferrandez (Finetwork Mir Racing Team), who moved into the class for the first time this weekend and dazzled with a P5 and P4.

Moto2 European Championship Race Two Results

Moto2 European Championship Points

European Talent Cup Race One

Moving to the European Talent Cup and the title could have been won, with Quiles sporting a small one-point lead over Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and just nine points over reigning Champion and most-recent 2023 race winner Guido Pini (AC Racing Team).

Race 1 was a gloves-off battle, like always in ETC but ultimately, Quiles took honours with a perfectly-timed move to the lead, having been at the front for so long earlier in the race.

He overcame a Long Lap Penalty to beat title rival Uriarte and Jesus Rios (MRE Talent), the latter taking a first podium in ETC.

Also in the race-long battle, Ruche Moodley (Finetwork Mir Racing Team) came from 20th on the grid to lead but retired on the final lap, with Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Pini completing Race 1’s top five.

European Talent Cup Race One Results

European Talent Cup Race Two

In the second duel, action was fiercer as Quiles tried to stretch the pack from pole but Pini was wise to this, knowing that with a 23-point deficit, he couldn’t afford to finish behind the 2021 Champion.

The Italian hit the front in the early stages and immediately slowed the pace down, at times two seconds slower than the immediate opening laps.

This allowed the pack to close up and a massive battle soon erupted, although it’d be over for Belgian Lorenz Toni Luciano (Artbox), who crashed at Turn 4.

Rios once again starred, along with Uriarte, Salmela, Dodo Boggio (Aspar Junior Team), Moodley and his teammate Leonardo Zanni.

In the last two laps, Quiles broke free after contact for Pini and Uriarte on the front straight, making it a double win.

Rios took a career-best P2 with Pini third, now out of the title fight. Uriarte’s fourth means he’s the only rider who can stop Quiles in Valencia from becoming the first double ETC Champion, albeit with an 18-point disadvantage.

European Talent Cup Race Two Results

European Talent Cup Points

Stock European Championship Race

The final race action of the day was in the Stock ECh class but the initial staging was red-flagged for an incident involving Kike Ferrer (Yamaha GV Stratos) at Turn 7.

A six-lap restart was now on the billing, with a podium enough for Daniel Muñoz to be crowned Champion. However, Eric Fernandez was keen to lead and slow the race pace down, mirroring Pini’s attempts in ETC.

He took over at the head of the field and the gap back to third place and Dino Iozzo (IUM Motorsports) went from 2.3s to just 0.5s.

Desperate not to end up locked in a battle, Muñoz hit the front in the last two laps but Fernandez was resilient; the two pulled away again and after contact on the penultimate lap at the final turn, it was a head-to-head thriller.

Side-by-side into Turn 16, Muñoz got there first but ran wide, allowing Fernandez to take a second win of 2023 but it wasn’t enough; Muñoz is the 2023 Champion with a round to spare, whilst Iozzo finished third.

Australian Archie McDonald finished in a strong seventh.

Archie McDonald – P7

“I came into the penultimate round, held at MotorLand Aragón, in fifth place in the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP championship; I left still in 5th place overall. I’m ok with that. A 2-part race, with the first leg red flagged with 11 laps to run. The 6-lap sprint restart started well, I was running seventh, but there were 6 of us fighting for the final place on the podium. It was a great position to be in and I felt really good on the bike. Then, with 4 laps to go a rider tried to out brake me and he crashed. Unfortunately, his mistake forced me wide, and I lost the tow from the second pack by. I still managed to hold on to seventh place but felt I might have had the potential to work my way up a little further if I’d stayed in the tow. I’m actually ok with the result. I know all the hard work is paying off, I could feel that on the bike. This was a new track for me with the 600, so I had a lot to learn, but the bike felt great, every session I was improving, and I know I gave it my all. I just want to say congratulations to Daniel Munoz for taking out the championship with a round still to run. Now it’s time to turn my attention to Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the final round. A track I know and love.”

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)