Americans Rossi Moore and Max Toth finished ninth in Portugal’s 17-round FIM JuniorGP Moto2 season finale at Serco Estoril.
More, from the FIM JuniorGP World Championship press release:
The championship was decided when Carpe took the FIM JuniorGP™ crown on a spectacular final day
A Wednesday to remember in the JuniorGP™ made for some of the most spectacular encounters of the season as a big drama
The 2024 FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship concluded in one day with new race winners and champions. In the JuniorGP™ class itself, Guido Pini (Seventy Two ARTBOX Racing Team) and Maximo Quiles (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) won the race, but it was Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) who took the crown. In the Moto2™ European Championship, victory went to Unai Orradre (STV Laglise Racing) but Roberto Garcia (Fantique Cardoso Racing) took the title in fifth. The European Talent Cup proved to be unpredictable as usual, but Argentine Valentin Perrone (Frando Racing VHC Team) took his first victory, while Dino Iozzo (IUM Motorsports) won his first career title in the Stock S European Championship. A tough fight was won by Mario Mayor (GV Tamoil Racing).
An exciting Race 1 came to life in true JuniorGP™ fashion as Carpe went for gold from the start. He was soon embroiled in a battle with the likes of Adrian Crews (Finetwork Team) and Guido Pini, team-mate Brian Uriart and Cormac Buchanan (AGR Team). Maximo Quiles’ bid for a first race win in the class came to an early halt when he crashed on lap 4 after coming into contact with the hard-charging Jesus Rios (MRE Talent). Back of the grid due to slow qualifying. Rios was in the top five when disaster struck title favorite Carpe, who fell to 12th at the turn with Casey O’Gorman (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) with just six laps to go. The championship is no longer in his hands. Rios was the race leader after two laps, but Pini made a comeback as soon as he got to the top. On the final lap and into the final corner, Rios – in second place – tried to overtake Pini but the Italian held on tight and a bit of contact disrupted Rios’ run, sending the Spaniard back down the field in seventh. Pini won his third race of the year ahead of Buchanan and Marcos Uriarte (CFMOTO Aspar Junior Team) but despite Carpe not crossing the line and crashing, he was crowned champion with thrilling scenes in the box.
Race 2 was a slightly calmer affair to begin with, as everything now hinged on who would take P2 overall in the standings. The usual suspects were at the front with extra spice from Uruguayan star Facundo Lambias, who was the race leader in the closing stages. Going into the final lap, Quills was battling at the front, right there with Kruse, Pini making his point and 18-year-old Austrian Jakob Rosenthaler (Leaky Molly Husqvarna Intact GP Junior Team) looking for the first podium. A year and a half. On the run to the line Quiles took the win – his first in the class – Pinney took P2 and Rosenthal third. Newly crowned champions Carpe climbed to sixth place in the special gold standard to end an exceptional season.
In the Moto2™ ECh, it was also a championship-crowned day for Roberto Garcia (Fantique Cardoso Racing). He got off to a good start from fifth, but soon dropped back and returned to his starting position. Up front and a big battle was taking place between long time race leader Alberto Sura (Team Ciatti-Boscoscuro) and Unai Orradre (STV Laglisse Racing). Orradre pulled away in the second half of the race in pursuit of his first win of the season and Sura made a late mistake in the race leader #10 but was unanswered. Mattia Casadei (Team Ciatti-Boscoscuro) was Garcia’s main title rival, but could not keep pace with the race leaders. At the checkered flag in order of the podium, the title was awarded to Roberto Garcia, who put in a steady and strong run to take his first championship crown. With four wins to his name and six podiums in total, he is a worthy title winner.
Heading into the pre-decided European Talent Cup championship, Carlos Cano (Seventy Two ARTBOX Racing Team) was looking to become the first ETC rider to record seven wins in a single season, but he will have to fight hard. In the early stages, the race was dominated by Giglio Pugliese (CFMOTO Aspar Junior Team) and Mallorcan star Fernando Bujosa (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), but he soon dropped to the field with a mechanical issue. But things heated up in the closing stages as Valentin Peron, Pugliese, pole sitter David Gonzalez (AC Racing Team), Benat Fernandez (Frando Racing VHC Team) and Marco Morelli (MLav Racing) battled hard at the closing stages of the race. . On the run to the line, Perrone took his fourth win of the season, with Pugliese in P2 and Gonzalez in third to seal the championship. Cano, already the champion, took the race P6, while Morelli’s P5 was good enough for second in the standings.
The Belting Stock ™ ECh race was held before the red flag went out with an incident involving Rodrigo Valente (PS Racing), Eric Molina (Fifty Motorsport) and Cristian D’. Arleano (Pinamoto RS). The medical team was on the scene immediately and said all the drivers were conscious before being taken away. On the restart, Iozzo again got off to a bright start but led briefly before front-row starter Archie Macdonald (MRE Talent) came back at the end of the opening lap. A big battle for the title was in the making though as Mario Mayor (GV Tamoil Racing) and team mate Lorenzo Dalla Porta took off for P3. In what was one of the best battles of the season, both places exchanged more than ten times and even rubbed wheels all the way to turn 6.
In the end Dalla Porta won the battle for P3 but it wasn’t enough to take the title from his teammate and good friend Mayor. Iozzo won the final race in the class with a fairytale farewell, while McDonald came home in P2. Dalla Porta’s #48 was at the event but the biggest celebrations were for his team mate Mayor who won the championship. Demis Mihaila (MDR Racing) was racing on the track until a mechanical at Turn 12 put him out of the race. Six different wins in the second year of the Stock European Championship, a great way to end the 2024 FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship season.
Past, present and future results and other news regarding the championship, www.fimjuniorg.com