In the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship, another season of titanic battles, broken records and names written into the history books is about to begin, but who will triumph in the end?
The 2023 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship is set to take flight as the opening round takes place in Portugal at the iconic Circuito do Estoril. Steeped in history, the Portuguese site always delivers thrilling dramas in all categories. This year, the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship, the Moto2™ European Championship, the European Talent Cup and the new European Stock Championship will compete over seven rounds, each going for glory .
The category JuniorGP™ will reappear this weekend and many drivers could well be able to shine from the start. The best-placed returnee in the 2022 Championship is Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), who was fifth overall last year with three podiums, although a victory was not quite achieved. After him, the next one is the most recent race winner in the category, since David Almansa (Finetwork Mir Racing Team) is preparing to return to action with the same team with which he won the last race of 2022. He also has Moto3™ World Championship experience under his belt from this year, with three races completed, all in the top 20. After Almansa, the Thai driver Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Racing Thailand) will be hoping to add to their track record after claiming victory at Estoril at the start of the 2022 campaign.
While these names will certainly be present at the front, there are also plenty of fast new riders, returning riders and riders looking to take a step forward to watch. Dominant at Estoril in the European Talent Cup last year, Joel Esteban (Aspar Junior Team) moves to the JuniorGP™ category in 2023, while after a first full year in the category last year, Adrian Cruces (STV Laglisse Racing) is looking for other podiums. His teammate, Alvaro Carpe, is also back for a second year, as are Eddie O'Shea (British Talent Team), although the Briton is recovering from surgery.
There are 14 different nationalities on the grid this year, including the French Gabin Planques (First Bike Academy) on a KTM and Alex Gourdon (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) on Honda.
En Moto2™ ECh, the red lights will also go out in Estoril, and with the reigning Champion Lukas Tulovic gone into the Moto2™ World Championship, there is a land of opportunities to be seized. Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Junior Team) is the clear favorite heading into the season, with two wins and nine podiums last year. He reached the podium in 2022 at Estoril, while finishing fourth in the championship last year. Alex Toledo (Easyrace Team) is back and hoping for its first victory in the category. Xavier Cardelus (Promoracing) is also back, with four podiums in 2022, and the goal of a first victory. We also find well-known names from the MotoGP™ paddock on the 2023 entry list, notably Nicolò Antonelli (MMR), quadruple winner in Moto3™, and Carlos Tatay (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), who stood on the podium and finished second in the 2019 JuniorGP™, while the Australian Harrison Voight (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) is moving up to bigger machines after competing in JuniorGP™.
Charles Aubrie will defend the tricolor colors on a JEG Racing Kalex.
In theEuropean Talent Cup, the reigning champion Guido Pini (AC Racing Team) will be back to defend his crown, and he will do so proudly wearing the number 1. His victory last season was built on consistency, and he will attempt to become the first driver in history of the category to successfully defend his title. The next highest-placed returnee is the Irish star Casey O'Gorman (VisionTrack Racing Team), winner of the race last year and one of the main contenders in the second half of the season. After winning the title in 2021, Maximo Quiles (Aspar Junior Team) hopes to get it back in 2023. Victim of two falls at Estoril last year, he does not want to start his 2023 campaign in the same way.
There are currently no less than 51 pilots from 21 different nationalities represented in the ETC, including the French Benjamin Caillet (Viltaïs Racing Junior), Elliot Kassigan (Mecaprojets Team Ado), Guillem Planques (First Bike Academy), Matthias Rostagni (MB38 by Mecasport), Enzo Bellon (MB38 by Mecasport), Matteo Roman (JEG Racing), Leandro Quintans (Team Larresport) and Remy Sanjuan (Mecaprojets Team Ado). Good season to all !
The Sunday racing schedule for the opening round of JuniorGP™ is as follows:
11:00 – ETC Race 1: 15 laps
12:00 – Moto2™ ECh Race 1: 17 laps
13:00 p.m. – JuniorGP™: 16 laps
14:00 – ETC Race 2: 15 laps
15:00 – Moto2™ ECh Race 2: 17 laps
16:00 p.m. – Stock ECh – 17 laps
