New polemen, consistency and possible upsets for Sunday! Pole positions are decided, Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) settling the matter in the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship. In the European Moto2™ Championship, Carlos Tatay (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) won its first pole of the season. Maximo Quiles (Aspar Junior Team) has had two consecutive poles in the European Talent Cup.
Starting with the JuniorGP™, the equivalent of Moto3, a fast lap in 1'46.433 allowed Angel Piqueras to secure his first pole position of the season and, in fact, his first pole position in the category. Proof of the quality of this time, he is more than half a second ahead of the peloton, the only other driver in the 1'46, Xabi Zurutuza (MTA Junior Team), taking 2nd place on the grid for Sunday's JuniorGP™ races, making Zurutuza's first front row of the season. Starting in 3rd position, another debutant on the front row in 2023, the Kiwi Cormac Buchanan (AGR Team) has a perfect opportunity to capitalize on a first JuniorGP™ podium.
At the head of the second row of the starting grid is David Almansa (Finetwork Mir Racing Team), a name familiar to those who followed the Moto3™ World Championship this year. Alongside Almansa in 5th position, we find another driver who is no stranger to the World Championship scene, Elia Bartolini (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), the Italian taking his best starting position of the season with five positions. Eddie 0'Shea (British Talent Team) completes the second row of the starting grid for the second time this season.
French side, Gabin Planques (First Bike Academy) will start 23rd Alex Gourdon (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) 27th.
En Moto2™ ECh, Carlos Tatay wins his first pole position and prevents Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Junior Team) to win three consecutive pole positions. Moreover, Agius will not start on the first row at all, but on the second starting from 4th place.
Yeray Ruiz (Fau55 Tey Racing) will start from 2nd place on the starting grid, while Nicolò Antonelli (MMR) will start from 3rd place.
French side, Charles Aubrie (JEG Racing) continues his apprenticeship and is not qualified.
ETC pole position goes to Maximo Quiles, 2021 ETC champion. The 15-year-old was on pole in Valencia and managed to do the double, despite starting the first race from 25th on the grid.
The other driver who has stood out since the start of the season is Brian Uriarte, from the Estrella Galicia team 0,0. He will seek to return to victory after missing that of Valencia. The 2022 champion Guido Pini (AC Racing Team) will complete the front row. Pini will be keen to achieve his first victory of the season tomorrow.
On the French side, it is difficult for Elliot Kassigan (Mecaprojets Team Ado), Léandro Quintans (Team Larresport), Benjamin Caillet (Viltaïs Racing Junior) and Matthias Rostagni (MB38 by Mecasport) who will have to participate in the Last Chance Race, a priori without much chance of qualifying. Conversely, Guillem Planques (First Bike Academy) and Enzo Bellon (MB38 by Mecasport) are guaranteed to participate in the race.
As a reminder, Benjamin Caillet, Guillem Planques et Enzo Bellon form the French team.
The Sunday racing schedule for the third round of the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship is as follows:
11:00 – JuniorGP™ Race 1: 15 laps
12:00 – ETC Race 1: 14 laps
13:00 p.m. – Moto2™ ECh: 16 laps
14:00 – JuniorGP™ Race 2: 15 laps
15:00 – ETC Race 2: 14 laps
16:00 p.m. – Stock™: 16 laps
