Let's talk MotoGP: Tech3 towards a new world title?

Tech3 is a true institution in the world of Grand Prix. And this year, Hervé Poncharal's teams can achieve a feat; win a world title, which would be the first since Olivier Jacque's coronation in 2000, 250cc category. You will have understood, we are going to talk about Moto3! We are aware that not everyone here can follow all the races over a GP weekend. So, time for catch-ups, with an analysis of the different dynamics at mid-season.

 

Tech3 on the road

 

The French team, in close partnership with Red Bull KTM, has its chance. Its star driver, the Spaniard Daniel Holgado, is currently in control of the general classification. With 26 points ahead of his closest pursuer, he can afford to miss a round. Unfortunately for the competition, this is not the style of the house. Holgado is excellent in all circumstances, and stood out from the rest of the pack, particularly with his ability to escape. At Le Mans, for example, he led the entire race without being worried; a rare occurrence in the smallest of categories.

In Austria, he was also brilliant but the KTM official Deniz Öncü stole the victory from him by five thousandths of a second. Daniel Holgado knows how to win, with style, but also enjoys remarkable consistency in performance. If we exclude his terrible weekend at Assen, which failed from start to finish, he never left the top 6 with three victories and three podiums in nine rounds. He attacks this second part of the season with the clear label of favorite.

 

The fastest driver, but with a big flaw

 

However, Daniel Holgado is not the fastest. The prize goes to Ayumu Sasaki, driver for the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP team. With four poles (including one out of this world at the Sachsenring) and two fastest laps in the race, he is a formidable opponent on Saturday. On the other hand, he suffered from a huge flaw which cost him a significant number of points; his dueling skills.

 

 

The Japanese cannot contain a competitor in the last lap, the fault of numerous poor defensive choices. This was particularly obvious in Germany, but also and especially in Austria where he had a real chance of victory. Ayumu Sasaki has not yet won this season, despite six podiums in the last six races, including four second places. History teaches us this; to be world champion, you have to know how to impose yourself, to have, when it counts, that impulse that makes the difference. The “Husky” driver is second overall but will have a hard time getting past Daniel Holgado if he doesn’t change his approach in the clutch, that famous moment when you have to perform, make the right decision – sometimes instinctively.

 

Conversely…

 

On the other side of the spectrum, two drivers meet this determining criterion, but do not demonstrate similar consistency to Sasaski. These are the Turkish Deniz Öncü, at Red Bull KTM Ajo, as well as Jaume Masiá, at Honda Leopard Racing. Both drive for teams whose reputation is well established, and both are real killers in the clutch. Deniz distinguished himself twice; first on the Sachsenring, where he got the better of Ayumu Sasaki in the final moments, then at Spielberg, this time with a photo finish to decide between Daniel Holgado. Jaume Masiá only won in the Netherlands, but he remains a poison as he approaches the final sectors. Unlike a more recently victorious Öncü, the Spaniard's profile is well known; he loves these great moments of tension. We told you about it in another article, which you can find by clicking here.

 

 

However, both have made some mistakes and sometimes struggle to place themselves in the right group. Jaume Masiá's mechanical breakdown in Austria is costing him dearly in accounting terms. He is currently fifth in the championship, 52 points behind the leader. The situation is barely better for Deniz Öncü, third, 37 points behind the Tech3 driver. If we rely on the dynamics of the first half of the season, it will be difficult for them to fight for the world crown.

 

What if he was the challenger?

 

Apart from the one who leads, another driver benefits from a good speed/regularity balance. Two qualities coupled with a great sense of surpassing oneself, a foolproof mentality and an ability to create an exploit, to transcend oneself – trait difficult to quantify but oh so important in Grand Prizes motorcycles. Currently fourth in the championship with 43 points, we find that Iván Ortolá has all the qualities of a good challenger. Already two victories, including a splendid one in the USA, and a rather astonishing number of top 5 finishes (five in the last six races). It’s a shame that his catastrophic start to the season, marked by two blank results in the first two rounds, weighs so heavily on him. EIndeed, we think that a profile like this has a much greater chance of ending up runner-up than an Ayumu Sasaki for example.

The momentum is not on his side, but he can win the race that will completely change the season. Its only weak point? His team. Not that the Angeluss MTA Team formation is significantly inferior, but history shows that it is difficult to be crowned without being part of a top team in a small category, or even impossible in Moto3. It is not an affront to them to place them below Ajo, Leopard or even Tech3 in the hierarchy.

 

 

A new crack?

 

He is part of a top team. Jorge Martínez “Aspar”, reigning champion with Izan Guevara, has once again unearthed a nugget. Colombian rookie David Alonso won for the first time in his career at Silverstone, and led the Austrian Grand Prix before crashing. In view of Aspar's track record, you need to watch this driver closely.

 

Two disappointments

 

Let's end, briefly, with two men we expected above. Namely, the Brazilian Diogo Moreira, favorite of MotoGP riders under the MT Helmets – MSi awning. Rookie of the year in 2022, he took his first two podiums in the first two rounds of the 2023 season but has been relatively discreet since Austin. Far from being bad, of course, but never in the group that aims for victory.

The second is none other than the Spaniard David Muñoz, at Boé Motorsports. Arriving mid-season last year, he immediately shocked the motorcycle world with a second place for his second outing. Logically, we expected a lot. His checkered start to the season took an unfortunate turn when he suffered a serious injury during practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. However, he seems to be back to 100% as evidenced by his pole position at Assen. On Sunday, it's much more complicated, without being catastrophic. It is not a question of excluding them from the race for the podium at the end of the season, because both are full of talent.

That's all for this little analysis! What did you think of this start to the season in Moto3? Do you think Tech3 can do the same thing as the year 2000? Tell us in the comments!

 

 

Cover photo: Tech3 Racing