Americans Rossi Moor and Max Toth battled over ninth place in the 17-lap FIM JuniorGP Moto2 season finale at Circuito Estoril in Portugal, with wild card entry Rossi making a last-lap pass on Toth to take the position.
More, from a press release issued by the FIM JuniorGP World Championship:
Championships decided as Carpe takes FIM JuniorGP™ crown on dramatic final day
A Wednesday to remember in JuniorGP™ as major drama made for some of the most remarkable stand-offs of the season
The 2024 FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship has come to an end with new race winners and Champions all in the same day. In the JuniorGP™ class itself, Guido Pini (Seventy Two ARTBOX Racing Team) and Maximo Quiles (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) won races but it was Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) who took the crown. In the Moto2™ European Championship, victory was all for Unai Orradre (STV Laglisse Racing) who was victorios but Roberto Garcia (Fantic Cardoso Racing) lifted the title trophy with fifth. The European Talent Cup was its usual unpredictable self but a first win went to Argentinean Valentin Perrone (Frando Racing VHC Team) whilst in the Stock™ European Championship, Dino Iozzo (IUM Motorsports) won his first race of his career but the title, after a hard-fought battle, was won by Mario Mayor (GV Tamoil Racing).
A thrilling Race 1 erupted into life in true JuniorGP™ fashion as Carpe went for gold from the start. He was soon enraged in a battle with the likes of Adrian Cruces (Finetwork Team) and Guido Pini, his teammate Brian Uriarte and Cormac Buchanan (AGR Team). Maximo Quiles’ quest for a first race win in the class was halted early on as he fell at Turn 4 after contact with hard-charging Jesus Rios (MRE Talent), originally set to start from P7 but in the end, had to start from the back of the grid due to slow riding in qualifying. Rios was in the top five when disaster struck title favourite Carpe, who crashed with Casey O’Gorman (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) at Turn 12 with just six laps to go; the Championship now not in his hands. Rios was a race leader two laps later but peaked too soon as Pini came back through. On the last lap and at the last corner, Rios – placed second – tried to ride round Pini but the Italian held firm and a tiny bit of contact disrupted Rios’ run, shuffling 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 Carpe, despite not crossing the line and crashing out, was crowned Champion with joyous scenes in the box.
Race 2 was a slightly calmer affair to begin with, as everything now hinged on who was going to take P2 overall in the standings. The usual suspects were at the front with added spice from Uruguayan star Facundo Llambias, who was a race leader in the closing stages. Going to on the final lap and Quiles had battled his way to the front, with Cruces right there, Pini having his say and 18-year-old Austrian Jakob Rosenthaler (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Junior Team) looking for a first podium in over a year and a half. On the run to the line, Quiles grabbed victory – his first in the class – with Pini taking P2 and Rosenthaler third. Newly-crowned Champion Carpe strutted home in sixth with a special gold livery to round out a special season of racing.
In the Moto2™ ECh, it was also the Championship-crowning day as Roberto Garcia (Fantic Cardoso Racing) needed just a top ten to secure the title. Going from fifth, he made a good launch but was soon pegged back and returned to his original starting position. Up front and a big battle was brewing between long-time race leader Alberto Surra (Team Ciatti-Boscoscuro) and Unai Orradre (STV Laglisse Racing). Orradre, chasing a first win of the season, pounced in the second half of the race and Surra didn’t have an answer despite a late error from the race-leading #10. Mattia Casadei (Team Ciatti-Boscoscuro) was Garcia’s main title rival but unable to get on terms with the race leaders. With the podium set in that order at the chequered flag, the title was agiven for Roberto Garcia, who rode a calm and solid race to take a first Championship crown. With four wins to his name and a total of six podiums, he’s a worthy title winner.
Moving onto the already-decided European Talent Cup title fight, Carlos Cano (Seventy Two ARTBOX Racing Team) was looking at becoming the first-ever ETC rider to secure seven wins in a season but he’d have to fight hard. In the early stages, the race was dominated by Giulio Pugliese (CFMOTO Aspar Junior Team) and Mallorcan star Fernando Bujosa (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) but he’d soon drop down field with a mechanical issue. At the pointy end of the race though, things heated up in the closing stages as Valentin Perrone, Pugliese, pole-sitter David Gonzalez (AC Racing Team), Beñat Fernandez (Frando Racing VHC Team) and Marco Morelli (MLav Racing) battled hard. On the run to the line, Perrone held on to become the fourth different winner of the season, whilst Pugliese secured third in the title race with P2 and Gonzalez salvaged third. Cano, already Champion, took P6 in the race whilst Morelli’s P5 was enough for second in the standings.
A belting Stock™ ECh race got underway with a second pole of the season being converted into a holeshot for Dino Iozzo before a red flag came out for an incident involving Rodrigo Valente (PS Racing), Eric Molina (Fifty Motorsport) and Cristian D’Arliano (Pinamoto RS). The medical team were on-site immediately and all riders reported to be conscious before being transported away. On the restart, Iozzo once again got a bright start but fellow front row starter Archie McDonald (MRE Talent) briefly led before the two swapped back by the end of the opening lap. A huge battle for the title was shaping up though as Mario Mayor (GV Tamoil Racing) and teammate Lorenzo Dalla Porta scrapped relentlessly for P3. In what was one of the best battles of the racing year, they both swapped places more than ten times and even rubbed wheels into Turn 6.
In the end, Dalla Porta won the battle for P3 but it wasn’t enough to take the title from teammate and good friend Mayor. Iozzo won his last race in the class with a fairytale farewell, whilst McDonald came home P2. The #48 of Dalla Porta was on the rostrum but the big celebrations were for his Championship-winning teammate Mayor. Demis Mihaila (MDR Competicion) was in contention on-track until a mechanical at Turn 12 ruled him out. Six different winners in the Stock™ European Championship’s second year, a fine way to conclude the 2024 FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship season.
For all the results from the past, present and future and more news regarding the Championship, www.fimjuniorgp.com
