2024 FIM Junior GP Championships
Round One – Misano
The curtains finally lifted on the 2024 FIM JuniorGP World Championship in the Motor Valley and Emilia-Romagna round at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, and the Championship opener delivered on everything it promised in the previous day’s qualifying, with stars old and new shining throughout.
Stealing the spotlight early on, precocious talent Jesus Rios (MRE Talent) sealed his status as a contender for the FIM JuniorGP World Championship title with not one but two wins in Misano, delivering the double gold on his debut.
Young Kiwi Cormac Buchanan broke through for a JuniorGP podium in the second bout, bouncing back from a DNF in the opening contest.
It was not a great start to the season for Angus Grenfell who failed to show his potential and unfortunately left Misano with no points in his account.
The first Moto2 European Championship race of the 2024 campaign saw Alberto Surra (Team Ciatti – Boscoscuro) claim first place with an accomplished ride. Harrison Voight battled with a niggling injury but still managed a top ten finish.
In the first of the day’s two European Talent Cup races Giulio Pugliese (Aspar Junior Team) took victory in dramatic fashion. In the second, Marco Morelli (MLav racing) sealed an emotional first win in the class since 2020.
Young Aussie Marianos Nikolis placed eighth in the opening bout to earn eight points but didn’t finish the second race.
The final winner of the day came in the Stock European Championship, with the familiar face of Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Yamaha GV Racing) returning to the top of the rostrum.
Archie McDonald took eight-points from his eighth place finish as he got his European season underway.
The FIM JuniorGP World Championship reconvenes Circuito do Estoril in Portugal for Round 2 on May 5th.
JuniorGP Race One
Race 1 of JuniorGP delivered drama right from the start, with Maximo Quiles (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) stalling on the grid.
With one of the pre-season favourites falling out of contention, Alessandro Morosi (Aspar Junior Team) and Marcos Uriarte (Aspar Junior Team) took advantage. Claiming P2 and P3 respectively, the duo ensured ecstatic scenes in the Aspar box.
It was a race in which the lead was contested throughout. With just four laps to go Ruche Moodley (Finetwork Team) collected Rico Salmela (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) while the latter was at the head of the pack, leaving both to lament a missed opportunity.
JuniorGP Race One Results
JuniorGP Race Two
The second JuniorGP race of the day offered as much excitement as the first. While Rios made it two wins from two at the first time of asking, he was joined on the Race 2 podium by Adrian Cruces (Finetwork Team) and Cormac Buchanan (AGR Team).
Unfortunately for both Moodley and Salmela, the duo came together once again in Race 2. This time around it was Salmela who highsided, his bike taking out Moodley who was completing a long lap penalty.
JuniorGP Race Two Results
JuniorGP Championship Points
- JESÚS RIOS 50
- ADRIÁN CRUCES 31
- ALESSANDRO MOROSI 29
- MARCOS URIARTE 26
- CASEY JAMES O`GORMAN 24
- EDDIE O’SHEA 21
- CORMAC BUCHANAN 16
- ALVARO CARPE 10
- FACUNDO LLAMBIAS 9
- GUILLEM PLANQUES 9
- MARCOS RUDA 8
- HAKIM DANISH 8
- MÁXIMO QUILES 7
- DODO BOGGIO 7
- DANIAL SHAHRIL 6
- JAKOB ROSENTHALER 6
- MILAN PAWELEC 6
- LEO RAMMERSTORFER 4
- AMON ODAKI 2
- LENOXX PHOMMARA 1
Moto2 European Championship Race One
Following Alberto Surra in Moto2 ECh were Roberto Garcia (Fantic Cardoso Racing) in P2 and Alberto Ferrandez (Finetwork Team) in P3.
It was a hotly contested race with reigning MotoE World Champion Mattia Casadei (Team Ciatti – Boscoscuro) falling just short of joining his Team Ciatti teammate on the podium, finishing in fourth.
Moto2 European Championship Race One Results
Moto2 European Championship Points
- ALBERTO SURRA 25
- ROBERTO GARCIA 20
- ALBERTO FERRÁNDEZ 16
- MATTIA CASADEI 13
- FRANCESCO MONGIARDO 11
- UNAI ORRADRE 10
- DANIEL MUÑOZ 9
- ERIC FERNÁNDEZ 8
- TAIGA HADA 7
- HARRISON VOIGHT 6
- LORENZO FELLON 5
- BRETT ROBERTS 4
- JOHAN GIMBERT 3
- JACOPO HOSCIUC 2
Stock European Championship Race One
Just behind Stock ECh race winner came newcomer to the class Andy Verdoia (Team Honda Laglisse) and completing the podium in the final race of the day was Dino Iozzo (IUM Motorsports).
Iozzo will rue the circumstances that saw him concede the race lead, with Adrian Rodriguez (SF Racing)’s crash resulting in a red flag and a restart, after which Dalla Porta seized the initiative.
Archie McDonald took eight-points from his eighth place finish after running at the front of the pack earlier on in the race.
Stock European Championship Race Results – Points
- LORENZO DALLA PORTA 25
- ANDY VERDOÏA 20
- DINO IOZZO 16
- MARIO MAYOR 13
- FRANCISCO RUIZ 11
- NIL ROIG 10
- BORJA JIMÉNEZ 9
- ARCHIE MCDONALD 8
- JOSE LUIS ARMARIO 7
- MARCO GARCÍA 6
- IKER GARCÍA 5
- KILIAN NESTOLA 4
- DEMIS MIHAILA 3
- RUBÉN ROMERO 2
- MASSIMO COPPA 1
European Talent Cup Race One
In Race 1 of the ETC Marco Morelli found himself edged back into second place by Giulio Pugliese by a margin of just 0.009 seconds. The duo vyed for first throughout the closing stages of the encounter, while David Gonzalez (AC Racing Team) had a sudden loss of pace towards the end of the race and had to settle for third.
Young Aussie Marianos Nikolis carded an eighth place finish.
European Talent Cup Race One Results
European Talent Cup Race Two
Gonzalez joined Morelli once again on the podium in Race 2 of the ETC, this time able to pressure the leader right until the dying moments, eventually taking second.
The two-time podium finishers were joined by Leonardo Zanni (Mir Racing Finetwork Team), who was made to work for the third step on the rostrum by Valentin Perrone (Frando Racing VHC Team) and an inspired Kerman Tinez (Mir Racing Finetwork Team) who finished P5 and P6 respectively.
European Talent Cup Race Two Results
European Talent Cup Points
- MARCO MORELLI 45
- DAVID GONZÁLEZ 36
- VALENTÍN PERRONE 26
- GIULIO PUGLIESE 25
- LEONARDO ZANNI 25
- CARLOS CANO 20
- KERMAN TINEZ 18
- JESÚS TORRES 15
- GABRIEL TESINI 11
- BENJAMIN CAILLET 9
- GONZALO PÉREZ 9
- PAU ALZINA 8
- MARIANOS NIKOLIS 8
- LUCA AGOSTINELLI 7
- BEÑAT FERNÁNDEZ 5
- SEIRYU IKEGAMY 4
- MATHIAS TAMBURINI 4
- RÉMY SANJUAN 2
- EDU GUTIÉRREZ 2
- DAVID DA COSTA 1
