A new season, new possibilities, and a land of opportunities. Celebrating 25 years of providing the future stars of World Championship action, the 2022 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship fires up this weekend at the Circuito do Estoril, Portugal. In what is one of the most anticipated seasons, there’ll be a fresh feel at the front of all classes as ever, as reigning Champions move on and fast rookies graduate to all classes. Starting this weekend in Portugal and finishing in Spain at the end of October, the 25th season is a mouth-watering prospect.
Starting with JuniorGP™, there are plenty of familiar names in the class for 2022. The top four, including reigning Champion Daniel Holgado, all move on from the class and onto the next stage of their careers, meaning the highest placed returnee to the class is Spaniard David Salvador (Laglisse Academy). Two podiums in 2021 left him fifth overall and still chasing a first win. Colombia’s David Alonso (Aspar Junior Team) is the next-best returnee to the class, with the 2020 Hawkers European Talent Cup winner targeting a first win in the class for himself and likewise for his country after two podiums in 2021. The third-best rider who remains in the category from 2021 is Syarifuddin Azman (SIC Racing), the Malaysian being the only race winner on the 2022 grid, whilst all three have FIM Moto3™ World Championship experience under their belt.
Whilst there’re familiar names at the front, a new guard will look to take charge, as bright prospects graduate from the Hawkers ETC. 2021 runner-up Adrian Cruces (Cuna de Campeones) moves up, as do Xabi Zurutuza (Angeluss MTA Team) and Alvaro Carpe (STV – MT Helmet – MSI), all of which were race winners in 2021. Carpe will join from Round 3 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya due to the minimum age limit. Jacob Roulstone (Aspar Junior Team) likewise graduates, the Australian also a race winner in the Hawkers ETC class of 2021; his sole win came at Estoril before he finished with two podiums. In total, there’ll be 17 nationalities on the grid in 2022, of which three will enjoy their first representation. Soma Görbe (Artbox), Torrin Collins (AGR Team) and Facundo Llambias (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) will fly the flag for Hungary, Canada and Uruguay respectively.
The duel in the Moto2™ European Championship will again be fierce as plenty of 2021 protagonists return. German rider Lukas Tulovic (Liqui Moly Intact JuniorGP Team) is one of the biggest names back in the class, as he hopes for a first win in his Moto2™ ECh career after a good few podiums. Xavi Cardelus (Promoracing) also goes in search of a first victory, but there’s plenty of opposition to fend off. Double Moto2™ ECh runner-up and multiple race winner Héctor Garzó (MV Agusta Forward Junior Team) is back, as Tommaso Marcon (MMR) and Marco Tapia (Easyrace Team) also join the class to bring some serious competition. The fight for the Stock crown will also, as ever, be a great race within a race.
The Hawkers ETC is another class which features some familiar faces, with reigning Champion Maximo Martinez (Team Laglisse Honda) back in action for another season. With three wins last year and finishing four of the last five races on the podium, the 14-year-old will aim to make more history in 2022. The next-best returning rider is Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), with fourth overall last year and one victory. 2021 podium finishers Joel Esteban (Aspar Junior Team) and Alberto Ferrández (Finetwork Mir Junior Team) are back, as is Irish hopeful Casey O’Gorman (VisionTrack Racing Team), the reigning Honda British Talent Cup winner. His teammate is Johnny Garness, who is back in Hawkers ETC after race wins in the BTC at the start of 2022. In all, 21 nationalities from six continents make for a packed field once more in the Hawkers ETC.
The Sunday race schedule for the opening round of Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ is as follows:
11:00 – Hawkers ETC Race 1: 16 laps
12:00 – Moto2™ ECh Race 1: 18 laps
13:00 – JuniorGP™: 17 laps
14:00 – Hawkers ETC Race 2: 16 laps
15:00 – Moto2™ ECh Race 2 : 18 laps
