HJC French Moto3 Grand Prix: A surprise double for Arenas and Migno! (Team Ángel Nieto)

The Ángel Nieto team did not expect such a result when it started this weekend at Le Mans: its two drivers finished on the two highest steps of the podium, exactly the same place where Ángel Nieto won his very last Grand Price in 1985. A nice nod.

If the end of the weekend was very sad for the Gresini team, however, it ended in apotheosis for the Ángel Nieto team! However, things didn't start out very well. Albert Arenas, first of all, completed free practice beyond fifteenth place. The Spaniard, however, managed to qualify fifth and keep the pace of the race in the leading group.

A few laps from the finish, he was eighth and the victory seemed complicated, but that was without taking into account a series of incidents: the fall of Enea Bastianini which slowed down Jakub Kornfeil, the high side of Marco Bezzecchi which Jorge Martín could not avoid, and the penalties received by Fabio Di Giannantonio and Niccolò Antonelli.

In the end, Albert Arenas learned upon his return to the pit lane that he had actually won the race for the first time in his career: " It's incredible ! I didn't expect this result, I just hoped to fight in the leading group. I was well qualified and we had a good pace throughout the weekend. It was easy to make a mistake and I had to stay very focused, but I managed to place myself well on the last lap. Crossing the finish line second was incredible, but arriving at the parc ferme and finding out I had won was sensational. »

However, everything hasn't been so simple since the start of the year, and after two blank results and a fifteenth place, Arenas comes back to life: “We had a complicated start to the season, with my injury in Qatar, and even when our pace was good, it was difficult for us to play up front. We received a great reward here. I would like to thank the entire team for their work. Being able to win here, where Ángel Nieto won his last victory, makes everything even more special. »

His teammate Andrea Migno on the other hand, had a better pace throughout the weekend. Then qualifying in ninth position, he also fought in the leading group before finishing just behind his teammate.

Also taking advantage of racing incidents and penalties, he scored his first podium of the season: “I'm happy with this podium, we progressed race after race. We've been a little more competitive here and, although we've been lucky, that's part of racing. A result like this was missed by me and the team. »

This podium comes at just the right time for the Italian driver who was able to reassure himself and gain confidence just before his national Grand Prix: “The coming week we will race at Mugello. It will be an exciting Grand Prix because I won it last year and we will try to do the same again this year. »