Portugal Portimão J3: Tech3's first victory in Moto3 courtesy of Daniel Holgado!

Clearly, Portugal and the Algarve Autodrome bring luck to the Tech3 teamHervé Poncharal et Guy Coulon, and after a second overwhelming success in MotoGP with Miguel Oliveira in 2020, the men from Bormes-les-Mimosas were able to celebrate their first Moto3 victory in Portimão!

Confident and strong since the start of the weekend in Portimão, Daniel Holgado had indeed established itself as a serious contender for victory. Starting from fourth place, he got off to a blazing start in the opening race of the weekend and grabbed the lead on lap two. With solid pace and incredible consistency from the start, he spent his race fighting for the lead with the Australian Joel Kelso (CFMOTO Racing PrüstelGP), David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI).

His fastest lap of the race was set in 1'48.209, on the 11th lap. He was passed on lap 13 but quickly regained his position at the front, and led the remaining laps of the race. Daniel Holgado started his season with Red Bull KTM Tech3 in the best possible way, with a first Grand Prix victory, which therefore also makes it the first Moto3™ victory for Red Bull KTM Tech3 after waiting for a long time, hoping for it and then coming close repeatedly with Deniz Oncu last year.

The only downside, after crossing the finish line, Daniel Holgado was hit by Joel Kelso who was not looking ahead, which could have been very dangerous. But it was said that all the planets were aligned for Tech3 this Sunday…

 

 

Daniel Holgado : " The whole weekend was fantastic, to be honest! It's my first victory, and it's also the first for my team Red Bull KTM Tech3. It's hard to find the words, I'm so happy. All I can say is that we have done an extraordinary job since the test in Portimão last week, and it paid off today, so I would like to say a big thank you to my whole team. We now have to focus on Argentina, because we already have another race next week. Go! »

Hervé Poncharal : " It's difficult to express what it feels like to achieve your first ever Moto3 victory with Tech3 Racing. We have been waiting for this for a long time and it is a very nice feeling.
I would like to start with Filippo Farioli, who unfortunately crashed at the start of the race. He's a beginner, he's fast, talented and ambitious, but we try to make him understand that he has to go through the learning process before he gets to the front. The best way to learn is to stay calm and patient, and gain as much experience as possible on the track. We are behind you Filippo, but please listen to the elders who have experience, and everything will be fine. I'm sure you will get a good result in Argentina.
Finally, congratulations to Dani Holgado! He has been in attack mode since the Portimão test, and throughout the weekend. He is very calm, methodical, has no doubts about his abilities, is very determined, and it has worked with his new team. It feels like he's been with us for a few years, because the atmosphere is very positive in the garage. I would also like to congratulate his team, led by Hector Testuri, for the remarkable work they have accomplished in Portimão.
We went through difficult times, and sometimes you doubt, but victory makes you forget everything. At that moment, it's the best feeling in the world and I have the best job. We are going to enjoy this victory a little, but it will be at Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina, a good place to celebrate! Thanks to the team, thanks to KTM and Red Bull for their continued support. We're proud to be part of this family, and I have to admit it feels good to be the ones bringing home the victory! »

 

Moto3 Portuguese Grand Prix 2023 results: 

Classification credit: motogp.com