The FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship started in Estoril and… it didn’t disappoint.
The FIM JuniorGP™ Finetwork Championship kicked off in style this weekend at the historic Estoril Circuit. With six races on Sunday, several drivers reached the top of the podium, with Nico Carraro (Aspar Junior Team) claiming honors in JuniorGP™ and Daniel Muñoz (SP57 Racing Team) winning in the new era of the European Championship of Stock. Two other names were perfect in Portugal: Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) did the double in the Moto2™ European Championship and the European Talent Cup by winning both races. both categories.
There’s something about Estoril and photo finishes, and Sunday’s JuniorGP™ race was no exception. The exciting race was halted due to a red flag, with the impressive Carraro beating Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0.0) over the finish line by a mere 0.002s. Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) crossed the line in third, but was disqualified for not respecting the weight imposed by the regulations. As a result, Jakob Rosenthaler (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Racing Team Intact GP Junior Team) was promoted to the bottom of the podium.
In the Moto2™ European Championship the story was different, with the favorite for the 2023 title proving to live up to expectations. All eyes were on Senna Agius, who started from pole position for Race 1 and won without any problems. After a perfect start, the 17-year-old Australian repeated the feat again due to a Red Flag presented following the crash of Martin Vugrinec (Fifty Motorsport) – driver ok. Undeterred, Agius returned to the attack after the second start to win by seven seconds over Carlos Tatay (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and compatriot Harrison Voight (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) – both newcomers to the class.
Despite having celebrated the podium together in Race 1, in the afternoon the panorama was different due to the accident between Voight and Taty in Race 2, when they were riding in podium positions. In the end, the Australian pointed the finger at number 99. The incident did not bother Agius, who rode alone towards his second victory of the day and, thus, claimed the maximum 50 points in the game in Estoril. However, the margin of victory was not as emphatic as the first time. Still, he finished with more than four seconds of advantage over Xavi Cardelus (Promoracing), with the Andorra driver opening the count, as did Niccolo Antonelli (MMR), who was third.
The European Talent Cup was the first category on the track and they livened up the day with a fantastic race. Brian Uriarte, Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Hakim Danish (Monlau Motul) isolated themselves at the front and began the exciting 15-lap battle. The victory was only decided at the finish line, with the three being separated by just 0.054s, with Uriate in first, ahead of Salmela and Danish.
As in Moto2™, the ETC only had one winner, with Uriarte also coming out on top in an even more competitive Race 2. The young Spaniard beat 2021 ETC Champion Maximo Quiles over the finish line by just 0.006s. Quiles, who was fourth in Race 1 after starting at the back of the grid and doing a Long Lap, must have been less than happy with the result, but still achieved P2, while David Gonzalez (Cuna de Campeones) made his debut on the podium .
To close the day, the Stocks took to the track, now entitled to a separate race from the Moto2™. Dani Muñoz made history by becoming the first winner of the category. A triumph that was offered to him on a platter when pole man Eric Fernandez (FAU55 TEY Racing) crashed after just three laps. This gave Muñoz enough room to breathe in P1, while Marco Garcia (EasyRace Team) and Alex Millan (Fifty Motorsport) fought for second place. In the end, it was Garcia who came out on top, while Millan started his campaign with a third place.