- The Valencian rider mathematically sealed the title in MotorLand Aragon in the best way imaginable: with a victory.
- With this triumph, the Spanish team repeats crown in JuniorGP after the title achieved by José Antonio Rueda last year.
- In the European Talent Cup, Brian Uriarte continues with options to become champion in Valencia after being second and fourth, respectively, in the two races played in Alcañiz.
- “We are very happy for Angel, who is proclaimed champion with victory after a year of high level. The whole team has made a brilliant season with the support of Estrella Galicia 0.0, Motul and the rest of the sponsors”, assures Jaime Serrano, CEO of the team.
After a dazzling season, where he has only been absent from the podium in two of the ten races played so far, Ángel Piqueras has been proclaimed FIM JuniorGP world champion. at the MotorLand Aragón circuit. And he did it big time, with a champion victory.
The 16-year-old driver from Ayora (Valencia) follows in the wake of his former partner in Team Estrella Galicia 0.0, the Andalusian José Antonio Rueda, who lifted the title of the same category in 2022. In addition, Piqueras sealed a historic double in Aragon, since in mid-September he also won the Red Bull Rookies Cup title.
The Valencian, who started from pole position, remained in the group from head to end, although defending and climbing positions at certain moments of the race. In a group that suffered some falls in the last bars, Piqueras knew how to keep a cool head and preserve the first position until overcoming the checkered flag, ahead of Luca Lunetta and Adrián Cruces.
For his part, his teammate Facundo Llambías was less to more and struggled to climb positions in the last third of the race and achieve the seventh final position. Very close to him ended the Irish driver Casey O’Gorman, who signed a great debut with the Honda and the TEG00 finishing in ninth position, while Alex Gourdon did it in 21st place.
“I am very happy and grateful for all the support that people around me have given me during the season. I really want to enjoy it and celebrate it with the team, which has worked hard day after day and deserve it”, confessed Angel Piqueras minutes after being proclaimed world champion.
The victory of the young driver was synonymous with overflowing joy in the box of Team Estrella Galicia 0.0, as demonstrated by his words Jaime Serrano, CEO of the team: “We are very happy for Angel, who is proclaimed champion with victory after a year of very high level. This has been possible thanks to his dedication and perseverance, the work of the team, which has completed a brilliant season, and the support of Estrella Galicia 0,0, Motul and the rest of the sponsors”.
In addition to the Piqueras title, the team’s focus was on the European Talent Cup, where drivers had two tests ahead. In the first of them, the predominant equality in the leading group provoked an uncertain final that the TEG00 pilots could read very well. Brian Uriarte finished second, a few tenths of the winner, while Rico Salmela was fourth. Behind, Amanuel Brinton was 17th and Hakim Danish 21st.
In the second race, Uriarte and Salmela showed their level again from the first turn, in a fight for the leadership that was again exciting. With everything to be decided in the last laps, the two TEG00 riders suffered unfortunate touches with rival bikes that prevented them from fighting for victory. Uriarte crossed the finish line in fourth, and Salmela crossed in eighth. Brinton and Danish were 17th and 18th, respectively.
With these results, Uriarte is second in the general standings 18 points behind the leader, while Salmela is fourth 33 points behind the third.
“Getting the title with a win is nice. In addition, O’Gorman has also competed very well in his debut with the team, and Llambías has demonstrated his effort and determination. Gourdon continues to accumulate experience,” says Kev Coghlan, team manager. Regarding the ETC, “the championship has become a little more complicated, but we are very happy to have two riders as competitive as fighting for victory as Uriarte and Salmela. Danish and Brinton could not be higher in the standings, but their race pace was good”.
After the joy of MotorLand Aragón, Team Estrella Galicia 0.0 will close the year at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, at the last stop of the FIM JuniorGP, on 4 and 5 November.
