The Australian rider will make his debut in the European Moto2 Championship and will be teammate to champion Milan Pawelec 

The AGR Team has officially announced the signing of Jonathan (JJ) Nahlous. The Australian rider will compete in the 2026 European Moto2 Championship with the team led by Anscari Nadal and will have Milan Pawelec, the current champion in this category, as his teammate.

JJ, who recently announced his signing with the official Yamaha team for the Australian Superbike Championship, will participate in both championships in what promises to be a very intense and important season for him and his professional future. 

Among his many achievements throughout his career, one of the most important was his Australian Supersport 600 championship title in 2024. Now, JJ is taking a big step forward and will seek to grow and learn in this new category for him, in which some of the most promising riders in the world of motorcycling compete.

Jonathan (JJ) Nahlous: "I am proud and excited to join the AGR Team for the 2026 Moto2 European Championship. It is a great opportunity to compete at the highest level with a very professional team. I am very motivated for the coming season: I want to improve race by race, fight for the best possible results and give my all every second, both on and off the track. The level of competition is incredibly high, and I am determined to continue learning, progressing and making the most of this opportunity".

Anscari Nadal: "As we always say, the AGR Team is an excellent platform for riders from all over the world to grow both on and off the track. We believe that JJ has two fundamental qualities: talent and a desire to learn, so we have a very exciting challenge ahead of us. We are very happy to be able to start this project in Moto2 with JJ and we are looking forward to working with him".

The young Dutch rider will compete in the Moto4 European Cup with the team led by Anscari Nadal

2026 begins with great news for AGR Team. Fourteen-year-old Dutch rider Luuk de Vries joins the team to compete in the Moto4 European Cup.

After a very solid season in the Promo3 category of the MIR Racing Cup, in which De Vries was crowned champion, the Dutch rider is ready to take the next step in his sporting career to achieve his dream of reaching MotoGP.

One of the main reasons Luuk de Vries chose AGR Team is that the team led by Anscari Nadal is well known for helping young riders develop and advance to the World Championship. In fact, another Dutch rider, Collin Veijer, was recently part of AGR Team and has already established himself as one of the leading riders in the Moto2 World Championship after his time in Moto3.

For De Vries, 2026 will be his fourth season competing in Spain. After winning the Promo3 title this season, he was ready to make the leap. Earlier this year, he had two very positive days of testing with AGR Team at the Jerez circuit.

Luuk de Vries: "I am very proud to be racing for AGR Team next season. After a great year in Promo3, I am really looking forward to racing in the Moto4 European Cup and continuing to develop with such a professional team. I have worked with the team before, so I know how they work".

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "We are very pleased to welcome Luuk to our team. This season he has shown that he is ready to take the next step in his career. During the two days of testing in Jerez, we were impressed by his speed and maturity. We are looking forward to working together, we have a lot of trust in Luuk!"

The Polish rider has renewed his contract for another year with the team with which he became champion in his first year in Moto2

AGR Team announces the renewal of its rider Milan Pawelec for one season. The team led by Anscari Nadal wanted to continue this project that has been so successful in 2025.

Milan Pawelec, born in 2007, joined AGR Team in 2025 as a big bet in Moto2 due to his talent, ambition and youth. From the start of the championship, the Polish rider showed that he could be one of the top contenders for the podium in every race despite it being his first year in the category. Even so, he surprised everyone with a spectacular second half of the championship in which he proved to be the strongest and most consistent rider.

Milan Pawelec and AGR Team accumulated 174 points in a total of eleven races. Pawelec scored points in every race, but his most notable results were five podiums and three victories, especially the last first place achieved in the final race in Valencia, which saw him crowned European champion.

Now, AGR Team and Milan Pawelec continue to join forces with the aim of defending the title in the 2026 season.

Milan Pawelec: "Of course, my plan for next year is to continue in the Moto2 European Championship with the AGR Team. First and foremost, I'm going to defend my championship title. I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to give it my all. My attitude will be to fight very hard for victory against very fast and tough rivals, so I have to train hard throughout the winter, and I am more motivated than ever to train and show my full potential. I am very happy to continue for another year with the AGR Team, I believe we can continue to achieve great things together."

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "We are very happy to have Milan Pawelec on the team for another year. At AGR Team, we always focus on teaching and effort, and Milan has learned very quickly in this Moto2 category. But this is only the beginning, and we believe he must continue to train well and work hard for the great future that awaits him. We at AGR Team will, as always, help him to continue growing and, of course, to achieve the ambitious goal of defending the Moto2 European title in 2026 and moving up to the World Championship in 2027."

The Polish rider became champion after winning the last race of the season at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit

AGR Team has been crowned European Moto2 champion with Milan Pawelec in Valencia. The Ricardo Tormo Circuit hosted the final round of the FIM JuniorGP, and the Polish rider arrived at this event in second place, ten points behind the leader.

Milan Pawelec, who made his Moto2 debut this season, surprised everyone with his performance from the first race and has been the dominant force in the championship, especially in the second half of the year.

Today, after starting from fourth position, Milan Pawelec positioned himself in the leading group from the start and fought for victory. The excitement lasted until the last lap: when Pawelec was fighting for victory in second position, Alberto Ferrández, who was in first place, crashed on the final turn. With Pawelec's victory and Unai Orradre's fifth place, the AGR Team rider became champion.

In his rookie year, Milan Pawelec finished the championship with 174 points, three victories and five podiums. In addition, Owen Van Trigt finished twenty-first in this Moto2 race.

Two races were held in the JuniorGP category. In them, Kgopotso Mononyane finished sixteenth and thirteenth, Marianos Nikolis finished twenty-third and crashed in the second race, and Kristian Daniel Jr crashed in the first race and finished twenty-first in the second.

Milan Pawelec: "I still can't believe it. I just wanted to finish the race in first place and then see what happened... when I realised I had won, it was an incredible feeling. I can only thank the team, I couldn't have done it without them. Also to all my family and friends who have accompanied me on this journey. Thank you all".

Owen Van Trigt: "It's positive that we've finished another race. It's our second round with Moto2 and we're learning a lot. We're continuing to rack up the kilometres and make progress with the team, whom I'd like to thank for this season".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "Overall, this weekend has been very fast in our category and I've learned a lot. We had a heavy crash on Thursday, but we turned it around and were able to come back even stronger and take steps forward. We knew that the pace was going to be very high in the races, we wanted to learn and do our job, and we've scored points again, which is important. We fought for the top nine, and I think we did well. Many thanks to the team for this great season together. They have always supported me and believed in me."

Marianos Nikolis: "It was one of the most difficult Sundays of the season for me. I struggled in the first race and couldn't finish the second. We have to work harder for next year. Many thanks to the whole team for the work they have done in 2025".

Kristian Daniel Jr: "It's been a difficult Sunday, I haven't felt at my best. We must learn from these situations. I want to thank the team for their work and for this opportunity they've given me at the end of the season. We're going to keep working towards 2026".

The Polish rider has shown competitive pace and was just three tenths of a second off pole position

AGR Team has completed the final qualifying session of the season. The team led by Anscari Nadal has done a great job and tomorrow will fight for the Moto2 European Championship title with Milan Pawelec.

The Polish rider, who went straight through to Q2, set the fourth fastest time in this session with a best lap of 1:33.471. Pawelec, in his rookie year, is second in the standings, just ten points behind the leader, Unai Orradre. Meanwhile, also in Moto2, Owen Van Trigt was thirteenth in Q1.

As for the JuniorGP category, the AGR Team riders were unable to get past Q1, a session in which Kgopotso Mononyane was fifth, Marianos Nikolis tenth, Kristian Daniel Jr thirteenth and Beatriz Neila nineteenth.

Milan Pawelec: "Q2 didn't go badly, but it didn't go as I wanted. I had the pace to set a better time, but I made a mistake that I shouldn't have made on a fast lap. Anyway, we're starting fourth and Unai is starting third, so we're close and it will be a great battle. We're really looking forward to this race".

Owen Van Trigt: "We continue to make progress. It was our second qualifying session with the Moto2 and we can see that we are improving with every outing on the track. We have to focus on continuing to learn with the team".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "Today wasn't a bad day; we did well in practice. But, well, we had a crash on Thursday and we're coming back from an injury... so it's been a bit difficult, but we took a big step forward today and I feel more confident. The feeling with the bike and with myself is getting better and better, although on the last lap of Q1 we were knocked out of the Q2 qualifying positions. We have good pace and tomorrow we are going to fight".

Marianos Nikolis: "On paper, the result wasn't the best, but we are feeling very good about the pace, especially with the used tyre. Tomorrow we are going to try to make up ground in both races and, above all, enjoy ourselves. Many thanks to the team for their work".

Kristian Daniel Jr: "It was a difficult day. I felt good on the bike, I was fast and I gave it my all. I think I can have a good race tomorrow because we have a very competitive pace when riding in a group. We are going to keep working to improve and make up ground".

Beatriz Neila: "Today has been a very positive day. Yesterday I set a good time, but today we improved by a second in the morning and that gave us the confidence to know we could go fast. We wanted to keep improving ahead of Q1, I was very motivated because we could also see from the telemetry that we were doing very well. I went into Q1 feeling very enthusiastic, I saw that I had a chance and I was very focused, but I encountered slow traffic. I overtook them and they caught my slipstream and took advantage of my time, so on the one hand I'm happy to have improved so much and in a weekend where record times are being set, but on the other hand I'm sad that I wasn't able to qualify for the race directly. We have to wait and see if there are any changes, but for now, the weekend is over for us. I felt very capable of lowering my time and, in fact, this morning we set times that were as competitive as those of the rivals we had ahead of us in Q1. I'm angry, but I'm happy for this opportunity. I've learned a lot and I think I've been fast riding with the best. Many thanks to the team, to Hadden Sport and, especially, to Toni, who has been very attentive every day and has helped me a lot to improve and believe in myself".

In his debut season in this category, the AGR Team rider arrives at the final race of the season with a chance of becoming champion

AGR Team faces a truly exciting weekend at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. The Valencian track hosts the final FIM JuniorGP round, a race weekend in which the AGR Team can clinch the Moto2 European Championship title.

The team led by Anscari Nadal does not have it easy, but it is ready to fight to the end with Milan Pawelec. The Polish rider is currently second in the championship standings, ten points behind the leader, Unai Orradre. 

Whatever happens, Pawelec is already the best rookie of the season. The rider has been impressive since the first race of the year: in his first experience with Moto2, Milan Pawelec has scored points in every race and, not only that, he has racked up a total of two victories, three podiums and 149 points in ten races.

This battle for the rookie title in the European Moto2 Championship has previously been seen with names such as Fermín Aldeguer and Alonso López, riders who are making great strides in the World Motorcycle Championship, especially Aldeguer, who already knows what it is like to win a MotoGP race.

Milan Pawelec: "We have a chance to win the title this weekend. Even so, for me, the only thing that matters is winning the race. I don't want to see what's happening behind me, I want to focus on winning and keeping a cool head. I know a lot of people have come to support me, but I don't feel any pressure. We're going to work like we do every other weekend to try and get the win".

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "We are very excited about this weekend. Of course, we're going for the win... but whatever happens, we're going to congratulate Milan because he's had an incredible year. This level of form is unusual for a rookie, especially in the Moto2 category, which is the most difficult in this championship. We're going to work as hard as we can, as always, but being here in the fight for the title with a rookie is already an achievement in itself"The rookie has won again in the Moto2 European Championship and will fight for the title in the last race of the season".

The rookie has won again in the Moto2 European Championship and will fight for the title in the last race of the season 

The AGR Team has once again completed a great weekend of racing. The team led by Anscari Nadal has once again demonstrated its great form, this time at its home race.

In the first Moto2 race, Milan Pawelec proved to be one of the strongest riders from the start. The AGR Team rider remained in contention for victory throughout the race in a group of four riders leading the race.

Pawelec finally crossed the finish line in fourth place, less than three tenths of a second off the podium positions. Later, in the second race, the Polish rider was once again one of the frontrunners in the fight for victory, but this time in a much more consistent manner. Pawelec took his second victory of the season and, with these results, is now second in the Moto2 European Championship standings with 149 points. The AGR rider is just ten points behind the leader in his debut season in this category.

For his part, Owen Van Trigt completed his first two races in this category, in which he managed to maintain a consistent pace and gained valuable kilometres in this learning period for him. Van Trigt crashed in the first race with just two laps to go while fighting for the top 20, while in the second race he finished 24th.

In JuniorGP, the AGR Team had a weekend of learning for all its riders. Marianos Nikolis finished eighteenth in the first race, very close to the points, but in the second race he stalled his bike at the start and he had to start the race from the pit lane, so he had to settle for twenty-sixth place.

Meanwhile, Kgoportso Mononyane made good progress from the back of the grid and finished twenty-first and nineteenth, and Kristian Daniel Jr ended his weekend with a twenty-third and a creditable seventeenth place.

On the other hand, Beatriz Neila was unable to compete in today's races due to the grid limit of 32 riders. Beatriz qualified as the second reserve rider after yesterday's Q1, in which she was still in pain after a crash on Friday. Even so, she will have another chance in Valencia.

Milan Pawelec: "I am very proud of myself and the whole team. I'm not so happy with the first race because we finished fourth... and I always want more. So, in the second race we wanted to do it. We have improved a lot and I am very happy, especially because it is my second victory in this category, in which I am a rookie, and I have very strong and experienced rivals. Now I am second in the standings and we are going to give it our all in Valencia. Many thanks to the team, to all my family and friends who came, to my girlfriend... thank you all very much".

Owen Van Trigt: "We are very happy to have completed our first weekend with Moto2. We know it is a difficult category and that we must take it step by step, with patience, but we are on the right track. Many thanks to the team for their help".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "In today's races, I felt much better with my riding. The bike was great and we are taking very positive steps to continue growing. We knew our pace was good and we could fight for points, but starting from the back of the grid and with the long lap penalty... we couldn't do any more. I also felt good with the circuit and noticed a big improvement over last year. In the second race, I tried to set my own pace, and the red flag affected us because we could have gained a few more positions. I have a lot of confidence in my work and my team. The results will come. We know where we need to improve, and I'm going to achieve that in Valencia".

Marianos Nikolis: "The first race wasn't too bad. We managed to finish second in our group. We made some adjustments for the second race and were really looking forward to it, but I stalled the bike just before the start, so we had to start from the pit lane, which affected the result. We had some bad luck, but we're continuing to work hard to get good results in Valencia".

Kristian Daniel Jr: "The weekend has been very positive for us. It was my second time on this bike and I adapted quite well. The team has helped me a lot and the progress day after day has been clear, so I'm very happy and, above all, confident about the next race. I learned a lot in today's two races. The first one was a bit more difficult for me, but in the second one I felt much better. It was a shame about the red flag on the last lap, but I'm very happy with how we worked. We know where we need to improve".

Milan Pawelec finished fifth in Q2 and showed a truly competitive pace that will allow him to fight for first place

The penultimate FIM JuniorGP round is now underway at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, the home track for the AGR Team. In this final stretch of the season, the team led by Anscari Nadal is in the thick of the fight for the Moto2 European Championship title with Milan Pawelec, who is third in the standings, just thirteen points behind the leader.

Pawelec was the standout rider of the day after finishing fifth in Q2. In addition, Owen Van Trigt, who is making his Moto2 debut this weekend, finished twelfth in Q1 after two days of learning in free practice.

In JuniorGP, the team has two big new additions to the pit: Beatriz Neila and Kristian Daniel Jr, who takes the place left vacant by Owen Van Trigt after his move to Moto2.

In Q1, Marianos Nikolis was the team's best qualifier in seventh place, while Kgopotso Mononyane was tenth and Kristian Daniel Jr seventeenth. Beatriz Neila, who was twentieth, has highlighted her improvement day after day: while yesterday in FP1 she set a best time of 1:54.292, today in Q1 she was able to complete a lap in 1:52.871.

Beatriz has done a great job after yesterday's crash, which took its toll on her physically. Following today's qualifying session, she is the second reserve rider for tomorrow's JuniorGP races.

Milan Pawelec: "From the start here in Barcelona, we've been pretty fast. In Q2, we managed to finish fifth, and I'm happy with this position. All the riders are very evenly matched, so I think we're going to have a very exciting race tomorrow. The key will be to take care of the tyres and keep a cool head. Many thanks to everyone who supports me. We'll give it our all in the races".

Owen Van Trigt: "I've been learning a lot this weekend. Moto2 is totally different from what I've ridden in the past. Today was a very productive day and, although the qualifying session could have gone better, we are growing and I think we are heading in the right direction".

Marianos Nikolis: "It was a bit difficult. I crashed on my second lap of practice, but the team did a great job to get the bike ready for Q1. We fought until the end and tomorrow I think the grip on this track can help us make up some ground".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "We want to take all the positives from the day. I learned a lot in practice and my confidence is growing, which is very good, especially for the races. We still struggle in qualifying when we ride in a group to set a fastest lap, but I try to improve every weekend. Tomorrow will be difficult, but we will try to make up ground".

Kristian Daniel Jr: "I've felt pretty good and strong on the bike. It's been difficult to adapt to the bike, but we're taking the right steps. In fact, we've made a lot of progress in practice, but in Q1 the plan didn't work out as we had hoped. We're going to give it our all in tomorrow's races".

Beatriz Neila: “I had a very good feeling right from the first practice sessions of the weekend. We have worked hard and improved day by day. After Q1, we took another step forward, and I'm very happy about that because the bike is totally different. I'm finding it difficult, above all, to adapt to braking with this bike. It has different inertia, different speeds... little by little, we're making progress. I would have liked to have had more time to ride and adapt, but we're continuing to work. Many thanks to the whole team for their help and to Hadden Sport for the opportunity."

The Spanish rider will compete in the last two rounds of the JuniorGP World Championship thanks to the management company Hadden Sport

AGR Team announces the arrival of Beatriz Neila. The young rider from Madrid, who has just been crowned runner-up in the Women's Motorcycling World Championship, joins the line-up of riders to compete in the last two races of the JuniorGP World Championship.

Beatriz comes to this final part of the JuniorGP season eager to continue growing professionally in a category she has never competed in before. Even so, the Spanish rider has a long history in top-level championships such as the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, the European Talent Cup and the Supersport 300 World Championship, among many other national and international championships.

In this season of the Women's Motorcycle World Championship, which has just ended, Beatriz Neila finished just five points short of the championship title after an exceptional season. Beatriz has achieved four victories, twelve podiums and two pole positions in a total of twelve races in 2025.

Beatriz Neila will be looking to enjoy these two races after such a successful season for her, accompanied by the AGR Team and with the support of Hadden Sport. This new collaboration between Hadden Sport and the AGR Team reinforces their joint commitment to promoting opportunities for young talent and continuing to boost the presence of women in the top categories of the sport.

Beatriz Neila: "I want to thank Hadden Sport for making this experience possible. I am very happy to join such a professional team as AGR Team. I will make my JuniorGP debut in Barcelona, and I think it is a great opportunity for me. It is a really difficult category, sometimes riding as fast as in the Moto3 World Championship, so the goal is to take it step by step and go from less to more. I think these two races at this time of year, when I had a break from competition, will be very good for me to continue learning, training and preparing for the 2026 season. I can't wait to get out on the track!"

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "The addition of Beatriz Neila is very positive for the team. Although she has never competed in this category, Beatriz is a truly professional and hard-working rider, as her results show, and these two races are a good reward for the results she has achieved in the Women's World Championship. We are going to help her in every way we can, just as we do with all our riders. We are very excited, and we must also thank Hadden Sport for their commitment and confidence in our team".

Jesús Capdevila (Executive Director of Hadden Sport): "We are proud to accompany Beatriz in this step within the JuniorGP. At Hadden Sport, we firmly believe in her talent and her ability to continue growing within international motorcycling. This project with the AGR Team reflects our commitment to developing riders and continuing to open up opportunities for female talent in the sport".

The Spanish rider will not compete in the last two rounds of the FIM JuniorGP with the team

AGR Team officially announces the departure of Yvonne Cerpa from the team led by Anscari Nadal. This decision has been taken by mutual agreement between the AGR Team and her management agency, Hadden Sport, meaning that Cerpa will not be able to compete in the last two FIM JuniorGP rounds with AGR.

The AGR Team wishes Yvonne Cerpa the best of luck in the future.

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): “When we started the project with Yvonne, we were very excited, but things went from good to bad. We have to look forward, not back, and sometimes things don't turn out the way you want them to. I wish Yvonne the best of luck in her personal and professional future”.

Mavi Quiroz (CEO & Co-Founder of Hadden Sport): “This difficult decision has been taken by mutual agreement with the AGR Team. We thank the whole team for their professionalism and continuous work in support of Yvonne's growth. As representatives of the rider, we will explore all possible alternatives to find a path where Yvonne can continue to learn and develop her full potential”.

By mutual agreement with the team, the Dutch rider has begun his preparation for what will be his category in 2026, while the American will race the last two rounds of the FIM JuniorGP

The AGR Team riders continue to grow and take steps forward. Ahead of the upcoming races, the team led by Anscari Nadal arrives with changes to its rider line-up.

On the one hand, Owen Van Trigt, who until now was competing in the JuniorGP World Championship, has decided to make the leap to the Moto2 category. The Dutch rider has already begun his preparation and training, and will start competing as soon as he is 100% ready for this new challenge.

As a result of this move, the team's reserve rider, Kristian Daniel Jr, will compete in the last two rounds in the JuniorGP category. The American rider will race in both Barcelona and Valencia, filling the place left by Van Trigt in this category.

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "As we always say, our main goal is to train our riders and help them grow. In this regard, Owen Van Trigt is going to take a necessary leap to a higher category, and we believe we can help him a lot. But this also means that our reserve rider, Kristian Daniel Jr, will have the opportunity to race in the last two rounds and show everyone his great potential. We will continue to work together to provide our riders with the best conditions and do our bit to help them reach the top".

Owen Van Trigt: "I am very happy to make the jump to the next category. Both the team and I had been clear about this since before the summer, and now is a good time to start my preparation for this new class, in which I am convinced that I will feel more comfortable with the bike and be able to move up the field".

Kristian Daniel Jr: "I can't wait to get on the bike. We are also very hungry and ambitious because we have trained hard throughout the year and now having this opportunity in the Junior World Championship is super exciting. I want to thank all the sponsors, my family and 111 Management for making this possible".

The AGR Team rider is now third in the Moto2 European Championship and just thirteen points behind the leader

The fifth FIM JuniorGP round ended on a high note for the AGR Team with another podium finish for Milan Pawelec. The Polish rider showed great consistency after starting from tenth on the grid and made a remarkable comeback to secure his third podium finish of the season in his rookie year.

Pawelec went from tenth on the grid and moved up to third with just two laps to go. With today's result at Misano, Pawelec is now third in the Moto2 European Championship standings with 111 points, just thirteen points behind the leader.

In JuniorGP, the first race began with the misfortune of Marianos Nikolis crashing out. The AGR Team rider, who started with high expectations, went down in the early stages as he sought to move up to the front group. On the fourth lap, the red flag was shown and the race was restarted with a distance of seven laps. In this race, Kgopotso Mononyane showed his good pace and managed to complete a great comeback to eleventh position. In this first race, Owen Van Trigt finished twenty-second and Yvone Cerpa twenty-fourth.

In the second race, Mononyane fought again in one of the front groups and scored points again after crossing the finish line in fifteenth place, although he was affected by arm pump. Marianos Nikolis was twenty-first, followed by Owen Van Trigt, and Yvonne Cerpa finished twenty-sixth.

Milan Pawelec: "It was very difficult at the beginning, I started tenth and I struggled. But I knew I could move forward, I knew I had a better pace than the riders in front of me. As the laps went by, I felt more comfortable and gained positions, and in the end I pushed hard to get on the podium. It was a very good result, congratulations to Alberto Surra and Xabi Zurutuza for their race, now we are already thinking about Barcelona. We are now third in the championship and it's very close, so we're going to go for it."

Kgopotso Mononyane: "We had two good races today. We knew we could be at the front because we had been on a very good pace since Thursday. The qualifying session didn't go well for us, but we knew the pace was there because we had trained for it. In the first race, I started twenty-third and finished eleventh, and I was even ninth on the last lap, but it was a tough battle with the group. We also had the fifth fastest lap of the race. In the second race, we started with a lot of confidence and fought for the top 10 again, but it was difficult to finish because I had problems with arm pump. It was a positive weekend, and we hope to take more steps forward in Barcelona."

Marianos Nikolis: "We had bad luck today. We felt very strong after having the best Saturday of the season. In the first race, I crashed at the start, and in the second race we suffered more than expected with the heat. I hope our luck changes in Barcelona, we will continue to work hard."

Owen Van Trigt: "Overall, the weekend wasn't bad. We have to look at how we started on Thursday and how we improved every day. It's true that we suffered with the heat and the tyres in the second race, and that affected me too. The team worked very well and if we continue on this path, we can be further ahead in Barcelona."

Yvonne Cerpa: "The first race went very well because I moved up eight positions at the start, although we had to stop due to a red flag. When the race resumed, I got off to another great start and was able to keep up with a fast group. In the last two laps, I made a few mistakes and fell behind, but I'm happy. In the second race, we didn't do so well. I fell behind from the start, so I tried to push and set my own pace. We'll take away the positives and the growth we've made over the weekend, which has been a lot. Now it's time to think about Barcelona."

Milan Pawelec will start tenth in Moto2 after a difficult Q2, but he has shown one of the best paces in his category throughout the weekend

The fifth round of the FIM JuniorGP takes place this weekend at the Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli. The championship arrives at this Italian track after a long summer break, during which the AGR Team riders have been able to continue training to ensure they are in top form for this race.

Milan Pawelec was once again one of the fastest in all the Moto2 sessions held at the Italian track, and he consistently improved his times to go straight through to Q2 after a practice session in which he was second with a best time of 1:35.525. 

Despite this, Q2 was difficult for him and did not go as he had hoped. In the end, Pawelec finished tenth (1:36.334).

In the JuniorGP category, the standout rider was Marianos Nikolis, who qualified for Q2 for the first time after a great Q1 session in which he finished second (1:42.561). In this final qualifying session with the fastest riders, Nikolis demonstrated his progress with a best time of 1:42.545, which ultimately placed him fourteenth. Meanwhile, the other three AGR Team riders in this category were unable to make it through to Q2: in Q1, Kgopotso Mononyane was eleventh, Owen Van Trigt twelfth and Yvonne Cerpa sixteenth.

Milan Pawelec: "We were very competitive and had great pace throughout the weekend. Even so, it was very difficult for me to be just as fast in Q2. The conditions were different and I wasn't able to put together a really fast lap. We'll start tenth, we'll have to fight and we hope to make up ground. We're focusing on the positives".

Marianos Nikolis: "It's been the best Saturday of the year for me. I feel very good with the bike and with the team. We suffered with some things that were beyond our control, so I think we could have even achieved a better result. But, as I said, I'm happy, I had fun, and we're looking forward to tomorrow's races with great enthusiasm. Many thanks to the team for all their work".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "Overall, we're working well throughout the weekend, but Q1 was difficult, to be honest. We were pretty fast in practice, but I know that qualifying is something I need to improve on. I think we have good pace and, although we have a penalty that will see us start from the back of the grid, we can come back and do well".

Owen Van Trigt: "During the summer break I've been training both physically and on the bike. It's my first time at this circuit and I'm enjoying it, but we didn't manage to have a good qualifying session. We have to work to make up ground tomorrow. I need to improve, especially in the fast corners".

Yvonne Cerpa: "I'm happy to be back racing after the long summer break. This weekend we're making slow progress. I had a crash on Thursday, but we've recovered well and today I was able to set my best time in the morning. In Q1, we didn't do as well as we had hoped. I rode slower than this morning because I couldn't complete a single lap without being bothered. Even so, we know we have good potential, and we're really looking forward to tomorrow's two races".

The Dutch rider is suffering from physical problems from which he has been unable to recover in time

From 18 to 21 September, the fifth round of the FIM JuniorGP will take place at Misano, a circuit where the AGR Team arrives with high expectations after Milan Pawelec's victory in the last race in Aragón, which has put him firmly in contention for the Moto2 European Championship title.

However, the AGR Team will not be able to field a full line-up for this round, which is being held at the Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli. Specifically, European Talent Cup rider Kiyano Veijer will not be present at the Italian track. The young Dutchman is suffering from physical problems following his training sessions during the summer break and is undergoing tests to determine the extent of his discomfort. He is also working to resolve the issue as quickly and effectively as possible with the aim of being present for the next round of the championship.

In this regard, the AGR Team will compete at Misano with Milan Pawelec in Moto2 and with Kgopotso Mononyane, Marianos Nikolis, Owen Van Trigt and Yvonne Cerpa in JuniorGP.

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "It's a shame that we won't be able to count on Kiyano Veijer, a rider who was showing good progress from the first races. But the most important thing is that he recovers well from his physical discomfort, so we are going to support him as much as possible and wish him continued positive progress so that he can be in the next race".

The Polish rider continues to confirm himself as one of the Moto2 references in his first year in this category full of much more experienced riders

The AGR Team goes into the summer break with a very good taste in its mouth. The team led by Anscari Nadal won the second Moto2 race with Milan Pawelec, a rider who continues to surprise in his first year in Moto2.

After a complicated first race in which he finished eighth, Pawelec was able to learn and get good information for the second race. Both races were interrupted by a red flag and ended up being run over nine laps. In the second race, the AGR Team rider set a pace that nobody could follow in the final laps, which allowed him to take his first victory in Moto2.

Currently, in his rookie year, Milan Pawelec is third in the riders' standings with 95 points, just 29 points behind the leader.

In the JuniorGP class, Marianos Nikolis has scored his first points in the championship. The Australian rider, after starting from twentieth position, fought for the top 10 in the first race and crossed the finish line fourteenth. In the first race, Kgopotso Mononyane crashed two laps from the end when he was coming up, while Yvonne Cerpa was twenty-fifth.

In the second race Nikolis was seventeenth, Kgopotso Mononyane twenty-third and Yvonne Cerpa thirtieth. The bad news came from Owen Van Trigt, who was unable to ride the first race due to a bee sting in his left eye yesterday afternoon. The swelling went down for the second race, which he was able to start, although not in the best conditions. In the end, Van Trigt finished 27th.

In the European Talent Cup, Kiyano Veijer had to go through the repechage race. After starting from the back of the grid due to a technical problem during Q1, the Dutch rider made a comeback and finished eighth, a position that was not enough to qualify for the main race of the day.

Milan Pawelec: "I am very happy to get my first win in the Moto2 European Championship. I was also able to do it at MotorLand Aragón, my favourite circuit, so it was a perfect race for me. The first one was a bit hard, but we managed the tyres better in the second one and everything went great. We did an excellent job with the team, so I can only thank them for this weekend, as well as my friends and all the sponsors who support me. It's been a great four days here, so I'm looking forward to the next round".

Marianos Nikolis: "It was a very positive day, I scored my first points of the season in the JuniorGP. Finishing the first race in fourteenth position was great news, although in the second race we struggled a bit more under more extreme track conditions. Even so, I think we also showed a good pace in the final part of the race and I was at the front of the group I was fighting with on the last lap. It's a pity I couldn't get into the front group, but it's something we have to work on on Saturdays so that we can be a bit closer on the grid and be more competitive in the race. Anyway, it was a very positive way to end the weekend, so I can only thank all my team for the work they do to make everything work perfectly. We are going into the summer break looking forward to working even harder".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "I had to start race one from the back of the grid, so I tried not to put too much pressure on myself and gradually make up positions. I started from the back of the grid and by the end of the race I was already sixteenth, but unfortunately we couldn't finish. In the second race, from the second lap I noticed a wasp in my boots and it kept bothering me, so it was not easy to keep my concentration. Unfortunately, this weekend we couldn't be as fast as we would like to be, so I hope to be able to make a step forward in Misano. The summer break gives us more motivation than ever to keep working and to be stronger for the second part of the season. The goal is to be in the top five or ten in the following races and I see myself able to do it together with my team".

Yvonne Cerpa: "The first race was quite difficult for me, both physically and mentally. I think we started off a bit unfocused, the group got away from me too quickly and I was fighting with another rider, but not where we wanted to be. In the second race, I had a problem with the gearbox. I was riding very hard and it was difficult to downshift, so I was going long in many corners and I couldn't keep up with the pace of the group. It was a difficult Sunday in general, but we have to keep the positive things, so we will learn for the next one. I'm looking forward to switching off for the holidays so I can get back to 100% at Misano".

Owen Van Trigt: "Yesterday afternoon I was stung by a bee on my eyelid and I had a strong reaction. Because of this, my eye was swollen and swollen, so it was not possible for me to race in the first race. In the second race I was declared fit, I went out, but obviously I was not in the best conditions. Now it's time to rest and continue training during the summer break".

Kiyano Veijer: "Yesterday we had a technical problem in qualifying and I couldn't set a time, so we had to start from the back in the repechage race. The start wasn't bad, then I slowly worked my way up, but it was difficult. This weekend we have learned a lot and we have to keep that in mind, I will take advantage of the summer to train".

Luis Borrás (technical director): "We are very happy, after the World Championship race Milan has had a very good change of attitude. He was very consistent from the first day, he rode alone, he had a good pace... today the track was different in the first race and Milan didn't know how to manage the tyre wear, but for the second race we analysed the data, we worked with him... and in the second race he was able to manage it perfectly. I think he made a big step forward this weekend and I'm sure he'll give us a lot more to smile about in Misano".

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "I am very happy to dedicate this victory on behalf of the entire AGR Team to Pau Alsina and Abel Aguirre, as well as to all their family and friends. RIP".

The Polish rider showed great pace to fight for the victory in the Moto2 races at Aragón

The FIM JuniorGP has reached its halfway point with the fourth round of the championship. The AGR Team arrives in top form, but with a special remembrance for Pau Alsina, a rider who passed away recently and to whom the team led by Anscari Nadal had a special affection. Of course, all the results achieved by the AGR Team this weekend will be dedicated to Pau Alsina, his family, friends and team.

Today, Saturday 26th July, the qualifying sessions were held in which the AGR Team was once again one of the most outstanding teams in the Moto2 European Championship. Milan Pawelec was again the most outstanding rider of the team after leading some free practice sessions, being always in the front positions and after having set the third fastest time in the Moto2 Q2 with a best lap of 1:51.528.

In the JuniorGP class, Kgopotso Mononyane was the team's best qualifier with an eighth place in Q1 (1:59.046). Meanwhile, Marianos Nikolis was tenth (1:5.346), Owen Van Trigt thirteenth (2:00.090) and Yvonne Cerpa finished seventeenth (2:01.859).

Kiyano Veijer in Group B of the European Talent Cup made progress from the start of the weekend, but a technical problem on his first lap in Q1 prevented him from setting any lap time in this qualifying session.

Milan Pawelec: "I'm happy, it's the second time I've qualified on the front row in Moto2. I like this track, from the beginning we showed that we are very fast and we worked very well with the whole team. In the end we did the third fastest time, which is a good result, and we have a good pace for tomorrow's race. We'll see what happens, but I'm happy with the bike, the team and the circuit, so we have high hopes. Thank you very much to everyone who supports me and the team for their work".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "Q1 didn't go as I expected. It was a difficult session, at the beginning with the heat I couldn't perform at my best. In practice we performed well, but we couldn't translate that into Q1, I suffered a bit and I'm pissed off not to get into Q2, especially as I think we have the capabilities and the pace to do it. We will try to find the solutions to come back in tomorrow's races".

Marianos Nikolis: "It wasn't too bad, but the day was a bit difficult. I don't think I managed the different situations we encountered in qualifying in the best way, but we have been working hard since the beginning of the weekend and I think that will be reflected in tomorrow's races. Thank you very much to the whole team for their support and hard work".

Owen Van Trigt: "We didn't have a good day today, we were well prepared for Q1, but a bad tyre affected our performance and we couldn't do more. Tomorrow we will be looking for a comeback".

Yvonne Cerpa: "In the morning practice I felt better with the bike, I was able to improve my times, although I think I could have improved more, but I was in a group that was cutting and that makes you lose time. Q1 didn't go as I expected, I went out with the group, but I had a mistake and they got away from me. I only had time to do a more or less decent lap, although it was worse than in practice. Tomorrow in the races we will have to start very strong from the beginning because the rivals are going to push hard, I will try to stay as much as possible in the group to keep learning and improving".

Kiyano Veijer: "It was a pity to end the day like this, the team and I were doing a great job, but we had a problem just after going out of Q1. Tomorrow we will have to come back, we are going to give it our all".

Milan Pawelec crashed following a touch from another rider with three laps to go after a very consistent race and after making up several positions

The Czech Republic Grand Prix has come to an end at the Brno circuit, where AGR Team Füsport has completed a weekend of learning and growth with its rider Milan Pawelec.

The 18-year-old Polish rider made his debut this weekend in the Moto2 World Championship, a category where the equality is very high and where he has faced some of the best riders in the world. Pawelec, who was unable to complete all the sessions on Friday due to heavy rain, was able to improve his times on Saturday and set his best lap times.

Today, in the race, the AGR Team Füsport rider was very determined from the start and kept a steady pace that allowed him to climb some positions. Throughout the race he was fighting with a group of rivals to finish in the top 25, rivals with much more experience than him both in the Moto2 class and, logically, in the World Championship. But bad luck struck with three laps to go, when Pawelec went to the ground after a touch from another rider. This crash did not leave any physical consequences for the rider.

Milan Pawelec: "It was a really enriching weekend for me. It's true that I'm not entirely happy because another rider touched me with three laps to go and I crashed. I would have liked to have finished the race, but we have to keep the positives... and we had a lot of positives. We came with the objective of learning and we did it, it was a great experience. Now we have to focus on the next round of the Moto2 European Championship, which will be next week in Aragón. Many thanks to my team for their work, to all my sponsors for helping me so much and to all the spectacular Polish fans who have supported me".

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "It was a pity we couldn't finish off the good work we did by finishing the race, but that's the way the sport is. We wanted Milan to learn as much as possible and gain a lot of experience, and he did. Now we have to apply all this knowledge in our championship, in the FIM JuniorGP, where we are in great shape after a podium in the last race. We are going to keep working and supporting Milan, thank you very much to all the sponsors for making all this possible".

The AGR Team Füsport rider faced difficult weather conditions on Friday and today he set the fifteenth fastest time in Q1

AGR Team Füsport has completed the free practice and qualifying sessions for the Czech Republic Grand Prix. The team led by Anscari Nadal showed good progress despite the difficult weather conditions, a determining factor for all the riders, but especially for a rookie like Milan Pawelec.

The Polish rider was not able to ride in the best possible conditions during Friday's practice sessions. While in the first free practice the conditions were mixed and complicated, in practice the rain was very intense. In fact, the intensity of the rain forced the race direction to show the red flag and end the session early.

These are the most difficult conditions for a rookie rider like Pawelec, but on Saturday the weather improved. In the second free practice in dry conditions, Pawelec and AGR Team Füsport were able to make better use of the time and after twelve laps, the Polish rider was 27th with a time of 2:00.756.

Pawelec had to go through Q1, a session in which the AGR Team rider set his best time in the final part of the session. In the end, Milan Pawelec finished Q1 in fifteenth position thanks to a best lap of 2:00.682. Tomorrow's Moto2 race at Brno will start at 12:15.

Milan Pawelec: "It's been an intense weekend of hard work. Every time we go out on track we learn a lot, this experience is helping us to grow in every way. Little by little I have been improving my lap times, but I still want more. Tomorrow in the race we will fight for the comeback, but we will not lose the focus of our main objective: to learn and to be better and better".

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "Competing with the best riders in the world is always difficult for a rookie, but even more so if we face conditions like Friday, a day where it is essential to do a lot of laps to learn as much as possible. Today we made a step forward and the team is working well. Our goal is to keep learning and to get the best possible result tomorrow in the race. We are going to give it our all!"

The Czech Republic Grand Prix takes place this weekend at the Brno circuit, where Pawelec will compete against the best riders in the world in his category

The AGR Team is facing a very special week for the whole team. This coming weekend the Czech Republic MotoGP Grand Prix takes place at the Brno circuit, where Milan Pawelec will make his debut in the Moto2 World Championship.

The 18-year-old Polish rider, who made his debut this 2025 in the Moto2 class with AGR Team, has shown in just three rounds of the Moto2 European Championship that he is ready to compete with the best in the world. After five races in this championship, Milan Pawelec has not only scored points in every race, but has also achieved a pole position and a podium, results that place him as the best rookie in the category and fifth in the overall classification of riders, just 26 points behind the leader.

In this sense, the AGR Team has seen a great progression in its rider and considers him ready for this World Championship round in Brno, where the main objective will be to learn in each session with the best riders and teams in the world.

Milan Pawelec: "I'm really looking forward to this race weekend, I can't wait to get out on track for the first time in the World Championship. This circuit is very fast and demanding, but it won't be the first time I've raced there and I feel very fit. I am really looking forward to being able to fight with the most experienced riders in the world and I am sure that both the team and I will show a great performance. I want to thank everyone who has helped and supported me to get this opportunity. We are ready!"

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "We are going to enjoy this weekend. Milan has shown us that, despite his youth, he is a very hard-working rider, a fast learner and has a good understanding with his technical team. This is a great opportunity for us. As always when we go out on track, wherever we are, we will give our best and try to get the best possible result and dedicate it to all those who support us, especially our sponsors, because without them we could not be here".

The Polish rider finished second in the first race at Magny-Cours after a weekend marked by the memory of Borja Gómez and the changing weather conditions

The AGR Team took its first podium of the season at Magny-Cours with Milan Pawelec. The Polish rider, who is making his debut in this year's Moto2 European Championship, continues to prove that he is one of the clear candidates for victory at every FIM JuniorGP round.

In the first race of the day, Pawelec had a difficult start and lost positions, but showed that his pace was among the best. Gradually he started to come back and even set the fastest lap (1:38.576), he was in first position and fought for the victory, but on the last lap the race direction showed red flag and he finally finished second.

After this race in dry conditions, the Moto2 riders had to face the rain in the second race, in which Pawelec crossed the finish line in eighth position.

Rain also played a role in JuniorGP, a category whose race also ended with a red flag after a crash for Kgopotso Mononyane. Marianos Nikolis was twenty-second, Owen Van Trigt twenty-fifth and Yvonne Cerpa twenty-sixth.

Also in the European Talent Cup, Kiyano Veijer was fifth in the last chance race and set the fastest lap with a time of 1:51.046.

Milan Pawelec: "The day was amazing. In the first race I had a contact with another rider on the second lap and lost distance to the leader, but I had the pace, caught the group and managed to take the lead. I was struggling, but in the end I'm happy with second place. In the second lap the track conditions were very difficult with the rain, but in the end we finished eighth and cut points in the championship. I'm happy, the team worked great and now we come to Aragón, which is my favourite track".

Kiyano Veijer: "The last chance race was quite difficult. I didn't have a good start, I lost some positions and in the first few laps I was recovering until I got to the front of the group. It started to rain and I kept pushing, I was looking strong, but unfortunately race direction brought out the red flag and I couldn't make it to the front. I was looking strong. I am happy with everything we have learned this weekend".

Yvonne Cerpa: "Today we knew it could rain and it did. It's the first time I've ridden this bike in the water and it was on a circuit I didn't know, so our goal was to gain confidence little by little, adapt and learn. We did it, but we couldn't complete all the laps because race direction showed out the red flag. Overall I have learned a lot and I am still growing, thank you very much to the team for all their help during the weekend".

Marianos Nikolis: "The race was quite difficult, the conditions were difficult because of the rain. The rain came just before the start of the race and the team was very quick to get the bike ready, so I thank them for their good work. We gave our best, we were able to come back... but obviously with the rain I didn't have all the confidence. We'll keep working for the next race in Aragón".

Owen Van Trigt: "Today with the rain it was difficult. We had a bit of chaos with the change of conditions, but we were able to go out with everything ready. I felt comfortable with the front of the bike, the rear didn't give me all the confidence in the rain... but I think we made a good progression over the weekend. Many thanks to the team for their work".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "In the first laps of the race I moved up several positions. I saw that the others didn't have the best feeling, so I pushed because I also had to do a long lap penalty. I took the penalty on the third lap, saw that there was less chaos, and then I started to gain positions again. I felt really good, confident with the bike and the track... but I crashed. We made an important step forward and the team's work was exceptional, so we have to keep the positives".

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "Even though we got our first podium of the year, we have nothing to celebrate. People come first and foremost and this weekend has been very hard for everyone involved in this championship. The podium is in the background. I want to give all the strength and encouragement possible to Borja's family, from the AGR Team we are with them in these difficult moments".

The AGR Team wants to dedicate its results to the memory of Borja Gómez. The memory of the whole team is with his family, team and friends.

The Polish rider continues to be one of the benchmarks of the Moto2 European Championship and was third in Q2 with a best lap time of 1:38.153

The third FIM JuniorGP round is proving to be one of the most difficult to complete for both riders and teams. After the tragic accident on Thursday, in which Borja Gómez was confirmed to have passed away, the championship organisers decided to continue with the weekend of competition, so the AGR Team will try to dedicate the best possible results to Borja, his family, team and friends at the Magny-Cours circuit.

On the sporting side, the most outstanding AGR Team rider was once again Milan Pawelec. The Polish rider, who took pole position at the previous round in Jerez, will start tomorrow's two races of the Moto2 European Championship from the front row of the grid. Pawelec, with a best time of 1:38.153 in Q2, was third.

In the JuniorGP class, the AGR Team riders were unable to get past Q1, a session in which Kgopotso Mononyane was tenth, Marianos Nikolis twelfth, Owen Van Trigt fifteenth and Yvonne Cerpa seventeenth.

In addition, Kiyano Veijer was the tenth fastest rider in Q1 of the European Talent Cup Group A.

Milan Pawelec: "It's a difficult weekend, but if we focus on the sporting side, the feeling on the bike is perfect. Once again I got another front row in my third qualifying session in this category on a new circuit for me. I am happy with the work of the team and with the performance we are showing in every session, we are showing that we are always at the front and we are getting faster and faster. Thank you very much to the team for their work and to all the people who support me".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "It's not an easy weekend for any of us because of what happened on Thursday, but we are still trying to do our best in memory of Borja. Today I did my best in Q1, we knew we had good pace. Unfortunately we couldn't make it through to Q2 because I couldn't do my best sectors together on the same lap. I know my potential and I know we can be higher, even in the top 10, the target doesn't change and I know I can do it. We worked very well with the bike and we are still learning, but unfortunately tomorrow I have to do a long lap penalty. We'll give it our all".

Owen Van Trigt: "We have been struggling a bit this weekend. I have to improve on some points and keep working on the set-up. We are working as hard as we can and the team is helping me, so I thank them for all their work. We hope that tomorrow we can make a comeback".

Yvonne Cerpa: "It's been a difficult weekend, both on and off the track. On a sporting level I'm slowly adapting to this new circuit for me, it's taking me a bit of time to improve, but we are doing it step by step. Tomorrow we don't know if the race will be dry or wet, but we are ready for whatever comes".

Kiyano Veijer: "In free practice I lost a lot of time to find the best feeling on this track and today I was still learning how to improve in certain sectors. We will keep working all afternoon so that tomorrow we can continue to improve and complete a good comeback".

The Polish rider will make his debut in the Moto2 World Championship as a wild card at the Brno circuit

The next Grand Prix of the Czech Republic will be really special for AGR Team and Milan Pawelec. The team directed by Anscari Nadal will compete in this round of the Moto2 World Championship with the Polish rider, the great revelation of the Moto2 European Championship.

This Grand Prix will be held from 18 to 20 July, dates on which Milan Pawelec will compete for the first time in a World Championship race. This announcement comes after a great start for Pawelec with the AGR Team in the FIM JuniorGP.

Pawelec, who is making his debut in the Moto2 class in 2025, has shown great determination and in just two races has proved that he is on a par with much more experienced riders in the Moto2 European Championship. In fact, in just the first three races, Pawelec has taken pole position, twice fought for podium finishes and is currently the best rookie in the category.

In this sense, this Grand Prix to be held at the Brno circuit is a great opportunity for the AGR Team rider to continue learning and gaining important experience for his future and his sporting growth.

Milan Pawelec: "I am very happy that we have the opportunity to ride as a wild card at Brno because it is the closest MotoGP circuit to my home. Just to share the track with the World Championship riders is something incredible for me. I'm really looking forward to it, I've been working and training hard, so I'm going to give my best, as always. Thank you very much to everyone who supports me and to all those who have made it possible for me to have this opportunity".

Anscari Nadal (team manager): "We are proud to be able to make this announcement. Milan is working very well and is showing us all what he is capable of. His consistency and hard work makes us confident that we have a very nice and special Grand Prix ahead of us. As always, from the AGR Team we will give him all the support he needs to keep growing and adding new experiences".

Luis Borrás (technical director): "Milan has shown excellent progress since he started working with us. This season he has had very little time with Moto2 and he is going very fast. It is true that he lacks a lot of experience, but he has shown that he has great potential. This opportunity will be very good for him to grow and to understand the future that lies ahead, and if he continues with this progression he will soon reach the World Championship. In that sense, he has to start to understand the discipline of this category, which is very difficult and competitive. We are very proud to be able to accompany a rider to the World Championship and show what we can do".

The young Polish rider, who started from pole position and finished fourth in the race, completed a weekend unbefitting for a rookie in the category

The AGR Team was once again just off the podium in the second FIM JuniorGP round. Milan Pawelec was once again one of the biggest surprises of the championship as, in only his second round in Moto2, he took pole position on Saturday and a creditable fourth place in Sunday's race.

Pawelec started well and held first position, but on the second lap the race direction showed the red flag after finding oil on the track at turn six. The race was restarted with ten laps to go and the AGR Team rider lost two positions. Pawelec was always in the fight for victory and rode most of the race in podium positions, but finally crossed the finish line in fourth position, just half a second off his first podium in Moto2. The Polish rider also set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:41.640.

In the JuniorGP class, Kgopotso Mononyane managed to score points in the first race with a fifteenth place, while in the second race he finished twenty-fourth. Marianos Nikolis was sixteenth and eighteenth, Owen Van Trigt twenty-third and twenty-sixth and Yvonne Cerpa twenty-eighth and crashed in the second race, although she showed great progress in her first weekend of competition in this category.

In the European Talent Cup, Kiyano Veijer continued to gain experience and was very consistent. Finally, the Dutch rider finished 22nd in the first race and improved to 16th in the second race.

Milan Pawelec: "The race was very difficult. We had a good start and the first part went well, but it was stopped by a red flag. The second race was very tough, I finished fourth and I am happy about that. I think I lacked some experience, but we are on the right track to reach the podium. We will keep training and preparing for the next race at Magny-Cours. Thanks to all the team for their work and support".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "The feeling was very good. I knew we were starting the race from the back, I had no pressure and I just wanted to learn as much as possible and move up positions. I felt very good with the bike, we got a good setting in practice, where we also got a good pace for the race. In the end, I just had to manage the tyres and know how to read the race. In both races we fought for the points, which coming from 23rd position is a very positive thing. The time was good, we were consistent despite the crash in the second race. I was able to make a big step forward in my riding and I want to continue to do so in the next rounds. We know our potential, I am happy with the progress we have made this weekend. Thanks to everyone for their work, we'll be back at Magny-Cours looking forward to more".

Marianos Nikolis: "Both races were very good for me, and they were my first two full races in JuniorGP. I am very happy to have been able to fight for points, I was able to make a good start and I fought with several riders and overtook them. All this has allowed me to show my potential and gain experience. Thanks to the team for all the work and what they are doing for me. We will keep on training to arrive at Magny-Cours as prepared as possible".

Owen Van Trigt: "In race one we had a good start, but on the first lap another rider touched me in the first corners and this caused me to lose positions from the start. I tried to get back into the group, but I was already far behind. In the second race I also lost the group after a small scare in turn 8, so again I had to come back, it was not the best Sunday of racing, but we will keep working to improve for the next round".

Yvonne Cerpa: "In the first race I got a good start and was able to overtake several riders on the first lap. This allowed me to position myself in a group that had more pace than me, so I was able to learn from them. I went long to avoid a collision with another rider and then I was a little bit off the pace. I tried to recover, but in the end I couldn't catch them. I'm happy with the work I did here. In the second race I didn't have such a good start, I tried to go on the inside of the first corner, I couldn't avoid another rider and I crashed. It was a pity because I would have liked to do both races to continue learning. I'm happy with the progression of the weekend and we'll continue to give our best in the next races".

Kiyano Veijer: "The first race was difficult. I didn't have a good start and then I tried to push as hard as I could to make up positions. On lap five or so I had cramps in my leg and I couldn't ride comfortably. In the second race I showed the strength I lacked in the first race to overtake other riders. I felt good in the group and on the last lap I tried to do my best to be at the front of the group. I'm happy with the weekend's work".

The Polish rider will start the race from pole position in only his second Moto2 race

The Jerez-Ángel Nieto circuit hosts this weekend the second FIM JuniorGP round. Despite the difficult conditions for the riders and the team due to the high temperatures, the AGR Team is in a very good shape.

Milan Pawelec was the highlight of the day's qualifying sessions. The Polish rider showed from the beginning of the weekend that he is one of the strongest riders in the Moto2 European Championship and, while he was the fastest in FP2 on Friday, he started Saturday with the first position in practice.

Pawelec went straight through to Q2, a session in which he once again showed his full potential, even though this is only his second race weekend on the Moto2 bike. The AGR Team rider was the fastest in the category with a time of 1:41.504.

Yvonne Cerpa was also a protagonist. The Spanish rider, who is making her debut this weekend with the team and in the JuniorGP class, showed great progress against much more experienced rivals. While in FP1 on Friday her best time was 1:49.342, today in practice she improved to 1:48.553. Finally, in Q1 she was fifteenth, a session in which Marianos Nikolis was seventh, Kgopotso Mononyane ninth and Owen Van Trigt tenth.

Also in the European Talent Cup, Kiyano Veijer made it through to Q2 in Group A after finishing fourth in Q1 with a time of 1:50.700. In the end, Veijer was fourteenth thanks to a best time of 1:52.504 in Q2, a session in which the hot conditions were really difficult.

Milan Pawelec: "I am very happy. It was tough because of the heat and the wind, but from morning to afternoon we showed very good pace. We were first in both practice and Q2 and we showed that we can be consistent. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race".

Yvonne Cerpa: "To be honest, I feel really good. Every run we've done we've made progress. In Q1 I think I could have even gone a step further, but a lot of riders were bothering us in the group. Still, I'm happy with how things are going, we want to keep improving and learning, which is the most important thing".

Kiyano Veijer: "The day started with some complications, but we worked very well to solve the problems we had. I was motivated in Q1 and we were able to qualify for Q2, I think we did well and I am happy, even though Q2 was not our best session. Now we have to think about tomorrow's races".

Marianos Nikolis: "The day was good, we saw that we are strong in many areas, we are on the right track because we are seeing the growth we are having compared to the first round in Estoril. It was difficult in Q1 because of too much traffic, but I am happy overall with the day and the work of the whole team".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "In practice I managed to improve a lot compared to Friday. We made steps forward with the bike and with my riding style, I understand different aspects better and that's important. In Q1 we weren't able to do as many laps as we wanted to, but we can take a lot of positives from it, we were very close to Q2 and we know that our potential is really good".

Owen Van Trigt: "I'm not feeling quite right this weekend, the day didn't go as planned but we know we can improve. The most important day is tomorrow and we will do our best to get back on track".

In 2025, the FIM JuniorGP team will be supported by this company dedicated to the precious metals market

This season the AGR Team has a new sponsor that joins the FIM JuniorGP sporting project: SilverGold Patrimonio, a company born in Málaga in 2018 with the clear mission of making the precious metals market accessible to small and medium savers.

SilverGold Patrimonio works with precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium and osmium, and its deep knowledge of the sector has allowed them to innovate in the market by offering new purchasing alternatives so that any person, family or company can enter the investment metals market in a simple way and accompanied by expert consultants.

This company offers a wide variety of flexible purchase plans, custody of the metal with first class security and the continuous accompaniment by a specialised consultant with whom to assess the best options at any given time according to the needs and objectives.

The company also offers its customers the possibility of making direct and quick purchases through its online shop Invermoneda, which offers gold and silver coins and bars from the most prestigious refineries on the planet, giving them the possibility of expanding their collection with new series that stand out for their design and rarity. Likewise, and with their sights set on diversification -the key to all Intelligent Heritage-, they have other lines of business at their disposal, such as Universo Diamante, an ecommerce site with a huge catalogue of certified diamonds in great demand; GoldenArt, a shop offering works of art and numismatic items; or Osmio Inversión, which presents precious jewellery minted with a metal as scarce as it is valuable, osmium.

Proof of SilverGold Patrimonio's excellent results are its more than 180 consultants, more than 3,100 clients and 95 percent of renewed operations. This success joins those of the AGR Team, a team with a long history in international championships and which is committed to the training and growth of young motorcycling talents with whom it has achieved numerous victories and, not only that, also helping them to reach the top elite of this sport such as the MotoGP World Championship.

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager AGR Team): "We are very proud that a company like SilverGold Patrimonio is joining our project in 2025. We are delighted that a Spanish company of this level can support the sport and shares our values of success and vision for the future. The support of sponsors is fundamental in motorcycling and our success will be theirs".

Javier López Milán (CEO SilverGold Patrimonio): "The world of sport harbours the values and challenges that our company treasures on a daily basis on the road to growth. Daily effort, perseverance, self-criticism and constant reflection seeking to strengthen our weak points... the AGR Team is a mirror in which to look at ourselves and we hope to contribute to make them shine like precious metals".

You can find all the information about SilverGold Patrimonio on their website: www.silvergoldpatrimonio.com

The Spanish rider makes the jump to the JuniorGP World Championship with the team led by Anscari Nadal. Cerpa to debut with AGR Team at Jerez

AGR Team keeps growing and adding young talents to its structure. From the second round of the FIM JuniorGP championship, to be held this coming weekend at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto, Yvonne Cerpa becomes part of the structure led by Anscari Nadal. This way, the young rider from Castelldefells will make her debut in the JuniorGP category at the age of 17.

Yvonne Cerpa got on a motorbike for the first time at the age of five in a karting, an age at which she did not yet know how to ride a bike, but she already knew how to ride a motorbike. At the age of six he started competing in minibikes, while at ten he made the jump to the Spanish Moto4 Championship with several races in which she finished in the top ten. She also achieved similar results in 2020 when she went on to compete in PreMoto3, a category in which even reached the podium. Later, she reached the European Talent Cup and was awarded with the Nit de l'Esport de Castelldefels Award in 2022.

Yvonne Cerpa, also with Hadden Sport

Since February 2025, Yvonne Cerpa's sporting career is being managed by Hadden Sport, a company that is part of the Hadden Corporation, based in London, and is dedicated to the recruitment, representation, promotion and support of young talents in the world of motorcycling. The company has opted for an approach that integrates the management of the sporting careers of riders of both genders, accompanying them until they reach their full potential.

Its vision is clear: to build solid, sustainable trajectories aligned with the values of the sport. Hadden Sport combines sport strategy, proximity, continuous training and personal consultancy among others to maximise the development of each rider. Its team is made up of great professionals with extensive experience in the sector who are committed to inclusion, innovation and excellence.

And their mission goes beyond performance on the track: they seek to form benchmarks both on and off the circuit, taking care of the sporting career, well-being and personal identity of their riders.

Anscari Nadal (Team Manager): "We are very happy with the arrival of Yvonne to the team. As always, from the AGR Team we are very committed to the training and growth of young riders. We are sure that together we can grow and achieve great success in the FIM JuniorGP".

Yvonne Cerpa: "For me, being part of this team is a dream come true. I have worked very hard since I was a child, and now to be able to compete in JuniorGP is an invaluable opportunity and experience. I am very grateful for the trust that Hadden Sport and the AGR Team are putting in me. I am very excited about what we are going to build together. I am ready to take on the challenge, grow with the team and give the best of me in this new stage".

Mavi Quiroz (Marketing Manager Hadden Sport): "We are very excited about the new chapter in Yvonne's career as she joins the AGR Team to compete in the JuniorGP category. Her talent, determination and tireless attitude have driven her to excel herself at every turn, and we are confident that this experience will be pivotal to her development as a professional rider. At Hadden Sport, we will continue to give her our full support to help her achieve her goals in motorcycling".

The Polish rider showed his great form in his first races in Moto2 with an eighth place finish after crashing while running third, and he was fourth in the second race

The first FIM JuniorGP round came to an end at the Estoril circuit. As on Saturday, Milan Pawelec was the most outstanding AGR Team rider. Despite being his first experience with Moto2, the Polish rider managed to be among the fastest. Pawelec was one of the clear candidates for the podium in the first race of the day. He went from strength to strength and rode for several laps in third position, but crashed at turn nine with four laps to go. Even so, he was able to get back on his feet and crossed the finish line in eighth position.

In the second race, the Polish rider was again very determined and again showed that he has a great year ahead of him. Pawelec was in the fight for the top places right from the start of the race and was soon in the top 5. The AGR Team rider finally managed to finish fourth, just over a second off the podium positions.

In the European Talent Cup category, Kiyano Veijer was very consistent in both races. In the first race, the track conditions were very difficult due to the heavy rain in the morning, but Veijer kept calm and was able to climb from 25th to 16th place. In the first race, the AGR rider was close to the points, while in the second race, in dry conditions, Veijer was twenty-first.

Owen Van Trigt was the only AGR Team rider to finish the race in the JuniorGP class. Van Trigt finished in 21st position, while Marianos Nikolis and Kgopotso Mononyane were forced to retire. Nikolis had a technical problem and Mononyane crashed.

Milan Pawelec: "The first race went well. There were a lot of crashes due to the difficult track conditions. In fact, I also crashed before the chicane after losing the front, but I got up and was able to finish eighth. It could have been better but, for the first race of the season, it's not bad at all. I gained a lot of experience for the second race, which went much better. The first laps were a bit difficult because I was fighting with some riders and the podium was a little bit out of my reach. But I was able to push hard and every lap I was closer, but it wasn't enough to get it. Fourth position is a good result for us and I am very happy. I felt very competitive with the other riders, so I can only thank all the people who support me".

Kiyano Veijer: "The first race was in wet conditions and I felt quite good. The start was great, but in the first corner there were several crashes in front of me, and I even had a contact so I went off the track. Luckily, I was able to get back on track to finish in P16, I'm quite happy with that. In the second race we didn't have the best start. We struggled a bit with chattering, but we learned a lot and we are more than ready for Jerez".

Owen Van Trigt: "It was a difficult weekend for us but it's just the first race. We will keep on working both me and the team and I am sure the results will arrive".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "I had a good feeling from the beginning. On the first lap I managed to overtake some riders, which is where we had problems during the weekend. I was quite confident, but these things happen. I pushed hard to catch more riders and in the end I lost the front and had a highside. We need to work more on race pace over the next few weekends and do more race simulations to be more prepared for this kind of track conditions. We couldn't finish because the bike was destroyed. It's something we learn from for the next races and it will give us valuable experience, so we will be looking forward to the next round from the beginning".

Marianos Nikolis: "We had a very strong start and made a lot of overtakes in the first laps. Unfortunately, we had a technical problem that forced us to stop in the race. However, we are very happy with the start of this first race of the season, I felt very comfortable and confident fighting with all my rivals".

The next FIM JuniorGP round will be held at the Jerez-Ángel Nieto circuit on the weekend of 31 May and 1 June.

The Spanish team had a hard day's work with Milan Pawelec being the most outstanding with the seventh fastest time in his first Moto2 qualifying

The Estoril circuit hosts the first FIM JuniorGP round, a track where this same championship ended last season. The AGR Team, which recently completed a test at this same circuit, arrived well prepared for this first race weekend of the season which is being marked by unstable weather conditions.

The highlight of the day for the team was Milan Pawelec. The AGR Team rider is facing his first race weekend in the Moto2 class and showed a lot of determination. After his good performance in practice, a session in which he finished ninth and even led, he managed a best lap of 1:39.302 in Q2 which will allow him to start tomorrow from seventh on the grid.

In the European Talent Cup category, Kiyano Veijer showed positive growth. The young Dutch rider went from strength to strength and, although he could not qualify directly for Q2 after a difficult practice in which he crashed out, he was third fastest in Q1 and was able to enter the final qualifying session of Group A. In Q2, the AGR Team rider was thirteenth with a time of 1:49.488. 

The Moto3 riders also faced really difficult conditions and none of them made it through to Q2. Looking ahead to tomorrow's race, Owen Van Trigt will start 24th (1:45.666), Marianos Nikolis 26th (1:46.021) and Kgopotso Mononyane 29th (1:46.519).

Milan Pawelec: "Today's Q2 was very good for us with seventh position. We did it in difficult weather conditions: rain, wind... but well, it's a good result for my first round on this new bike, I'm happy. Tomorrow we'll try to look for podium positions!"

Kiyano Veijer: "It was a day of hard work. Despite crashing in practice, the team was able to fix the bike and we were able to continue with the session, although we couldn't qualify directly to Q2. In Q1 I went out on the wet tyres but then changed to the dry tyres, I had a good slipstream and we were able to put in a good lap that took us through to Q2. In this session I was in a group with three other riders and I wasn't very lucky because I couldn't do my best possible lap. We have to keep working".

Owen Van Trigt: "The day didn't start too bad, but it gradually got worse and worse. I didn't have the best feeling with the conditions we encountered. I think for tomorrow we need to improve the fast corners and also make some adjustments to my set-up and my riding. We will work hard to have a good race tomorrow".

Marianos Nikolis: "At the beginning of the day I felt very comfortable in the rain, but in practice we had a crash and couldn't finish the session. We had to go through Q1, the track had dried out more and it was difficult. But well, it's my first race weekend with the Moto3 bike, so we are still learning and working. Tomorrow we will try to get as much as we can and we will give our best".

Kgopotso Mononyane: "I'm not very proud of how the day ended, but I can definitely say that I learned a lot today. I crashed at the beginning of the practice and then I tried to push to go straight into Q2. Even so, I felt that after the crash I lost a bit of confidence. In Q1 I tried my best, but it wasn't enough to get through. I think tomorrow can be much better, we have learned from our mistakes and I think we have a chance to come back. It will be a fun race".

AGR Team is proud to announce that Kristian Daniel Jr will continue his progression within the team as the official test and reserve rider for the 2025 Moto3™ JuniorGP™ World Championship. After a strong season with AGR in the European Talent Cup last year, the 16-year-old American talent takes the next step in his development under the AGR banner.

In this elevated role, Kristian will take part in key testing sessions and contribute to the technical development of the Moto3™ program, while remaining ready to step in and replace a rider in official JuniorGP™ races if needed. At the same time, he will continue to compete full-time in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, further honing his racecraft against some of the best young riders in the world.

“We’re excited to continue working with Kristian as he takes the next step in his journey,” said Anscari Nadal, Team Owner of AGR. “He’s already shown his talent, work ethic, and commitment with us in the European Talent Cup. This new role gives him valuable experience with the Moto3™ bike and prepares him for what’s ahead.”

Now based in Spain and training year-round on European circuits, Kristian is well-positioned to make the most of this opportunity. The collaboration strengthens AGR’s rider development strategy while providing Kristian with critical Moto3™ experience in a high-performance environment.

“I’m really grateful to continue with AGR and step up into this new role,” said Kristian. “It means a lot to be trusted by the team, and I’m focused on learning as much as I can, supporting their Moto3™ effort, and being ready if I’m called to race.”

With this move, Kristian continues to build toward his ultimate goal of racing in the MotoGP™ World Championship, gaining track time and technical insight across multiple premier development platforms.

Australian teenager Marianos Nikolis will add plenty of international experience to the AGR Racing ranks this year.

Nikolis, 17, will step up to the JuniorGP category after two seasons in the European Talent Cup. The 2020 Oceania Junior Cup champion has progressed positively on Dorna’s Road to MotoGP pathway and spent three seasons as a selected rider in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup from 2021 to 2023. 

He was thrilled to be joining AGR to continue his racing development.

“This is an exciting new chapter and I can’t wait to get started. Stepping up to the moto3 class and officially competing in my first JuniorGP World Championship is a huge milestone in my career,” Nikolis said.

“This season is about using AGR’s support and guidance to bring out the best in myself. I’m confident that together we can achieve something special.”

AGR Racing team manager Anscari Nadal was eager to help Nikolis reach his potential.

“I have been impressed with Marianos on and off the bike during time spent training with him and I believe he can continue to evolve strongly into a racer of world championship standard,” he said.

“At AGR, our focus is to support our athletes with an all-encompassing approach so they have the right tools to achieve their best and I am confident Marianos will excel in this performance environment.”

Following a breakthrough 2024 season, 17-year-old Milan Pawelec is stepping up to Moto2 as he prepares for a strong debut in the 2025 European Moto2 Championship with former champions AGR Racing.

After clinching the 2023 European Alpe Adria Superstock 1000 title, the Nowy Tomyśl native became the first Polish rider ever to be selected for the prestigious Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. 

Pawelec also competed in the JuniorGP Moto3 World Championship, marking his return to the paddock where he raced in the European Talent Cup in 2020 and 2021.

Pawelec concluded the 2024 season with an impressive Moto2 test at Jerez with AGR, which led to his signing with Anscari Nadal’s championship-winning squad shortly afterward. In addition to targeting a strong debut season in the European Moto2 Championship, Pawelec aims to secure at least one wildcard entry in the 2025 Moto2 World Championship.

“I learned so much racing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the JuniorGP Moto3 World Championship, but we always knew the larger Moto2 bike would suit me better,” Pawelec said. 

“This was confirmed during the Jerez test, where I quickly built a strong relationship with Anscari and the entire AGR Team. I was very impressed by their professional approach and the welcoming atmosphere in the garage. I’m thrilled to have such an experienced championship-winning crew supporting me for my Moto2 debut. 

“I’m very excited for 2025, but I’m also aware of the challenges ahead, especially given how competitive this year’s grid will be. That said, I’m ready to put in the work and give my all to achieve my goals.”

Nadal said he was excited by Pawelec’s potential as he steps into the new category.

“Milan is a rider determined to make this season a success and his mindset is strong which is such an important aspect of racing. As a team it is our job to put the right experienced support around him and I am certain we can achieve great things together,” he said.

Talented Dutch teenager Kiyano Veijer will take the next important step in his racing career under the expert guidance of AGR Racing. 

Veijer, 16, has signed to contest the 2025 European Talent Cup. He’s no stranger to the highly-competitive championship, making his debut in 2023 and achieving commendable results at various rounds last year.

“After this difficult period for my family, it is time to get back on the throttle and look to the future,” he said. 

“I am very happy to be riding with the AGR team. I’m really looking forward to showing good results and a lot of progress.”

Testament to his commitment, Veijer was just 12-years-old when he ventured to the UK to hone his early skills in the British Talent Cup, finishing in 10th and 8th overall in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Proving to be a strong contender, he earned a race win and two podiums during his final season. 

It’s a surname synonymous with success for AGR with his cousin Collin Veijer achieving two race wins and a podium with the team in 2022 before being promoted to the FIM Moto3 World Championship. 

AGR Racing team manager Anscari Nadal was eager to work with Veijer.

“I am super happy to have another member of the Veijer family in the AGR ranks,” he said.

“Our aim is to help Kiyano improve and take his racing to the next level. I am confident we will achieve good progress together.”

In a fitting farewell to the team, New Zealand racer Cormac Buchanan delivered AGR a third podium of the season at the FIM JuniorGP World Championship at Estoril.

Buchanan, who will move up to the Moto3 World Championship in 2025, demonstrated his progression in the sport in his last outing in the junior ranks to secure second in the opening race. 

Tussling at the front throughout, Buchanan punched out of the final corner and dominated the fight to the finish line, missing the win by just 0.048 seconds to Guido Pini, of Italy.

“I’m really happy with today – it feels like I saved my best JuniorGP races until the very end. It was a such a nice way to sign off with AGR and reward them for the last three years and the massive part they have played in my development as a racer. They have made me who I am and I feel ready to fight it out in the world championship,” he said.

“We managed the race really well. It almost felt like I was riding around knowing I had the race under control. Although, when I was sixth going into the last corner, I knew that I just had to close the eyes, as they say and push. Thankfully it was enough to cross the line in second and so close to my first win.”

Buchanan was again in the mix throughout race two, leading in stages and never more than a second from the front, but was forced to settle for seventh across the line. He was then demoted one place for breaching track limits.

“It was another good race and I felt really calm. Unfortunately, I kept getting sucked into the slipstream under braking and it meant I had to do a lot of work to recover. In the end we just ran out of laps and I got punted wide in the last lap and got demoted for that which is unfortunate.”

A strong points haul in the final round boosted him up the championship ranks to 5th equal overall, just one point from fourth.

“That track limits proved especially costly in the end but fifth in the world is an incredible result for this season. We were in the hunt for top three overall right until that last lap,” he said.

Owen van Trigt, of the Netherlands, narrowly missed out on points in race one with P17 but was unsatisfied with his efforts in the second race, finishing P25.

“The first went well – I had a bad start but managed to get some places back,” he said.

“We chose the softer tyre compound for the second race and that did not go to plan. I struggled with the grip. Overall, it was not the best but also not the worst. We will continue to work hard and prepare for a full championship season in 2025.”

In the Moto2 ranks, Max Toth, of the United States, produced a strong performance to clinch P10, despite dealing with painful arm pump.

“I guess I can’t complain considering where we have been at. I think every time you achieve something you think you’re going to be satisfied but the reality is you get that much closer to that next goal and that’s kinda where I had my eyes focused,” he said.

“If I didn’t have those forearm issues, the result could have been very different. It was a shame because we could have been fighting closer to the top five. But overall, a top 10 is something to be happy about considering the disaster of a season we have endured at times. It’s a positive ending.”

American Kristian Daniel Jr was the highest AGR finisher in the European Talent Cup division in P13.

“I got into the 46’s in terms of lap times which really was my goal. My fastest time prior to this was a 47.8 so I went 1.1 seconds faster so I’m happy about that,” he said.

“In order to be in the front group, my start needed to be perfect. Unfortunately, it was just a regular start so it wasn’t enough even though I knew I had the pace to be up there battling. 

“It’s bittersweet but still a good way to end the season with my team.”

Travis Borg, of Malta, delivered a memorable debut, snatching his first point with a P15 result – despite dropping 13 positions earlier in the race.

“It was my first ETC race so I fell back a lot to 27. It was kind of a difficult race because I had to push a lot to climb back but I got up to P15 again,” he said.

“It was a good start to my career here and I want more so let’s see what I can achieve next year.”  

Portugal’s Alfonso Almeida earned his place in the main race with an epic P2 finish in the last chance event earlier in the day. He then executed a credible race to claim P23.

“Three of us escaped from the other riders and on the last lap I was able to move into P2 and achieve my goal of racing again today,” he said.

“In the main race, I started from P30 and finished P23 and, while I’m not happy with the result, I am happy for all the work my team and I have put in to achieve my evolution this season. Next year we will make another step.”

Talented teen Travis Borg will make his European Talent Cup debut with AGR Racing at the final round of the FIM JuniorGP in Estoril next week.

Borg, 15, who hails from Malta, has been honing his motorcycle racing skills in Spain for the past two years and is undoubtedly reaping the rewards of his dedication. 

From riding a mini moto in local carparks on the island nation at the age of six to now earning success in the toughest junior championships, Borg is an exciting prospect. 

In 2021, he competed in the CNV road racing championship in Sicily, where he clinched first place and then progressed to Spain’s Mir Racing Cup Promo3 to gain valuable experience. 

This year, Borg contested the Premoto3 ESBK Championship, finishing 7th overall and chalking up an impressive 1st and 2nd place at Circuito de Barcelona. 

AGR team manager Anscari Nadal said Borg deserved the opportunity to test his mettle in the highly-competitive ETC division. 

“Having worked with Travis for some years now with his training, I know he is a hard-working and committed racer who will take this chance to gain even more experience,” he said.

“His inclusion expands our team to three bikes in the ETC alongside Kristian Daniel Jr and Afonso Almeida. I’m excited to see what our trio of riders can do to finish the season in a strong and positive way.”

Borg was eager to get racing.

“It’s always been my dream to be part of the AGR Team, especially since meeting Anscari in the summer of 2021. He’s always believed in me, pushed me to be better, and supported me in following my dream,” he said. 

“I’m incredibly excited to join the team for the JuniorGP European Talent Cup in Estoril. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and give my absolute best. My goal is to make the most of this experience, continue improving, and aim for strong results alongside such a talented group of riders.”

AGR riders will contest the final round of the 2024 FIM JuniorGP at Estoril, Portugal, from November 25-27 after the racing was rescheduled due to the devastating floods in Valencia recently.

Cormac Buchanan has become the third AGR Racing rider in just three years to earn a world championship contract.

The 18-year-old New Zealander will link with BOE Motorsports to contest the 2025 Moto3 World Championship, following in the footsteps of former AGR riders Collin Veijer, of the Netherlands, in 2023 and Joel Kelso, of Australia, in 2022.

AGR team manager Anscari Nadal said it was testament to the team’s commitment to develop talented riders from around the world.

“The job is done. We have another international rider, in this case a New Zealander, into the world championship,” he said.

“That’s why riders come to AGR. We have a reputation for helping riders get faster and putting them in world championship. I’m super excited and happy that Cormac can join such a good team like BOE Motorsports. To have three riders in three years progress is something we can all be very proud of.” 

Buchanan rated his time under the guidance of Nadal and his team as instrumental in his success.

“The past three years with AGR have been crucial in helping me evolve as a racer and I can’t thank Anscari, my crew chief Javi, rider coach Angel and the entire team enough for the role they have all played,” he said.

“They put their trust in me when I hadn’t even scored my first points in Europe to now this year securing two podiums and a pole position so far. It wouldn’t have been possible without them believing in me. They have played the biggest role in my journey so far and I will be eternally grateful for that. The final round in Estoril will be emotional for sure.”

Buchanan was rapt to be taking the next vital step in his racing career. 

“My goal for this year was to earn my place in the Moto3 World Championship and to be able to step up into those elite ranks with a team the calibre of BOE Motorsports is a great privilege. It’s a team I’ve looked up to since my ambition to be a world championship rider was first ignited,” he said.

“For me it’s a crucial stage in my career and one step closer to my ultimate dream so I’m really excited to get 2025 underway. 

AGR riders will contest the final round of the 2024 FIM JuniorGP at Estoril, Portugal, from November 25-27 after the racing was rescheduled due to the devastating floods in Valencia recently. 

South African rider Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane will contest the 2025 FIM JuniorGP World Championship with AGR Racing.

Mononyane, 17, has impressed since making his Moto3 debut – his work ethic and positive attitude fueling his progress on the track.

“I’m very excited and privileged to sign another year with AGR and have the opportunity to work with a team that has a strong history of developing champions,” he said.

“I’ve always been someone who thrives on a challenge and I know at AGR they will push me to improve in every aspect of my performance. The racing journey isn’t easy and there are moments where it feels like nothing is going your way and that’s where being in the right team environment becomes so important.

“My goal next year is not only to be competitive but improve my attributes off track too. All these goals will be achievable with a team so experienced and professional and I’m more motivated than ever to make 2025 a standout season in my racing career.”

Mononyane will contest dual championships again in 2025 after being invited to return to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for a second season. 

AGR team manager Anscari Nadal said he was delighted to re-sign Mononyane.

“We will continue to work together and to learn. I love KJ as a person and, as a rider, I think he has a great attitude and we can get the best out of him,” he said.

“Next year I believe KJ can make a positive step in both Rookies Cup and the JuniorGP championship with AGR and I hope to be able to find the best KJ possible. He is a guy who puts in the effort, is focused and loves racing so for me it is a pleasure to help this kind of rider in his goal to world championship.”

AGR Racing was battling at the front of the races during round six of the FIM JuniorGP World Championship staged at Motorland Aragon today.

In the European Talent Cup division, American Kristian Daniel Jr unleashed his best performance so far, nabbing the hole shot in both races and leading the field in stages before finishing an impressive P7 and P8.

“For me it’s been the two best races of my ETC career so I’m really happy. I wasn’t 100 percent confident because I qualified P2 in the rain so in the dry I didn’t know if I had the pace. I just pushed as much as I could. Hole shot in both races was super awesome for me,” he said.

“I improved and learned a lot in both races. I adapted to all the scenarios like the heat and the tyre wear and the bike honestly performed the best of the whole season for me. I felt super fast and I knew I had the pace in both races to be fighting for the podium so it was disappointing to drop back a bit. But it’s a really good booster for the team and motivation for me to train harder and do everything we can for the last round at Valencia.”

Teammate Afonso Almeida, of Portugal, demonstrated his potential to claim P19 and P23 in the competitive field of talent.

“It was my best weekend of the season. I felt really good on the bike in the wet and the dry conditions and I improved every session on track. Now we need to continue this momentum,” he said.

“Many thanks to my team for the great work they have done over the past days. Now it’s time to get back to work and get even stronger for the final round.”

In the sole JuniorGP race, New Zealander Cormac Buchanan battled to finish P6, missing out on his fourth top five of the season by the slimmest of margins.

“I’m somewhat happy. It’s a really good result for the championship in that we’ve closed in from 25 points to 16 points to second overall heading into the last round at Valencia where anything is possible,” he said.

“There is a bit of a bittersweet taste as to what could have been. I had a strategy going into the race with the focus on conserving my tyres for the end which is a massive part of the equation here at Aragon. It definitely worked in the sense I was able to finish really strong going from P12 to P5.

“Looking back now I was probably a bit too conservative in the opening laps and left myself too much work to do where I should have sacrificed some of the tyre. But overall, I’m happy with the race given it’s the first time I’ve had to ride with such a focus on the saving rubber. We were so close to P5 except a scrappy last corner with another rider denied me that on the line.

“We’ve been really focused on our goals and sticking to our own plan all weekend so it’s good to have a decent result after the disappointment of Jerez. Now we go into Valencia with the chance to fight for second overall and I will work hard to make the most of that opportunity.”

Owen van Trigt, of the Netherlands, overcame a difficult start to work his way back through the field and claim his first JuniorGP point with P15.

“The race was not bad. I struggled with the start and then someone crashed in front of me which cost me some places but I made up for it and overall we are happy with the result,” he said.

It was a frustrating race for Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, who had to settle for P25.

“At the start of the race, I made some good overtakes and got myself into a position I was hoping for. But after the long lap I had to serve, I had a high side and even though I managed to save it, I ended up in the gravel,” he said.

“After that the bike just didn’t feel the same and it was a struggle to regather my rhythm so I just focused on finishing the race.”

Tyre management proved a factor in both European Moto2 Championship races. Nicholas Spinelli, of Italy, claimed a solid P8 and P5 while American Max Toth continued his comeback from injury to finish a respectable P16 and P14.

Spinelli rated race two as his better performance.

“I feel happy. The team did a modification in the bike and it was very good. In the last lap I’m very confident and I go faster but I do a battle with another rider and this compromised me for the podium,” he said.

“I am content and I need to continue in this way. We will see in Valencia.”

Toth leave Aragon happy with his performance and nabbing two championship points.

“Our pace after the midway point was really, really good comparatively to the front guys we just lacked that jump at the start,” he said.

“I had a shifter glitch in race one which set me back to dead last and I couldn’t get my rhythm initially, but I just had to keep a consistent pace which brought me back to nearly within reach of the points.

“We have to be happy because this is the best races we’ve had all year and I think we have to look at it as ‘this is how we’re starting, not how we are midyear’. So, it’s not a bad way to come back after five months of not racing. It was very tough physically but we will focus on continuing our conditioning to be in the best shape possible for Valencia.”

Kristian Daniel Jr has secured his first front row in the European Talent Cup, qualifying an excellent P2 at Motorland Aragon today.

Adding to the team’s success, his AGR Racing team-mates Cormac Buchanan (JuniorGP) and Nicholas Spinelli (European Moto2) will start on row two in their respective categories in the FIM JuniorGP World Championship races tomorrow.

All riders were forced to tackle tough conditions in qualifying but performed strongly in their sessions, completing a positive day of action.

Kristian, of the United States, scorched to the top of the class in Group B – his P1 in Q2 earning his place on the coveted front row for tomorrow’s two races.

“In practice I think I was still a little bit hesitant because of the difficult day we had yesterday and I wasn’t really pushing. I knew I had a lot more margin so I just put in as many laps as possible to get the experience in the wet conditions,” he said.

“In qualifying, every lap I was improving. The track conditions were changing to the point where slicks could have been an option but we pushed on and managed to get P1 for the group, on the final lap to make it a bit more exciting.”

Portugal’s Afonso Almeida handled the pressure of Q1 and earned the chance to contest Q2 in Group A of the ETC, where he finished P12. He will start from P24 in the races.

“While I struggled a bit more in Q2, I was still two seconds faster than Q1. I wanted a better result but I am happy because step by step we are getting faster. We are working very good as a team this week and I hope tomorrow in both races we make even more progress,” Afonso said.

New Zealander Cormac was the highest qualifier in the Moto3 trio, securing P4 for tomorrow’s feature race.

“All season long we’ve shown we can be fast in the wet so for me practice was about consolidating a position in Q2. The third lap we did that and the fourth lap I had an incident with another rider where I tried to pass him then unfortunately lost the rear and he ended up running over my bike. It was badly damaged but thankfully my team were able to work really fast and got me back out for the end of the session to bank some data,” he said.

“In Q2 the conditions were iffy and we weren’t sure if it was slicks or wets so I gave myself two laps to decide. I stayed out and pushed as much as I could in the early laps and held P3 for the majority of the session but ended up getting knocked back to fourth.

“It’s a really solid position and we’ve been working on our race pace all weekend so tomorrow’s the time to show it.”

Wildcard entrant Owen van Trigt, of the Netherlands, impressed during practice to bank his spot in Q2, where he finished 16th.

“Today was not too bad. The practice went well and the qualifying was just really difficult with the conditions but overall I am happy with how the weekend is going,” he said.

Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, will start from P23. However, he will have to contend with a long lap penalty in the race due to a crash under a yellow flag.

“I have so much potential and worked hard with the team so I know I could have been up there fighting for the good grid positions but it wasn’t possible today because we had a lot of setbacks,” he said.

“We just got very unlucky and I know it will be a tough race tomorrow with a long lap. It will be fun to see how far I can push my limits and I will need to perform at my max so that is motivating. I still believe in myself to do a good race.”

In his debut with AGR, Spinelli, of Italy, will contest both European Moto2 races from P5.

“We started the day well. I feel good on the bike in the wet and I tried to push lap for lap but made a mistake near the end and crashed. But the feeling was good, I finished P2 and I am happy for this,” he said.

“In the qualifying, we choose the slick but it was the incorrect decision. We had to change and I got two laps. I am happy because the position is good but I am not happy because for me it’s possible to do better. Tomorrow is the race and we will see what we can do.”

Fellow Moto2 rider Max Toth, of the United States, was left to rue tyre choice and will have to settle for P18 on the grid.

“The day overall was really good. In the first session I surprised myself because I’ve never taken this bike out in the rain. To be that close to the front and go straight to Q2 was great especially given the struggles we’ve had and four months off the bike,” he said.

“In qualifying we simply made the wrong choice of tyres but I kept it upright, gained more confidence and I’m happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve been at a race weekend with a smile on my face for this long.”

Dutch teenager Owen van Trigt has signed with AGR Racing to contest the 2025 FIM JuniorGP World Championship.

van Trigt, who has previously represented the team in the European Talent Cup division, made his debut on the Moto3 at Jerez last month and is currently competing as a wildcard for the remaining 2024 races.

The talented 16-year-old jumped at the chance to join AGR permanently for 2025.

“This is the next step in my racing career and I am very happy to be making it with AGR Racing who have played a massive part in my journey over the past few years,” van Trigt said.

“The opportunity to compete in the last three rounds this year will be very beneficial to prepare for a full championship campaign in 2025 and I’m excited to keep learning and progressing in this incredibly competitive class.”

Team manager Anscari Nadal said van Trigt was a strong addition to the AGR environment.

“Owen has been performing really well on the Moto3 and for sure he will continue to excel as he gains more experience on the KTM machinery,” he said.

“I am excited to see him work hard and, with our help, maximise his potential as a racer.”

MotoE World Championship racer Nicholas Spinelli will make his Moto2 debut with AGR Racing at Motorland Aragon next weekend.

The experienced campaigner, who finished a commendable 7th overall in the electric championship recently, will contest round six of the Moto2 European Championship with the team.

Spinelli, 23, was set to be part of the action at Jerez earlier this month but was unfortunately struck by illness.

Team manager Anscari Nadal was keen to see the Italian race after encouraging performances during testing.

“We are all looking forward to seeing Nicholas continue his Moto2 journey with us on race weekend,” he said.

A former Moto3 Italian champion, Spinelli has earned four wins and nine podiums since joining the MotoE ranks last year.

AGR riders take home valuable points and important progress from round five of the 2024 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP world championship at Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto this weekend.

New Zealander Cormac Buchanan overcame adversity to secure two top 10 finishes in the Moto3 races. Due to a penalty in qualifying, he started race one from the back of the grid and scorched through the pack to put himself firmly in the battle for P4 but was forced to settle for P10.

“It was a fun race. I got into a rhythm and I felt that even when the tyre grip started to drop off, I was able to make even more moves. Getting to P10 and into the group battle after passing 23 bikes, I knew it was a really strong result against the odds so was prepared to consolidate the points if the opportunities to take more positions were limited,” he said.

Misfortune struck in race two when Buchanan’s rear tyre went flat after the opening few laps but he held his nerve to earn P10.

“I knew starting in 16th would penalise us a bit but I wasn’t prepared to use that as an excuse. After a few laps as we were closing into the group about 1.5 seconds ahead, it became very clear that our ability to fight was compromised due to the tyre deflating. So again, it was just a case of taking what I could from the situation. I could have pushed and tried to do something heroic but a top 10 is better than zero points.

“It’s a positive to finish inside the top 10 twice. We were one of the fastest but we didn’t get to show it due to a couple of mistakes. I will make sure that doesn’t happen again so we can arrive to Aragon in the best place possible. 

“We are still only 25 points from second in the championship and I am not going to give up until that chequered flag is waved at the end of race two in Valencia in November. I’m going to make sure this team gets the result it deserves.”

South Africa’s Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane had a solid day to earn P16 and P17.

“It was a difficult race but we managed the conditions without feeling like I was on the limit so I am happy for this,” KJ said.

“In the first lap, everyone was a tad more aggressive than me so I lost some positions. I managed to grab them back but I lost a lot of tyre in the process which impacted me in the final laps. 

“Fighting for the top 14, I made a move into the last corner and tried to overtake them on the brakes. I stopped the bike, got around the corner safely but, unfortunately, they slipstreamed me to the line so I just missed the points. But I’m happy I made a move instead of settling for a position without trying.

“As a team we made good steps and continue to move forward.”

In his Moto3 debut, Owen van Trigt, of the Netherlands, finished a respectable P27 and P21 – despite starting from pit lane in race one due to an issue with a new clutch.

“Overall, the pace was there and I have to be happy with that for my first races in the championship,” he said.

“I made some mistakes in the first lap but managed to catch the group in race two and make something of it into a good race. I am satisfied, I will learn from it and I think we can have some good races for the rest of the season.” 

Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, narrowly missed out on the points in his Moto2 debut, finishing P16.

“The race was very good and we improved a lot of things. I was held up by another rider I just couldn’t get passed and then the tyre started spinning and I couldn’t do my best lap,” he said.

“We have a lot of positives we can take from this first race after reviewing the data so we know what we have to do to keep progressing strongly.”

In the two European Talent Cup races, American pilot Kristian Daniel Jnr finished P19 and P20 – a result which left the talented teen disappointed.

“I just didn’t have the pace. I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike, made a few mistakes obviously. It is what it is and we will look forward to the next round in Aragon,” he said.

Afonso Almeida, of Portugal, finished an impressive P4 in the last chance race but wanted more. 

“It was not the result that we expected but it was another week where I learned a lot. I am trying to keep all of the information and continue to apply it every time I am on the track,” he said.

“I had some mistakes but each of these make me stronger so from that perspective I can treat them like a victory, not a defeat. I will come to Aragon full gas.”

Qualifying served up a mix of fortunes for AGR Racing riders as the 2024 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP world championship resumed at Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto this weekend.

In the Moto3 ranks, Cormac Buchanan was the highest qualifier but was left unsatisfied with P16 after a crash on the final lap of Q2 halted his aspirations for a better grid position. 

However, his first penalty for slow sectors will see the kiwi start from the back of the grid.

“Today was a day of two halves. The goal initially is always to go straight to Q2 and the feeling I had in practice was really nice and we achieved that. We had really strong consistent pace and didn’t need a reference point or a slipstream which is going to bode well for tomorrow’s racing,” he said.

“Q2 was a very windy session which made conditions challenging. We found ourselves in a difficult situation where we only had one lap with the new tyre which is not ideal. Obviously, me being a racer, I’m going to push as hard as I can and I had one lap to be either P15 or whatever I could do with the new rubber. I tried my best and we were 0.0 seconds away from pole but, unfortunately, I had another crash at turn 8.

“It’s frustrating and not where we want to be but we know our pace is one of the strongest even if we didn’t show it in qualifying. Tomorrow will be the time to have some fun and it will make for a more exciting race.”

Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, will start from P20 – his best qualifying result of the season.

“In practice, I did push but I felt like I was coming up against a block. We made some changes to the bike and I took another step in qualifying. We tried to attack and even though it wasn’t quite enough, it is still my best qualifying result so we have to be happy with that. We are ready to race, tricky conditions or not, with the goal of closing the seconds to the front and being in a position to attack,” he said. 

In his Moto3 debut, Owen van Trigt, of the Netherlands, will start from P26.

“Qualifying was alright although I expected more but hit a bit of traffic which impacted the lap. I think we have the speed, especially in the hotter conditions, so we will see what’s possible tomorrow. My focus is to finish both races, learn and improve. It’s my first races so I will just enjoy the moment,” he said.

Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, is relishing the chance to step up to the Moto2 championship and qualified P25 for tomorrow’s race.

“My first qualifying on a Moto2 was much better than expected. We had a good feeling with the new tyres and were able to improve every lap. I think we have more of a chance tomorrow so let’s have some fun” he said.

Fellow Moto2 rider Max Toth, of the United States, continues to recover from a leg injury sustained during a training incident and aims to return to AGR for the next round at Aragon in October.

In the European Talent Cup, American pilot Kristian Daniel Jnr cemented his spot directly into Q2 with a strong practice, but also suffered a crash on the final lap, leaving him to start P25.

“Overall today was good and I had really good feelings throughout. It wasn’t the best ending but I know I have really good pace for tomorrow and I feel really confident,” Daniel said.

“I had several confidence boosters on the track so that’s really reinforced what we are capable of. I’m excited for tomorrow because I know I can make something happen because my pace is for the top five. I’ve been strong at passing throughout the weekend and it feels like just doing a drill so let’s see what we can do when the lights go out.”

Portugal’s Afonso Almeida will contest the last chance race tomorrow morning in a bid to secure his spot in the main event – a challenge the team’s rookie was eagerly anticipating.

“It’s hard because I worked very hard for this weekend but it’s more experience and more track time. We have to see the positives on this because from mistakes we learn. In qualifying I was on a good pace but I didn’t calculate the lap correctly. I am trying my best and trying to learn the most I can,” Afonso said.

Talented Dutch teenager Owen van Trigt will make his Moto3 debut at the FIM JuniorGP World Championship in Jerez this weekend.

van Trigt returns to the AGR Racing environment after previously representing the team in the European Talent Cup division. This season he has opted to focus on training with 111 Management to hone his skills.

The opportunity to race emerged when permanent AGR rider Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, opted to be promoted into the Moto2 ranks for the remaining three rounds of the championship.

Team manager Anscari Nadal said van Trigt deserved the chance to race after a committed effort to training.

“Owen is no stranger to AGR and we are happy we can provide this opportunity for him. With Geoffrey keen to step up to the Moto2, we were looking for a talented young rider to replace him on the Moto3 and Owen was a natural choice. He’s been training hard this year to be ready for any chance to race.

“I have no doubt Owen will continue to excel over the next three rounds as he banks more and more experience on the KTM.” 

van Trigt was eager get back into race mode at Circuito de Angel Nieto in southern Spain.

“I’m excited to get back on the bike again, especially to race. You can train hard but nothing fully compares to racing. That’s what we’re here to do,” he said.

“The Moto3 is completely different to ride – there are more things to concentrate on doing right and connecting it all together to try and find the ideal lap. It’s a great challenge which I’m really enjoying.”

AGR Moto2 rider Max Toth has been ruled out of the FIM JuniorGP World Championship in Jerez this weekend.

A leg injury sustained during an unfortunate training incident will prevent Toth from joining his AGR Racing team-mates when the championship resumes at the iconic Circuito de Angel Nieto in southern Spain.

 “A few weeks ago, another rider had a mechanical issue which impacted me on the track and effectively blew the back of my leg open,” Toth said.

“As I progress well through my recovery, both my family and my team agree it's best I don't rush the process. The focus is to return to my Moto2 at 100 percent health. I look forward to being back on a bike very soon.”

He was to be replaced by MotoE World Championship rider Nicholas Spinelli but misfortune also struck the talented Italian in the form of illness which has plagued several riders from the elite paddock.

Team manager Anscari Nadal was eager to see Max back in action.

“The entire AGR family sends Max our best for a speedy recovery. He really hasn't had the chance to prove his potential this season for reasons often outside of his control which is disappointing both for Max and our team,” he said.

“The situation did present an opportunity for Nicholas to continue his Moto2 journey after a positive test with us at Jerez recently. We were excited to see what he could achieve during the race weekend but unfortunately he has been battling the illness which ruled riders like Joan Mir out of MotoGP at Misano.“

AGR will have a presence on track in the Moto2 ranks with permanent AGR rider Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, set to make his debut after opting to switch onto the bigger machinery during the test.

“Geoffrey is excited to step into this new challenge and continue to gain vital experience,” Nadal said.

The Portimao circuit lived up to its reputation, delivering a rollercoaster of emotions for the AGR team.

Scorching temperatures added a new factor into the equation for round four of the FIM JuniorGP World Championship – and the action was just as hot on the track.

New Zealander Cormac Buchanan chalked up a fifth consecutive top five finish in race one of the highly-competitive JuniorGP Moto3 class.

Two rodeo-style saves as he battled in podium contention certainly thrilled the fans and was testament to his determination.

“I was really happy with my pace in the first race and actually couldn’t stop grinning under the helmet making fun overtakes and battling hard. It was a blast,” he said.

“The heat certainly contributed to losing grip in the rear and I was faced with grip issues a lot earlier than I had anticipated – hence the two cowboy-esque saves.

“I was really motivated to fight for a strong result so there was no question, I was going to push through the challenges. As a racer you always want more and, on reflection, I believe a podium or better was possible, but I had to be content to cross the finish line fifth.”

Unfortunately, Buchanan’s luck ran out in race two, crashing with another rider on the second lap. Despite the team’s best efforts to get him in a position to rejoin, it was not possible.

“I was gutted to crash as I really wanted to continue our excellent momentum during the first half of the season and keep adding points to my championship tally. But this doesn’t take away from the great weekend we’ve had being in the front positions in every other session, nor the podiums and pole we’ve already achieved. It just leaves me hungry for more when the season reignites at Jerez in September.”

His fellow JuniorGP riders recorded their best race results of the season.

South Africa’s Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane snatched points in both races, finishing 13th and 15th respectively.

“It was the best race of my season and I really needed this because now we know where we stand and what we can do. We just have to have a better Saturday with the qualifying so I can start in a stronger position,” he said.

“I can call it a weekend I am proud of.”

India’s Geoffrey Emmanuel earned 24th and 26th, making strong progress over the past two days.

“It was a very good race weekend. We had good pace and it’s the closest I’ve been to the top this season,” he said.

It was a frustrating day for American Max Toth in the Moto2 ranks, a bout of illness coming back to haunt him. Forced to withdraw halfway through race one, he was physically unable to start the second.

“I just don’t have any words. I got really sick Thursday night, that screwed up our Friday and then Saturday was fine and now the illness has screwed up race day,” he said.

“Hopefully this bad luck will halt soon.”

In the sole European Talent Cup race, Kristian Daniel Jr, of the United States, secured points but was ultimately disappointed with his P14 effort.

“This was probably one of the hardest races I’ve raced this year. I was struggling the whole race with this wind, I was doing everything I could but ended up just over-riding too much and tired myself out,” he said.

“The heat affected me endurance wise which made it harder to hold the pace. I will keep training for these conditions and try the next race.”

Portugal’s Afonso Almeida earned himself a spot on the grid for the main race after finishing third in the last chance event.

“I knew if I finished third I could make the grid so I was intelligent. I felt I could win, but I stayed in third place instead of taking risks,” he said.

“It was a hard race because it was very hot and the tyres were a little bit finished. I was very tired and the bike started to move a lot becouse of the heat. I got to battle with some riders which was a lot of fun.

“I know I can do better and my goal in the next race is to qualify straight through and fight for a good grid position and then points in the race.”

AGR riders have positioned themselves strongly to fight for top honours in round four of the FIM JuniorGP world championship at Portimao.

In challenging conditions as the temperature soared, riders kept their cool on track to secure their grid positions.

In the Moto3 ranks, New Zealander Cormac Buchanan continued his impressive form and will start from P7 on the grid for both races tomorrow.

“I am confident we can achieve an excellent result given the times are so incredibly close and just 0.18 seconds separated me from pole position,” he said.

“Tomorrow I have two opportunities to reward my hard-working team and you can bet I will be giving it my all to achieve the best result I can, focusing on my processes to get the job done.”

His fellow JuniorGP rider Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, finished the day determined to improve from P26.

“Today was pretty difficult for me as I tried really hard to get back to the pace we achieved yesterday. I know I have the potential but the changing conditions affected what we could achieve,” he said.

“It’s my first time here and I am really enjoying the track and the challenges of it. My grid position adds to that challenge but I know I am capable of more – I just need to find that confidence we have been looking for all weekend.”

India’s Geoffrey Emmanuel will kick off proceedings from the back of the grid but was pleased to qualify in the mix.

“We had a lot of work to do today but we did manage to get the job done. We have a really good feeling for the races and I’m ready to go all out,” he said.

On the AGR Moto2 machine, American racer Max Toth overcame a bout of illness and zero practice time to put in a stellar performance and qualify straight to Q2. He will start from P18 for both races.

“It was a bittersweet day. We made a big step getting a direct placement into Q2 and I think we had a really competitive lap time for that which boosted everyone’s morale. Unfortunately Q2 didn’t go to plan as we had bad positioning from the start, weird laps

For the sole European Talent Cup race, Kristian Daniel Jr, of the United States, earned himself P6 in his Q2 group.

“This is my best qualifying so far in the dry and I know I could have gone a little bit faster but the wind played against us. Overall, I had a really good feeling today and I’m excited to see what’s possible.

“The bike has been performing really well all weekend. For the race I’m going to focus on staying calm as I know I have the pace to stay with the front group – I just need to eliminate the mistakes which have hindered me at times this season. It’s one shot and one opportunity to show what I can do.”

In his rookie year Portugal’s Afonso Almeida will contest the last chance race to earn his spot in the main event.

“It’s not the result I wanted today but this is a learning year and I will take the experience. My lap times mean I will start from pole which gives me a chance to really fight,” he said.

Afonso Almeida’s journey to the FIM JuniorGP ranks hasn’t exactly been smooth but it has built a resilient young man determined to achieve his dream of racing MotoGP.

The personable 14-year-old joined the AGR Racing team this year to contest the European Talent Cup and continues to impress with an unwavering dedication.

“It is my dream and I want it,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“I love everything but the most is racing and competing. If I can’t race to go to MotoGP one day, I will stop because it is the competition I love and chasing the dream. What I love most is racing bikes, not just riding the bikes. It is the feeling and the adrenaline.”

Almeida twisted the throttle on his first motorbike as a fearless kid.

“This all started because of my dad and my mum. They met through motorcycles. I told my dad I want to ride a bike and when I was five years old, he put me in one motocross camp and I didn’t like it so I decided to switch to football,” he recalled.

“At 8-years-old, my dad met Paulo Oliveira and he asked if I wanted to try a road bike. I loved it because it was really different to motocross. It sparked my passion.

“My first race was really bad – I finished last, really last. The guy ahead of me in second last lapped me. My dad told me ‘we aren’t going to race, you can just have one bike and have fun with me at the kart tracks’. 

“I cried a lot and said ‘I want to race’. So, we trained a lot in the Oliveira Cup and I did fifth place and then I started to get some evolution.

“After the second race, I crashed almost in all the races for the rest of the year. But then the next year, I got the podium in my first race and finished third in the championship.”

The following three years were spent honing his skills in the competitive ESBK Championship, first in Moto-4 before moving up to Pre-Moto3 last year where he was consistently battling for the podium.

“I started to see my potential and get better results. I learn all the time,” he said.

His trophy cabinet is filling up with dual Portugese championships in the Moto-4 class in 2020 and 2021 and the Oliveira Cup in 2020. 

He is thriving in the professional AGR setup.

“When I came into the paddock and saw all the big trucks and the box, I knew it was the environment I wanted to be in. I love the atmosphere and the whole rider life of training to be the best and working hard to be the best. It is my motivation,” he said.

“I like a lot my teammates because they all push me and have been on this journey already. It helps me understand the evolution that’s possible and to get better. Sometimes when you have a bad result it’s hard to think you can do better. When something bad happens, in that moment it feels like the worst moment of my life. And then two days later, I realise it’s not so bad. So the guys really show me that it is a long career, there is good and bad in racing and it’s just a moment in time so we keep working.”

He doesn’t have too look far for motivation with Portugal’s Miguel Oliveira etching out a stellar MotoGP career.

“It’s not just because he’s Portugese, If he was Spanish or English, I would still like him a lot because, yes he is fast and a good rider, but he’s a really good person,” Almeida said. 

“One thing I like a lot is that he is one of the only MotoGP riders that finished school. I am very proud of him because of that. For me and my family, the school is very important and he did it and still achieved MotoGP. That inspires me because I don’t like school but I think ‘if Miguel can do it, I can do it’.

Now his focus is firmly on the undulations of Portimao, a circuit he rates highly.

“I know this track and I am confident we can do a good race weekend here,” he said.

“What I like the most, I’m not saying the downhills because everyone says that. I’m saying this is like a confidence track and I have confidence with the bike and I’m a little bit crazy so I like to explore the limits of the risk and this is the track for that.”

Cormac Buchanan fighting for the podium and Max Toth in the points are two of the highlights the AGR team takes from round three of the FIM JuniorGP World Championship in Barcelona today.

In both Moto3 races, Buchanan achieved an impressive P5 after race long battles, narrowly missing victory by just 0.4 and 0.5 seconds respectively.

“Two very difficult races but we were in the hunt. We want podiums but it’s more important to be consistent,” he said.

“In both races, I was patient within the group before pushing when it really counted. In race two, the last laps were crazy with a lot of pushing and contact and I ended up getting shifted back to fifth. 

“Given this was the track which was my most difficult last year, I’m proud of the progress we have made and we leave with really vital points for the championship. 

“It’s a race weekend we can be really proud of, especially considering the races were two of the biggest battles this season so far. Now I’m looking forward to Portimao where I’ll be looking to take another step.”

His fellow JuniorGP rider Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, narrowly missed out on the points, finishing a credible P16.

“I felt comfortable with the bike and it felt easy to overtake and make the pace. I just couldn’t strategise well with managing the tyres which affected the results,” he said.

“But I ended both races much closer to the front than the previous round so the progress is there. I need to focus on qualifying because getting a better grid position will put me in the hunt for the front group. The race pace is there but the one lap time we need in qualifying I am struggling with.” 

On the AGR Moto2 machine, American racer Max Toth marked his return from injury with a courageous performance to bank valuable championship points in both races. 

“It feels good. Finally, we have points on the board – even if it did come with a little bit of luck from some people crashing. We started the race and we finished the race so that’s the important thing,” he said.

 “We gathered a lot of good info and we’re not as far off as we initially thought we were. It’s just going to take a few little things to get to the pace that we want.

“The important thing now is to recover because we are nowhere near full physical fitness and I felt it in both races. I think these were the hardest 32 laps of my life and I’m going to need to continue an intensive recovery to let my body heal.

“We have a month now to the next race weekend which is a good amount of time to train, recover and just sharpen everything up that we need to so we can make steps to the front.”

In the European Talent Cup race, Kristian Daniel Jr, of the United States, made progress from his grid position to finish P17. 

“I did a decent recovery job to end the weekend in a positive way. Obviously, I didn’t finish where I wanted to but I know for sure it was good to get back on the bike, go quick and get back into my rhythm so I was happy for that.

“I set myself up for a challenging race after messy practice and qualifying days. I am frustrated with myself because I know I could have gone better but it is what it is – I just need to improve on making sure my whole weekend is successful, not just race day. For me it’s now time reset and prepare for Portimao so we can have some more fun.”

In his rookie year, Portugal’s Afonso Almeida contested the last chance race, earning P7.

“I expected more and I tried hard to qualify. I am really sad because the team and I did a great job and our results don’t show how hard we are working. I still learned a lot this weekend and this is a learning year for me. We are still pushing and I will try my best at Portimao,” he said.

Tricky conditions threw up some challenges for AGR riders at the FIM JuniorGP World Championship in Barcelona today, setting the team up strongly to perform on race day tomorrow.

In the JuniorGP ranks, Cormac Buchanan topped the time sheets to claim P1 in a wet practice, progressing straight to Q2. In the second session, strong pace on the final lap had him in the hunt for the front row of the grid before a high-speed crash forced him to settle for P7.

“Today is a day I can still be proud of, especially in the morning as I knew my pace in the wet has been good and we’ve been P1 in all of the wet sessions so far this year. In the dry it was a bit more of the unknown but I was confident we had strong pace from yesterday" he said. 

“In the second half of the session we put a new tyre on and I started to push. Unfortunately, I caught traffic and, although the lap was still good enough to put me in a solid place, I felt there was plenty more to achieve. 

“On the final lap my sectors had me on for the front row but I had a crash at the second to last corner. It’s a little bit unfortunate but it’s the best I’ve felt on the bike all season and I know my pace is there so it’s nothing to beat myself up about. These things happen and ultimately the race is where it counts.”

His fellow JuniorGP riders Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, and Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, finished P12 and P19 respectively in their Q1 session.

Mononyane will start the races from P26.

“There are some real positives to take out of today. It was difficult this morning to improve when the track started to dry out as I feel most comfortable in the full wet conditions,” he said.

“I went alone in Q1 and improved my lap times. I was focusing on getting my pace more than the lap itself. We aren’t missing too much and we will see what we can achieve in the races.” 

Emmanuel was determined to keep working hard.

“We had a good feeling with the bike but we couldn’t make it to the race after a crash during practice yesterday limited my track time,” he said.

“It is important to keep my head up and continue to work harder for the next round in Portugal.”

After battling injury, American racer Max Toth staged his long-awaited return to the track on the AGR Moto2 machine. 

“It was good to finally get some laps. Unfortunately, we’re still not close at all to 100 percent physical condition but the important thing is we are back and building our confidence up on the bike,” he said.

“We’re treating this more as a test instead of a race weekend. I’m just trying to do the best I can with the cards that I’ve been dealt and we will keep coming back stronger. Right now, we have to keep our feet grounded and our heads out of the clouds. We aren’t going to do anything crazy for the races tomorrow – there’s no worries, no pressure and no stress. I will just keep progressing at the pace my current physical condition allows me to.” 

Kristian Daniel Jr, of the United States, is ready to fight for higher honours in the European Talent Cup division where he will start from P28.

“We finish today overall with good vibes and we know where we need to improve. The lap time didn’t come together but I know I have the speed and fighting spirit to push my way up the field,” he said.

“The team and I are going all out tomorrow to achieve what we have been working so hard for. I will push as hard as I can in the race.”

Portugal’s Afonso Almeida will contest the last chance race in the European Talent Cup, fighting to earn his spot in the feature race.

“Today was a day where I learned a lot. I didn’t pass to Q2 because I had some difficulties to get a strong lap time, but I am confident for tomorrow because I’m feeling good with the bike and the team is doing a very good job.”

There comes a time when a dream must morph into a plan. That time is now for Kristian Daniel Jr.

The talented teenager has set a strategy in motion which he hopes will ultimately see him reach coveted MotoGP status. To achieve it, he is firmly focused on each vital step.

His next assignment is round three of the FIM JuniorGP world championship where he will compete in the European Talent Cup division at Montmelo, near Barcelona, this weekend. 

“This is my home race and I want to show my family especially that what they’ve given me is the chance to fight competitively against the best in the world. That is the greatest reward I can give them,” he said.

Living just a short drive from the iconic circuit, Daniel Jr regards it as “home turf”, despite retaining his American twang. He was just 9-years-old when his family moved to Spain from the United States in 2019.

“This does feel like home now, 100 percent,” he said. 

“I wanted to come over here and race because honestly the level is just so much higher than in the US. In order for me to get on par with the Spanish riders as early as possible, we decided to move.

“I don’t really know what my dad saw in me to make such a massive decision but he saw something special. I guess he saw the dream I had and wanted to support me in achieving that.

“I still identify as American most of all but I’m getting to the point where I am getting really Spanish in some of my traits. I lead two lives in some respects and it’s really cool to be able to do that.”

Daniel Jr achieved a crucial step on his racing journey when selected to contest the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup this season and has already impressed with top 10 finishes on debut.

“It feels good to be in the top 10 and get some good results but at the same time I want more,” he said.

“I know a lot of the guys in Rookies Cup and I just want to beat them. It’s definitely an advantage having raced against them in Europe over the past few years because it’s forced me to develop a Spanish mindset.

“Rookies Cup is where you prove you have the skills to go to the world championship so it’s a vital step on the ladder. And it really is the best visibility possible because we get to race side-by-side with MotoGP.”

He was steadfast that’s where his future aspirations are.

“If I keep working hard and I keep learning every year, maintaining the steady progression I’ve had, for sure I can get there. But I need to keep following my plan and stay grounded,” he said.

“My goal now is to finish the Rookies Cup in a good place in the championship and then look to go into the JuniorGP on the Moto3 to hone my skills further before going into the world championship and working up the ranks.

“I’m really happy the path is getting clearer and the results are starting to reflect the hard work my family and I are putting in.”

New Zealander Cormac Buchanan has secured his second consecutive podium, finishing third in today’s FIM JuniorGP race at Circuito Estoril.

In fast-changing conditions, the New Zealander opted to switch to slick tyres while on the grid and his experienced AGR crew quickly delivered.

Scorching off the line, Buchanan reinforced it was the right decision by leading the first six laps of the shortened 10-lap stanza. Forced to avoid a crash in the lead group of four riders, the kiwi battled to the line, narrowly missing out on second by just 0.04 seconds.

“It was a really good race for me. We went with the slicks last minute and it was still quite a wet track so the priority for me was to come home with some points. Third place is a solid result,” he said.

“I think today the win was on the cards but there’s a few little things to improve and that comes with experience. Avoiding the crash detached me from the leader so I think if that didn’t happen we could have been in for more but third is still really good points for the championship and we keep focused on this.

“With such a cold track the tyres weren’t performing to their optimum and I still had the wet set up so in those circumstances you have to consolidate. Considering where we were on Friday with the big crash and injury, I’m really happy to get another podium. 

“My plan was always to get away fast and try to make the group as small as possible. I made a strong start and pushed really hard in the opening laps. It was really difficult because the conditions were changing all the time but it was good to lead the race and I felt really comfortable so this gives me really good confidence heading into Barcelona.”

Fellow JuniorGP racers Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, and Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, finished 19th and 28th respectively.

“I had some good battles in the group but I felt I could have gone faster and wanted more. It’s the past now and obviously it was a difficult weekend but the learning curve continues. We have to look on the positive side and we finished the race, we gained some good data and got a lot of experience,” Mononyane said.

Emmanuel was satisfied with his efforts.

“We’ve made some good steps in both dry and wet conditions this weekend. I’ve worked on very important things so I’m looking forward to Barcelona to put them into action again,” he said.

In the European Talent Cup ranks, American Kristian Daniel Junior had a challenging day, crashing in slippery wet conditions in race one. Despite two long lap penalties for a jump start in the second event, he fought hard to finish P15 and get points on the championship ladder.

“After a good Saturday, it’s a little bit infuriating to end Sunday on this note. We had pretty good pace in the wet but I crashed out of 6th place in the first lap as I was too eager to get past and move up positions,” he said.

“In the second race, I barely moved but the FIM is super strict – and rightly so, they should be like that – and I got a double long lap for a jump start. We got P15 and it’s an improvement because we finished the race and got on the points ladder. We have the pace to be at the front and I proved that – in the next race we just have to push a little bit more and not make any mistakes.”

After suffering a knee injury in qualifying, Afonso Almeida showed impressive strength of character to complete both races.

“Today I considered not racing but then the motivation hit me as this is my home round in Portugal and I am the only one from my country on the grid,” he said.

“I tried my best to ignore the pain to finish the races as strong as possible. I’m not completely happy because if I wasn’t injured, I know I could do better. I want to say thank you to my team because we achieved my first goal of getting to Q2. My next goal is to catch the points and I am confident we will do that in Barcelona.” 

New Zealander Cormac Buchanan overcame incredibly challenging conditions to clinch pole position for tomorrow’s FIM JuniorGP race at Circuito Estoril.

Progressing straight to Q2 after a solid practice in the dry, Buchanan was forced to contend with rain and fog to determine his spot on the grid but reigned supreme by over 0.5 seconds from the rest of the highly competitive field.

“Every racer strives to be at the front of that grid and I am stoked to finally be able to claim my first international pole in the last lap!,” Buchanan said. 

“It’s interesting because this is my first time riding this type of bike in the wet and on the wet Pirelli tyres so I had a lot of different things to contend with. I knew that I’m quite good in the wet so just needed to stay calm and let the session come to me.

“In these difficult conditions, it’s always the last lap you make that’s the best as the track improves and you are aquaplaning less and less. 

“I just focused on getting to that last lap because honestly it was very easy to crash in that session. Finally, I was able to pull out a good lap and then I felt I had more to give and tried to push more everywhere and I was able to improve that time again and get pole.

“It’s good because I know I wasn’t riding on the limit and I am on pole. For me that’s really important and, wet or dry tomorrow, I know we can have a good race and keep rewarding my team for all of our hard work.” 

In the European Talent Cup ranks, American Kristian Daniel Junior delivered a fantastic result to finish P3 in group A so he will start from the second row.

“I had a really strong morning and I was confident for Q2. The rain changed the conditions completely but it was a really fun session. We came into it with an open mind and treated it like a testing session in the wet given it is likely to be raining for the race.

“I just went out there to feel how it was and we came back with P3,” he enthused.

“I’m honestly really happy because I didn’t crash, I felt super comfortable on the bike and I feel I could have pushed even more. 

“P3 is my best qualifying yet and, even though it wasn’t in the dry, it’s the same conditions for everyone and I beat riders who have had the edge on me for a while so it really feels good to have that pace.”

Fellow ETC rider Alfonso Almeida continues to impress in his rookie season, earning a place in Q2 for his home event in Portugal. However, an unfortunate crash hindered his progress.

“We tried our best and achieved the first goal of Q2. In the rain, I struggled to get a good feeling and then I crashed. I am still happy with the job the team and I did and tomorrow I will push the best that I can,” Almeida said.

Joining Buchanan in the JuniorGP event, Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, will start P19 and Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, on the back row.

Mononyane was agonisingly close to a spot in Q2, finishing P5 in Q1. 

“After the rain at the opening round in Misano, we had some base settings so we weren’t starting from scratch. We made some good laps but the tyre gave us some problems when we were feeling really good and battling to get into Q2. I had a crash on the fastest lap, losing the rear at turn two. 

Emmanuel feels ready for anything.

“I had a good feeling in the wet conditions for the first time and even in the dry we made positive steps. We won’t know the conditions for the race until tomorrow but we are ready for whatever is thrown at us.”

“The position is not the target, I want to keep improving my lap times and enjoy.”

Cormac Buchanan has rewarded our hard-working AGR team with its first podium of the 2024 season.

In a frantic race, the talented New Zealander battled right to the line to earn an epic third place in the FIM JuniorGP world championship – his first podium in the category.

“This is the moment I have been chasing. It is ultimately payback for all of the hard work and sacrifices my team and my family have made to bring me to this point. Little me would be so proud to see this dream realised, standing on this podium in Europe against the best talents in the world,” Buchanan said.

“It makes me so hungry for more and we will keep striving for that top step. It is important to continue this positive trajectory and achieve what we know is possible. I have the crew beside me to do it.

“For now we will enjoy this moment and then it is time to reset and refocus for Estoril in two weeks.”

Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane, of South Africa, launched strongly into the action of the first JuniorGP race and made excellent progress before crashing out from P14.

“I felt really confident overtaking and the good set up with the bike made me feel like I could push and try to reach the front group. Despite the crash I am pretty happy with race one,” Mononyane said.

“In race two, I stalled on the sighting lap and had to start on the back of the grid in P32. I was very aggressive on the first lap to try and get my positions back. Unfortunately, the front group had broken away so I pushed until P15 and consolidated my position. On the last lap, I touched the green and received a 3 second penalty which left me in P19.

“I am satisfied with how I progressed throughout the weekend and I feel like I can stick with the front group, I just have to strategise my races better.

“Thank you to the team and everyone who has helped me achieve these results early on in the season.”

In the ETC ranks, it was a day of contrast for our two pilots. Kristian Daniel Junior unfortunately was taken out in the hectic early stages of both races, while Afonso Almeida earned credible finishes on debut.

“It was a very frustrating day. I was making up some positions at the start of the race and got taken out by another rider. For it to happen again in the second race was just unbelievable. This is the hardest part of racing but we will reset and make the comeback strong,” Daniel Jnr said.

Almeida leaves Misano smiling his trademark cheeky grin.

“It was a very positive weekend. The team and I worked hard to reach our goals – the first to pass to Q2 and I did it. In the first race, I was battling the group but I failed one corner and I was back to P23. In the second race, I was again in the group and I battled hard and finished P20,” he said.

“Thanks to the team and my family and sponsors. Next, we enjoy my home track.”

While Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, was ruled out of the race, he enjoyed watching the exploits of his teammates.

“I was disappointed not to be out there myself but I am proud of all of my AGR friends. I am looking forward to Estoril,” he said.

Italy’s iconic Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli launches another chapter in the history of the AGR team as the 2024 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP season officially revved into action.

Today’s qualifying sessions resulted in promising progress for all AGR riders across both the Moto3 and European Talent Cup divisions. Unfortunately, our Moto2 rider Max Toth was unable to take part as he recovers from a dislocated shoulder sustained on Thursday.

Team owner Anscari Nadal was satisfied with the day’s proceedings, a highlight being Cormac Buchanan’s impressive P4 qualifying for tomorrow’s two Moto3 races. The New Zealand rider was on track to challenge for pole before a red flag forced an end to the session prematurely.

Buchanan: “It was a little bittersweet you could say. We went out on old tyres in the first run just to warm everything up, check the track after the rain and get prepared for a time attack. All weekend we have been riding alone so my goal was just to go out with clear track in front of me which we were able to do. I was able to put in a good lap – it didn’t feel great to me but apparently it was good enough for P4.

“The next lap we were arriving onto pole position but unfortunately we caught a red flag. So, definitely a little bittersweet in that sense but we’ve gained a lot of confidence and can be happy with the work we’ve been doing on ourselves, our processes and our own path. For the race tomorrow, we will reset and focus on staying calm and consistent.”  

South African Kgopotso ‘KJ’ Mononyane and Geoffrey Emmanuel, of India, earned P8 and P19 respectively in JuniorGP Q1.

Mononyane: “We worked a lot and we are going in the right direction. Our result really doesn’t reflect the way I feel but I know I can achieve good progression throughout the season, starting positively from this first race.”

Emmanuel: “I had a better feeling with the bike than yesterday …I could turn faster and carry more speed. I learned a lot of different things from the other moto3 veterans. I am improving step by step and it is the right direction so I am looking forward to more.”

For AGR’s European Talent Cup pilots, Misano presented a new adventure and both impressed.

Experienced campaigner Kristian Danial Jnr, of the United States, progressed straight to Q2 where he achieved a solid P5 finish in challenging conditions.

Kristian Daniel Jnr: “We went straight to Q2, despite a small crash, so even though I feel I could have got a better pace, it was still good. I was actually a bit nervous going into the next session as it looked like it was going to be a rainy session so it was very mixed conditions. It ended up being super dry which caught a lot of people off guard. I just pushed my maximum and gave it my all. The team worked super hard and we made a big step so I felt more comfortable to be at the faster pace so let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

In his ETC debut, Portugal’s Afonso Almeida fought hard for P3 in Q1 to earn his place in Q2, finishing P12 in his group.

Almeida: “It was my first time in this category and I’m very happy. After the practice I was a little bit nervous because my goal was to pass straight to Q2 and qualify for the race but we had to go through Q1. I’m grateful to the team because we did a very good job and let’s see what we can achieve tomorrow.”

Tomorrow all our riders and crew will give their best to achieve strong results for AGR.

AGR Team is pleased to announce the return of Kristian Daniel Jr to the team in order to achieve great success together. The young Californian talent, who was previously an integral part of the AGR Team for the 2021 season, returns with a new perspective and valuable experience gained over the past three years.

Kristian, will continue his development in  the European Talent Cup category with which he already has three years of experience. He made his debut in the Championship at the tender age of 12, making him one of the youngest drivers in his category. His return home is an exciting opportunity to continue his growth as a professional driver. As a team, we are committed to ensuring the success of this exciting joint venture.

With a dedicated team and a determined rider, AGR Team anticipates an exciting season full of achievements in the European Talent Cup. Let's go for it!

Anscari Nadal: "I am pleased with the return of Kristian Daniel Jr to the AGR Team. We will continue where we left off and work together to achieve our goals with success. Kristian is a more mature rider with 3 years of experience. He started the European Talent Cup when he was only 12 years old, the youngest in the category, which was quite an achievement back then! We thank all the sponsors who make this new adventure possible. Although the budget presents challenges, AGR is committed to overcome them and move forward with determination."

Kristian Daniel Jr: "I'm very happy to announce that I will be competing in the 2024 season in the ETC category with the AGR team, where I was already in 2021 and had my first contact with the category. I am sure it will be a very funny season, as I know most of the mechanics and data guys, I am more mature and older now and I know I can bring a lot more to the table. It's a very special season for me”. 

AGR Team is delighted to announce the arrival of Kgopotso Mononyane II, better known as KJ. The 16 years old rider will be competing in the Junior GP category.

Kgopotso is a talented rider from Johannesburg, South Africa, who will make the leap to the Junior GP category this season as part of the FIM Junior GP, an effort and learning experience that will be complemented by his first participation in the prestigious Red Bull Rookies Cup.

KJ has impressed on the circuits since he began his sporting career in 2017. His dedication and skills have led him to win national championships, such as the SUB500 National MRSSA series in 2023, and to compete in Italy (CIV), where he got experience in the PreMoto3 and Moto3 categories.

With this participation in both Championships, KJ will continue his sporting progression that has only one target, the target to bring a South African to MotoGP. AGR Team is delighted to welcome KJ and looks forward to an exciting and successful season together. Welcome, KJ!"

AGR Team is proud to announce the addition of promising Indian rider, Geoffrey Emmanuel, who will compete in the JuniorGP category during the upcoming season. His outstanding track record and dedication in previous seasons will bring great value to our team., consolidating his position as a professional rider. 

Geoffrey's passion for motorcycling began at the early age of 7, marking the start of his professional career. With four consecutive years at Honda Racing India since the age of 13, Emmanuel has demonstrated exceptional skills and unwavering determination. In 2022, he participated in the Hawkers European Talent Cup, becoming the first Indian rider to compete on stage at the age of 17 and in 2023, he made the step up to the JuniorGP category.

We are excited to see his progress and contribute to the development of his talent and this sporting union promises an exciting season!

Anscari Nadal: "Being able to have an Indian rider is a challenge, the target is to develop the rider and continue his progression in the FIM Junior GP and finally reach the promotion of a Wild Card in the World Championship. It is a mutual challenge for rider and team, but in AGR we like challenges and we will put a lot of impetus in finding out all the hidden talent of riders of different nationalities and will help them reach the World Championship".

Geoffrey Emmanuel: "I'm very excited to be part of the AGR Team and to be able to train with 111 Management to improve my career as a professional rider. I can't wait to live new experiences with my new team!"

AGR Team is excited to welcome the talented Portuguese rider Afonso Almeida for the 2024 FIM Junior GP season, competing in the European Talent Cup class. Almeida, a young rider coming from the Spanish Pre-Moto3 Championship, will make his official appearance in the European Talent Cup category, after having already been part of the team during the last FIM Junior GP. 

From the team, we are pleased to welcome him and be part of this exciting chapter in his career. We look forward to seeing him demonstrate his skills on the track with the AGR Team. 

Anscari Nadal: "I am very happy to be able to count on Afonso next year. The test race he did in Valencia was not only a demonstration of his ability on the track, but also an encounter that left its mark on him. At AGR, Afonso has found more than a team; he feels at home. The connection he has established with our staff is palpable, everything flows and that is a good sign. We are aware that the road ahead is long and challenging, but at AGR, Afonso will have the best travelling companions on his way to the world championship."

Afonso Almeida: "I am very excited and pleased to be joining the AGR Team. I hope it will be a very positive year of learning a lot and enjoying riding on the track. My first target is to gain experience and confidence with the bike, as well as to adapt to the team. Every time I go out on the track, I go out to win. I 'm very grateful for this great opportunity and I will give my best to achieve great goals together. We are ready for an exciting 2024 together!"

Two races in JuniorGP, one in Moto2 and one in the ETC closed the 2023 season for the AGR Team and its riders. The results in these last events were not what we expected, but riders and each member of the AGR Team gave everything until the last minute. 

2023 has been a season that, as every year, has given good and not so good moments. From the team we want to thank all the riders who have passed through our garage this year. We are already working to return stronger in 2024… We never give up

JUNIOR GP

Cormac Buchanan Race1 DNF / Race2 P20 Championship  14 Points  50

“Today I was one of the strongest on the track. In both races we did a nice start, but unfortunately another rider made a silly move and damaged my bike, which made me no possible to finish the race. In the second race it was more or less the same thing. Again another rider tried to make a silly move that cost me a lot of position. The next lap the same rider touched me and I crashed.I was able to remount and I think I finished P20. It not the end of the season I wanted nor the end of the season we deserved as we were one of the strongest. In the second race I really made a good start and was fighting in the front but things didn’t work in our way. I’m sure that in 2024 we can come back stronger. We got new goals for the next season and I’m sure we will achieve them.”

Torin Collins  Race1 P19 / Race2 P19 Championship  P29 Points  1

“This weekend has been a little bit emotional for me as it will be my last race in JuniorGP with this team and in Spain, so I was a little bit sad. Overall it went pretty good. The result was not amazing but I think it was a good way to finish the season. Looking forward to the future and I’m happy for what the team has done for me in the last two years.”

MOTO2

Mattia Rato P10 Championship  P4 Points  113

“It has been a complicated race. I didn’t start well and I really struggled in the first lap. Another rider tried to overtake me in an , let’s say, not appropriate moment, which disturbed me a lot. Later I managed to overtake him and another rider, and I started to ride alone. It was then when I found my pace. The shame is that the riders I had in front were too far away. And that was it.”

Sam Wilford P12 Championship  P13 Points  50

“Difficult end of the weekend, still suffering from an injury form eight weeks ago. I will take the winter to recover and come back next season fully fit to be fighting again where I think I can be. Thank you to the team for the work made and I hope to see everyone next year.” 

European Talent Cup ETC

Owen van Trigt  P20 Championship  P33 Points  1

“The day was OK. I didn’t do one of the best starts. The pace was OK, but too far from the front. The balance of the season is under the expectations I had, but the positive is that I have grown and learned as a rider this season.”

The FIM Junior GP traveled this weekend to Valencia to celebrate its last round of the season at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. The weather in the form of rain and especially a strong wind has marked the two days prior to today's practice. 

It has been a difficult day because after being two days without being able to ride, riders went out to the track especially 'motivated'. An excess of desire that resulted in more than one crash. The AGR Team will have some more work to do tonight, but tomorrow our riders will have their bikes perfectly ready to face the last race of the season.

Special mention should be made of Sam Wilford, a home rider who fought so hard to get back on his bike after the very serious accident he suffered last year. The season that ends tomorrow has not met Sam's expectations for this year, mainly due to a ligament damage in one of his knees. From the team we want to put on record that we are sure that the speed he lacks will return once he has repaired this bad knee. Sam's best is yet to come, we are sure of it. 

JUNIOR GP

Cormac Buchanan P8

“Today was a very interesting day. I entered wanting just ride the bike after two days sitting around doing nothing.Unfortunately, in the practice session we did three laps and in corner 3I made a very big highside, one of the biggest in my career. I was in a lot of pain. This meant that I couldn't go straight into Q2. Anyway I was fast, so in Q1 I put a fast lap together, which was good enough to go to Q2. The Q2 session was quite difficult. At first because we missed the group in the first run, but in the last try I was able to make really fast sectors. I was one of the fastest. Unfortunately I was in a lot of traffic, which meant that I couldn’t put all my sectors together. So finally we start P8 for tomorrow’s race, but in an ideal lap I would have been on the front row. I’m a little bit disappointed but anyway I’m happy with the feeling and for tomorrow I’ll push.”    

Torin Colins P26 

"It has been a complicated day because of the wind. I couldn't get into Q2 straight away, and in Q1 I didn't feel comfortable at all. The wind was a nuisance today."

MOTO2

Mattia Rato P12

“A bad day, a difficult day. This morning I started having a good feeling, but Q1 was complicated due to the wind. I haven’t been able to do even one good lap. I lapped slow. In the afternoon we did an important step forward. With used tires i was one second faster. We had found the ride way. Then I put new tires and I crashed in a very fast point of the circuit. Fortunately I’m OK. Hope to have a good feeling tomorrow and do well.”

Sam Wilford P16

“A very strange weekend after not having any practice and going straight into qualifying. I hope tomorrow we can improve on our position and end the year on a high!”

European Talent Cup ETC

Owen van Trigt P15

"It was a complicated day because of the wind. Riding was very difficult. In the first session I felt comfortable on the bike and the feeling I had was that I was going fast, but in the end the time didn't come out.".

Afonso Almeida P23

It was a difficult day because after two days without being able to ride, the riders went out to the track especially 'motivated'. 

Unfortunately Afonso, who joined us this weekend, making his debut in the FIM Junior World Championship, suffered an accident entering the pitlane caused by a distraction. As a result of the crash the Portuguese rider will not be able to start tomorrow's race. 

From the AGR Team we can only regret this situation and wish him a speedy recovery. We wish to see him back on a motorcycle as soon as possible. 

AGR Team is pleased to announce the participation of Portuguese rider Afonso Almeida for the last round of the FIM JuniorGP at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Almeida, a young rider coming from ESBK, will make his first appearance in the European Talent Cup category. 

Anscari Nadal: "It is an honor for AGR to give this opportunity to the young Portuguese rider Almeida, who comes to us from the ESBK and has the recommendation of Paulo Oliveira. This will be his first participation in this category and our main objective is for Almeida to gain confidence with the bike and go from strength to strength".

Afonso Almeida: "I’m very happy for the possibility given to me to compete in the last race of the European Talent Cup in a team like AGR. I am very grateful to the AGR team, Paulo Oliveira and Miguel Oliveira Racing Team for giving me the possibility to live this experience. I'm going to do my best this weekend to show my gratitude to everyone who believed in me."

In terms of results, it has not been the best weekend for our riders, who in all categories have been affected by the penalties received yesterday, which relegated them to start in positions that did not match the results obtained in the qualifying sessions.

From the AGR Team management we want to congratulate our riders and our team workers for having given everything throughout the weekend, regardless of the frustration that has caused us what we have explained above. We are a strong, experienced and dedicated team, always and in any circumstance to our riders.

We are all looking forward to the month before the race in Valencia so that we can provide our riders with the best possible equipment, as we have done throughout the season. In the races there are times when things go well and other times not so well, but in the AGR Team we never stop rowing.

JUNIOR GP

Cormac Buchanan P20 Championship P12 Points 50

“Many different emotions after today’s race. Firstly, I’m very happy with thw work we have done as a team. The qualifying P2 was very good. A grid position that was taken from us in what might have been a not very fair decision, but ultimately it is a steward decision and we have to respect that. It made the race very difficult at first

but we went from P26 to P10 in six laps, but unfortunately when you have to come through the pack there is a lot of risk involved. Om lap seven or eight I lost the front. I was able to pick up the bike and carry on. Ultimately is not the result I wanted for this weekend. I’m a bit disappointed. If we had started P2, which is where we deserved

to start, maybe the race would have been different. Obviously we wouldn’t have to take as many risks and we may have been able to go in the front and all the way. After the race it was a disappointing result, especially for the team. We hope to come back strong in Valencia and finish the season in a strong way.”

Torin Collins P22 Championship P28 Points 1

“Was quite a fun race. The position at the end wasn’t what I wanted but in the first couple of laps I was very aggressive and I made some good passes. In the middle of the race I was not so fast and other riders passed me. From then on I had a very good battle until the last corner. Although the result was not the one I wanted, it was a fun race.”

MOTO2

Mattia Rato  Race1 P12 / Race2 P11 Championship P4  Points 107

“In race 1 i started not bad. At the beginning I was able to be fast but in the middle of the race the steering damper failed and riding turned very difficult. In fact, at a certain point I thought I had a puncture in the front wheel and ran off the track trying to control the bike. In race 2 I started OK. As in the previous race I was able to catch up some positions. I was riding well until midrace. But from there on I lost the rhythm and wasn’t able to ride well and lost two positions."

Sam Wilford Race1 P15 / Race2 DNF Championship P12 Points 46

“Challenging two races today. Not where we want to be, we will keep working as a team to come back stronger and finish the last race in Valencia on a high..”

EUROPEAN TALENT CUP (ETC)

Owen van Trigt

Championship P31 Points 1

Unfortunately Owen was unable to race today as fog prevented the 'Last Chance' race from taking place.

After almost three months of hiatus, the FIM JuniorGP World Championship called its riders for its penultimate event. The setting, the Motorland circuit in Alcañiz. AGR Team will be present in this race with five riders:

● Cormac Buchanan and Torin Collins in Junior MotoGP

● Mattia Rato and Sam Wilford in Moto 2

● Owen van Trigt in the European Talent Cup.

Fog has become an unexpected protagonist, causing yesterday a two-hour delay in the scheduled timetable, and a half-hour delay today. It may happen that tomorrow it will be an issue.

In terms of sporting activity, the day was characterized by the rigorous application of the revised rule at the last race in Barcelona, which penalizes riders more strictly the riders who deliberately ride slowly on the track.

The severe use of this rule has led to a massive penalty in all categories. This has resulted in many of the faster riders starting from the back of the grid tomorrow, with many slower riders ahead of them. From the AGR Team we want to point out that this can generate high risk situations in the early stages of the race.

Obviously in the AGR Team we are totally aligned with the organizer of the championship in correcting situations on track that may generate danger for riders during the practice sessions. We also agree that the rules must be rigorously applied. But at the same time, we claim that in order to avoid unfair situations these rules must be applied with criteria, individually, to avoid that, as in the case of one of our riders, he is penalized for riding slow on the pit exit lap, only in one sector.

All our riders, except Torin Collins, have been penalized by the new rule, so regardless of their times in the qualifying sessions, they will have to start tomorrow from the back of their respective grids. 

JUNIOR GP 

Cormac Buchanan P*

“What to say about today? Firstly, I want to say a big thank you to the team for the work we have been doing all weekend. We started a little bit slow but kept improving. Saturday morning started really well. I did my best ever lap time on this track, mostly alone, which was really nice. Unfortunately on my out lap I did a slow sector. I had to start in the back of the grid. In Q2 it was quite funny, we took this position as a motivation and we did a very nice lap that put us on P2. Even if we have a penalty I’m sure we can have fun. I’m confident that we can get to the front even so. I’m excited for the race tomorrow.”

Torin Collins P*

“Today was quite difficult. It didn’t go how I wanted to. My grid position isn’t very good but I’m confident for tomorrow’s race.” 

*At the time of closing this release the final grid configuration was not known.

MOTO2

Mattia Rato P15

“A bad day. I fell down. In Q1 I felt good, I had improved the bike, but after three timed laps I crashed. In other words, I couldn't get the best out of one tire or the other. In the afternoon I went out with a good feeling, but after one timed lap I crashed again. This led me to do the last three laps very sore. To this we have to add a penalty. The result is that in race #1 we will start from the back."

Sam Wilford P18

“Difficult qualifying today and a penalty for race 1 tomorrow which puts us back of the grid. We will still try to do the best job tomorrow and come forward in the races.”

EUROPEAN TALENT CUP (ETC)

Owen van Trigt Not classified for main race  

“There is not much to say, it has been a bad day. Right now I’m pretty upset.” 

With deep regret we announce the departure of the Australian rider Carter Thompson from AGR Team. So the team will compete at Motorland with only 5 riders.

Anscari Nadal: "It is very unusual to see a rider not finishing the season at AGR but from the team we could not do more, we have given all the facilities and we have done everything possible but this story must end here. We wish Carter all the best, first and foremost he is a good guy".

The AGR team is pleased to announce the renewal of the contract of Cormac Buchanan, one of our outstanding riders in the Junior GP category. After a season full of passion and excitement, we have decided to continue our sporting partnership with Cormac to further develop his racing career together.

Since Cormac joined the AGR team, he has shown incredible commitment and significant tenacity within the championship. The decision to renew his contract is  testament to our confidence in his ability to continue to represent the values and ethos of the AGR Team, both on and off the track. We look forward to the coming season and are confident that Cormac will continue to make his mark on the world of motorcycling.

Anscari Nadal 

"I am delighted with him and his work. We are already doing well this season, and we are sure that next season will be even better. We are very happy to have Cormac; he is a great person and a great professional, as well as being surrounded by a great family. We are delighted to help him achieve his goal of making the jump to the World Championship as quickly as possible."

Cormac Buchanan 

"I am very happy to be able to renew for next season. I feel that the team really has confidence in me. Throughout this year, we have made a big step forward; compared to 2022, we are now close to podium positions. I'm convinced that next season we can fight for the championship and the top positions.”

As yesterday, the heat was the protagonist of the fifth round of the FIM JuniorGP World Championship, held at the Montmeló circuit, which made it the home race. Today, Sunday, two races were held in the JuinioGP and Moto2 categories, and one in the European Talent Cup. Now the championship enters a kind of lethargy that will last until October, when in Motorland Aragon and Valencia the FIM JuniorGP will hold the two remaining events.

JUNIOR GP

Cormac Buchanan Race 1, P17 / Race 2, P11 

“First race today was very difficult as we did the wrong choice in the gearing. Out of the corners we had no drive and we struggled a lot in the race. We changed the gearing for the second race and we could then do a good race. I was riding calm, choosing the time to push. In the last 8 laps we went to P9. I had a lot of tire left. The riders around me were not slow, but I could pass them easily. But then we had a problem on the bike which meant that we weren’t able to ride fast. We were 4/5 seconds slower per lap. That costed us a good result today, as we had pace for the podium. As I stayed on the track, some crashes helped me to finish P11. Some points are still good and for sure we will come back stronger   

Torin Colins Race 1, P27 / Race 2, P18 

“In ther first race I run off track while riding in a group. I rejoined the race but in the very back and riding alone. The second race went clearly better. I rode in a group and we had some nice fights. I took advantage of some crashes that happened to riders in front which allowed me to finish P18. I would say it’s a positive result.”

MOTO 2

Matia Rato Race 1, P6 / Race 2, P4

“Two pretty good races. In the first I didn’t start very well and also a rider pushed me out of my line. I pushed to recover the positions.In the last laps I had a tough battle with Ierai. This time he won. In the second race the start was better, which allowed me to catch up a good number of positions. After the race was similar to the previous one. Little by little I was gaining positions. This time I was lucky because two riders who were in front of me crashed and this made me finish P4. Definitely we have to improve our qualifying lap, because our pace equals the one of the riders who fight for the victory.” 

Sam Wilford Race 1, P8 / Race 2, DNF

“A difficult 2 races for us today. I feel like we had good pace but unfortunately crashed out of race 2. We have made really good progress throughout the season but haven’t had the chance to show our potential. I look forward to coming back stronger in Aragon!”

EUROPEAN TALENT CUP (ETC)

Carter Thompson DNF

“Today I started not so bad. I was in the front group but wasn’t able to push through as I wanted as down the straight I haven’t as much speed as the other riders. I was able to catch up in the corners. About midrace I was caught up in an incident. I tried to overtake one rider and we hit and I crashed.”

Owen van Trigt P18

“I did a good start but in turn #1 I was pushed out of the line. I started to catch uo, joined the group which was riding in front of me. We had a nice fight and finally I finished in front of the riders I was racing with. the result is not what I expected, but I’m positive because i feel that this weekend we made a clear progress.”

The Circuit of Catalunya hosts this weekend the fifth round of the FIM JuniorGP World Championship, which will be the 'home race' for AGR Team. As usual, we are present with six riders distributed in three categories.

Under tremendous heat, with the track at more than 50º (122º Fº), today the free sessions were held and then the qualifying sessions that served to set the starting grid for tomorrow's races. JuniorMotoGP and Moto2 will race twice, the European talent Cup will race only once. 

JUNIOR GP

Cormac Buchanan P14

“It has been a difficult day. In the first practice at the start I did a decent lap riding alone but unfortunately we crashed, so I wasn’t able to improve that lap time. Luckily it was enough to go into Q2 straight away. In the Q2 session we didn’t make the best use of the new tire. Once we found a good pace on the track after we did not take out most of the new tire. We start P14 but I'm confident we can make a good comeback. Our goal is finishing in the front and I’m sure we can do that. We just have to wait and see how the race goes.

Torin Collins

“Today in practice I was able to make another step but the time wasn’t good enough to make me go straight to Q2. But I was happy with the progress we were making with our speed. In Q1 we tried a new strategy for us. It worked pretty good apart from m y two last flying laps with new tires. In the first lap a made a mistake, in the second lap a rider crashed in front of me. So it messed up my lap a little bit. Starting in the back of the grid is not where I wanted to for tomorrow but I’m still confident that I can perform well tomorrow.”

MOTO 2

Mattia Rato P11

"The key today was the set-up we went out with in the second run. I was one of the few who lowered the time in this session, as the hot conditions meant that most of the riders didn't improve their morning lap times. The position on the grid is not what I wanted, obviously, but I think I have the pace to be in the group that will fight for the top positions tomorrow.

Sam Wilford P13

“We will start tomorrow P13 of the grid. It is not where I thought we had potential for but hopefully we can move forward in the two races.”

EUROPEAN TALENT CUP (ETC)

Carter Thompson P4

“Today in qualifying I put some good laps in, had pretty good pace alone as well. I ended up P4 in the first session, which was pretty good. Could have been better but still positive. In the second practice it was a little bit harder. We had some problems with the rear grip so I wasn't able to put the fastest time in. We ended up P5 in the session but still P4 overall, so tomorrow should be good. I have a good pace so I think we will have a good race.”

Owen van Trigt

“Today was a good day. We did some changes on the bike that made me feel good. The second qualifying was good. I’m ready to race tomorrow. Full gas!".

Intense Sunday today in Portimao, where the FIM Junior MotoGP World Championship completed up to six races. For the AGR Team the fourth event of this championship has been an intense weekend in which the team has worked hard to put in the hands of its riders the most competitive bikes possible.

This weekend's results do not reflect the level of competitiveness shown by our riders in Portugal. In Junior MotoGP Cormac Thompson even led one of his races; in Moto2, Mattia Rato made a tremendous comeback in the first race, while in the second race Sam Willford put in his best performance of the season. The team is especially happy to see the best Sam back.

For our ETC drivers the weekend was not an easy one. Their races were affected by the lack of a good lap time in practice that would have allowed them to start further up the grid. Starting from the middle of the grid increases the risk of an incident in the first moments of the race, as it happened to Carter Thompson.

Junior MotoGP

Cormac Thompson Race 1 DNF / Race 2 P7

"In the first race I was really on fire. On the first lap I was P4 and soon after I was in the lead. Unfortunately I crashed out after that. I tried to get back into the race but it wasn't possible because of a broken shift guide. In the second race I had a good start, I was able to keep my position. I saw how the front group got away. My goal was to fight for the podium. But a driver touched me and took me off the track but I had lost a lot of positions. I was fighting for P4, to finally come in P7. It's not the result I was hoping for this weekend, especially the crash in the first race. I'm looking forward to the Barcelona race, where I'm sure we'll be fighting for the win."

Torin Collins Race 1 DNL / Race 2 P23

"My clutch overheated while I was waiting for the start and when the lights went out I couldn't get out of my position. I'm happy with the second race because I set my best lap time of the weekend, which means I've been improving. The final position doesn't reflect the reality of the race".

Moto2

Mattia Rato Race 1 P6 / Race 2 P8

"During the race, we had a slight problem with the bike that didn't allow us to have the right pace and finish in the desired position. The second race went better, but it was a complicated weekend from which we came away with points. Now we have to think about Barcelona to fight for the top positions".

Sam Wilford Race 1 P11 / Race 2 P7

"I'm happy that we managed to make a step forward in the second race. Hopefully we can keep the same line in the next race in Barcelona".

European Talent Cup

Carter Thompson P19

"Things didn't go as planned today. I had a pretty good start which allowed me to overtake some drivers in the first few corners. At turn #5 a rider almost crashed and in the manoeuvre to avoid him I went off the track. I came back on track but I was already in P24. I started to recover, I overtook the group in front of me and I thought I could make it to the next one, but the tyres started to feel the strain. I could make it up to two drivers in front of me, but it still wasn't a good qualifying. Now I'm just thinking about Barcelona."

Owen van Trigt DNF

"It wasn't the result I was hoping for because with three laps to go I crashed. But the positive thing is that my pace was going well up to that point. I am already looking forward to the race in Barcelona."

The FIM JuniorGP World Championship traveled this weekend to the south of Portugal to celebrate its fourth round. At the circuit located on the outskirts of Portimao, the riders encountered a very special track, unique in the world for its striking and continuous level changes, and for its high average speed.

The AGR Team faces this challenge with the same motivation as always and ready to give our riders the necessary tools to be able to perform at their highest level. As in the rest of the FIM JuniorGP rounds, the AGR Team is present in three of the four categories with its now classic line-up composed of riders of different nationalities. 

The free and timed practice sessions were held with good weather and the classic wind that blows in this part of Portugal. A wind that not only conditioned the riding of our riders, but also made the work of our technicians difficult. 

JuniorGP

Cormac has done very well. He has a lot of pace. He managed to do just one good lap in Q2, but it was enough to make P7. We believe that tomorrow he is a candidate for everything. As for Torin Collins, Portimao is costing him a lot. He hasn't finished in high spirits, but from the team, as always, we support him both technically and psychologically. There are weekends when he suffers more than others. 

Cormac Buchanan P6

"Today was a positive day for us. In the grid-setting session, we had a small problem with the bike at the first start; nothing major, just a sensor. On the next start I did 1.48.7, which put me P6, so I went straight through to Q2. In Q2 it was difficult with all the tactics and riders riding slowly on track. I tried to do my best, and in the end I decided to ride alone. I set my best time of the day, which puts me P7 on the grid for tomorrow. It's a good result and I feel strong. The bike is going well, the team is working.... I'm sure the race tomorrow will be a good one. I hope I can conquer a trophy or two for the team."  

Torin Collins 21

 "We improved on yesterday's time but I'm not happy with the day's result. Tomorrow we will have to give everything from the start in both races."

Moto2 

Both Mattia and Sam have good pace, but neither of our two riders managed to do the fastest lap to get into the first rows of the grid; they lacked. We hope that tomorrow, with a good start, they will be able to get into the group that will fight for positions much further ahead than those they have on the grid. 

Mattia Rato P12

"I had two small crashes in Q1 in the same corner, but I'm fine. This prevented me from being really fast. In Q2 it was a bit chaotic because everyone is waiting for everyone else to catch a slipstream. I'm confident that tomorrow, once the race starts, I'll be able to make up positions."

Sam Wilford P13

"We will start tomorrow's two races from 14th place. I think we can have a good two races here and make progress throughout."

European Talent Cup (ETC)

Carter Thompson, who was very good in free practice yesterday, didn't find the same pace today when he found himself riding in a group. But that's what Talent is for, a category for the riders to learn what top competition is like. Carter, however, has the pace for tomorrow. As for Owen, he has improved from yesterday's free practice. 

Carter Thompson TBC

"Today was not the best day. I wasn't able to do a good lap. But the feeling on the bike was good so I'm looking forward to tomorrow to push hard in the race.

Owen van Trigt TBC

"I didn't get the lap I was looking for, but we improved and I hope to make the most of tomorrow's race."

What a spectacular Sunday our riders starred today in Jerez de la Frontera, in the third round of the FIM Junior MotoGP. In intense races they showed us that, regardless of the final result, they are true fighters, and that is what we at AGR Team especially appreciate. The team gives everything to give its riders the best material, without sparing hours of work. Seeing how our riders do the same on the track motivates us to the maximum.

Junior GP

Two races were held in the JuniorGP category with two of our riders: Cormac Buchanan and Torin Collins. In both our New Zealander rider set the heart rate of those of us who follow the races from the box. 

In the first race Cormac's positions were a real roller coaster, because after passing first on the first lap, he was 15th with four laps to go, when he was imposed a long lap. But in a heart-stopping comeback -which he would repeat in the second race-, he ended up crossing under the checkered flag in fifth. The dynamics of the second race were similar. A good start, half of the race in the second group, and a devastating final sprint that took him to the lead with two laps to go. He finally entered the finish line fourth, completing his best weekend since he has been with us... Congratulations to him and his team.

Cormac Buchanan Race 1 P5 / Race 2 P4

"The first race was pretty good. I started third on the grid and took the lead. I was feeling pretty good, comfortable, but a few riders overtook me. In that part I had some problems with the heritage. From race direction I was penalized with a long lap, which dropped me down to P15, but I made a good comeback to P5 at the end of the race. The second race was very difficult. On the first lap I passed P2 and from then on it was a relentless fight. At one point I got to P9 and the race leader took some advantage, but I managed to neutralize the difference and I got to P1 with two laps to go. But unfortunately in the last corner a rider took me out of the line. I couldn't get back on the track because there was another rider, but I still finished P4, close to the podium. It was a good weekend, the first time I finished in the front group and less than half a second from victory. We also scored a lot of points for the championship. If I'm not mistaken, we're 4 points out of P5. Happy about that, and looking forward to Portimao where I want to take it and give the team one of the trophies they give out on the podium."

Torin Collins Race 1 P19 / Race 2 DNF

"The weekend has been quite difficult for me - Jerez is a circuit where I have suffered in the past. I confess I came into the weekend a little nervous, but we were determined to grow in confidence. Qualifying wasn't particularly good, but we took a step forward. In the first race the first few corners were good and the first half of the race I was quite fast. But at the end I lost the rhythm and got unhooked from the group. It was a bit disappointing, but we were ready to turn the situation around in the second race. But in race two my start was very bad. The start wasn't bad at all, but then I lost my rhythm again. I ended up crashing in turn #11, which is a very fast corner. Except for a little pain in the ankle, everything else is OK and I will be ready for the race in Portimao."

Moto 2

A great race for Mattia Rato in Moto2, showing that the second place in Valencia was not a coincidence but the confirmation of where the rider and the team are at the moment. In Jerez, Mattia was on the verge of the podium, a position he reached after a very mature race in which he knew how to have patience to make his way through the pack. Conditioned by a bad qualifying -P13-, Rato this time had to run more with his head than his heart, showing a maturity that positions him to fight to finish the championship at the top.

Mattia Rato's bike was timed as the fastest of the 22 that took the start, which is a sign of the level of the technicians of Team AGR, and of which we are logically proud.   

Mattia Rato P4

"I had a good start, but in the second corner I made a mistake in first gear. I lost a lot of positions; I think I went down to P12. Little by little, staying very concentrated, without making a mistake again, I made up a lot of positions. I'm happy because we had a bike that allowed me to make several overtakes. It left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth because I had the podium there, but I'm very happy with how we worked throughout the weekend. At one point I wasn't feeling good on the bike, but for the race the team gave me a tremendously efficient bike."  

Sam Wilford P12

“We managed to gain some positions in the race to take home some points. Obviously not where we want to be but we will continue working in the right direction.”

European Talent Cup

Our two ETC riders continue with their process of adaptation to a category that is new for Owen van Trigt, and in the case of Enzo Bellon it adds to his debut with the AGR Team. The races of both were conditioned by their respective positions on the grid. The important thing in both cases is that they took their respective bikes to the finish line, which is the best way to learn. 

Owen van Trigt Race 1 P18 / Race P20

“In the first race I was in a big group that was battling for points, but in the end I didn’t make it. In the second race the start was a little bit better but I lost contact with the front group and rode somehow alone, until the last five laps when I had a battle with Alomar, who I finally beat. I’m looking forward to the Portimao race to do better.”

Enzo Bellon Race 1 P25 / Race P25

“I did a not very good start in the first race and got stuck in a group that didn’t allow me to progress. Second race was more or less the same.”

FIM Junior GP Championship weekend. In its third round the championship traveled to the south of Spain, specifically to the mythical circuit of Jerez de la Frontera. Today qualifying sessions to form the starting grids for tomorrow's races were held. The AGR is present with its riders in three categories.

JuniorGP

A very good result for Cormac Buchanan today, who managed to get on the front row of the grid despite yesterday's heavy crash in free practice. His team deserves a good part of that credit for providing our New Zealander rider with an extremely competitive bike after it was badly damaged in yesterday's incident... Good job, guys!

Cormac Buchanan P3

“Today was a really nice day. I had a good feeling with the bike, despite the heavy crash I had yesterday on free practice 2 session. My original goal was just to qualify straight away to Q2. We were P7 in final free practice which was really nice. In the Q2 I looked at the clouds and said to myself that I had to put  in a good lap early on because the conditions looked like they would get worse and worse. I managed to do a nice lap in the first part of the session, which put me in P3. No one improved that so it was a nice way to start for tomorrow’s races. It’s my second front row and obviously I’m very happy. I have to thank the team for the great job we are doing and also Ansacri because he is helping me a lot this weekend. For the races it’s going to be a battle and I will give my best trying to get a trophy for my team this weekend.”

Torin Collins P24

“I made my best time of the weekend t in Q2. I will start in P24 and I hope to make a good start and gain positions already at the beginning of the race. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!”

Moto2 

P10 on the grid does not reflect the good work Mattia Rato showed during practice sessions. Moto2 is very close this weekend in Jerez, so tomorrow the start will be a very important factor. If Mattia can make a good start, he will have a good race because he has the pace.

Mattia Rato P10

“We tested some things on the bike, with which I did P10 in Q1. In Q2 we tried some other things that didn't work very well. I thought I could improve my time a little bit, but it wasn't possible. I'm happy that we know what we need for tomorrow's race, and I'm sure we'll do well.” 

Sam wilford P14

"We will start the race from P14 tomorrow. We managed to work on some things during the test and free practice sessions on my riding to help me. We are only 1 second from pole and I think we can have a good race tomorrow to move through the field"

European Talent Cup

In the ETC we continue to work with Owen van Trigt, a rookie in the championship but who is taking steps forward every time he goes out on track, which is what it is all about when you are getting the hang of a new category. We are also making our debut with Enzo Bellon, who joins the AGR Team for this race. He hadn't qualified yet this year, which we did today, so good for him and his team. 

The final Talent Cup grid will be configured tomorrow, after the Last Chance Race, which will provide the last riders of the final grid. 

Owen van Trigt P12 Group A

"Obviously I'm not where I'd like to be, but I'm happy that we've taken another step forward. So far this weekend I've been pretty consistent and solid. Let's see how the race goes tomorrow, I'll go out there and give it my all, as always"

Enzo Bellon P13 Group B 

"On the one hand I'm happy because I qualified for the grid and because I've been improving every time I've been out on track. On the other hand, I was hoping to qualify a little higher, but in the end the points will be distributed tomorrow. I hope to have a good race and give my team a good result in my debut with them"

The AGR Team announces the incorporation of Enzo Bellon to our structure for the FIM Junior GP event to be held this weekend at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, where he will ride in the European Talent Cup category.

A French rider originally from the French overseas territory of Reunion, at 14 years of age Enzo is already considered one of the most talented young riders in French motorcycling. Expectations that Bellon has been finding with promising results in the competitions in which he has taken part both in France and in Spain.

In the AGR Team we wish Enzo the best of luck for the weekend and, as we do with all our riders, we will help him to achieve his expectations by giving him all the support, technical and human, to allow Enzo show his promising skills.

After undergoing surgery by Xavier Mir and his team at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona, our rider Carter Thompson is evolving favorably from the broken collarbone caused while participating in the Rookies Cup at Le Mans, held during the last French GP. 

Thompson will not be present at the next round of the FIM Junior GP. The whole AGR Team hopes for a speedy recovery for Carter.

From the AGR Team we also want to thank once again Dr. Mir and his team for their help and good work.

The AGR Team returns home from the second Junior GP event of the 2023 season with the satisfaction of a podium finish, but especially having seen our riders show the character expected of young guys who are determined to do something important in the sport they have chosen.

With an excellent performance Mattia Rato gave AGR Team its first podium of the season, which for sure will not be the last one this season. A bravo to our Italian rider who knew how to manage the pressure coming from behind from riders with much more experience than him.

Also very satisfied with our Junior GP riders, Buchanan and Collins; both achieved their best results ever. Cormac came back in race 1 from P16 on the second lap to finish 7th. A result that would surely have been better if he had been more efficient at the start, but it showed the determination of our New Zealander rider. As for Torin, in the second race he scored his first points of the championship, which is always a special mark.

Moto 2

Mattia Rato P2

“Obviously I am very happy with this result. I'm back on the podium after a very difficult season last year. I worked very hard to get it. I want to thank my father, my mother, my whole family and the team. Forza Napoli!”

Sam Wilford P11

“It has been a difficult weekend for us. Was able to make progress in the race, but the plan now is to reset and do a good job in Jerez in two weeks time.”

Junior GP

Cormac Buchanan Race 1 P7 / Race 2 DNF

“Today was a quite interesting day. It was very good in race 1 but not so good in the second one. In the first race I didn’t make the best start. I was P16 after the second lap. I said to myself that if I wanted to do a good result I had to start passing riders. Contrary to other occasions, today when I got behind a rider I immediately overtook him. Finally I was able to finish in the 7th position, which is my best ever result. Really nice, good result for the team. Starting from P19 and finishing P7 was quite good comeback. 

In the 2nd race I started a lot better and I was in the group for the podium. Unfortunately two riders crashed in front of me and got caught up in the crash. I had a big high side and got hit in the gravel escape area. I’m in a big pain right now, but hopefully I can make Jerez and continue the good momentum from here."

Torin Collins Race 1 P20 / Race 2 

"This weekend turned out really good. In the first race I had a good start and a good first lap, but then I crashed on lap 2. I was able to get the bike started again and continue. I was able to catch the riders who were racing in front of me and finally I managed to finish P20. I was really happy with that.

In race 2 the start wasn’t as good, but I was able to get locked in with other riders and because of some crashes I was able to get my first points. So I’m really happy "

European Talent Cup 

Owen Van Trigt Race 1 P15 / Race 2 P 21

"I'm very happy because I got my first point in the championship. It's a good sign, we are improving race by race. The second race was not as we expected, after exceeding the track limits and being reprimanded by race direction we could not finish in an optimal position."

The Ricardo Tormo Circuit located on the outskirts of Valencia hosts this weekend the second event of the FIM Junior, where the AGR Team, as we reported yesterday, with the absence of Carter Thompson.

After yesterday's training sessions, today our riders have disputed the sessions that configured the starting grids for tomorrow. As almost always in Valencia, the sessions have been held with an optimal weather, although in some moments it was even too hot. As always happens in the races, some of our riders have done better than others, but all of them are ready for their respective races. From the team we will give them the maximum technical and human support so that they can continue to grow as riders.

These were today's results and the statements of our riders. 

Junior GP

Cormac Buchanan P19

“Today was a difficult day. Because of yesterday's crash I rode with a lot of pain in my shoulder and ribs. In the free session I basically tried to get a good feeling with the bike and myself, because yesterday we missed a lot of laps. We didn't know in which positions we could be. After the first run I said to myself: 'OK, maybe I can go for getting you into Q2. In the end I ended up P16, but I did a time that will probably put me P5 on the grid. The pace was really fast and I was less than half a tenth away from getting into Q2. This was quite positive, especially considering the circumstances we were in. Then, in Q1, I tried to do a good lap but, honestly, I wasn't able to do the lap I needed. It was quite unfortunate, because I have the pace to fight for the top 10. I know I can be there. Tomorrow we have to go out on the attack, and see what happens. I'm looking forward to the race. I'm optimistic and I'll do my best to give the team a good result."

Torin Collins P22

“Today was an alright day. It could have been a little better. In the qualifying session my pace was good, but still not good enough to go straight into Q2.  But in Q1 we went out very determined. I couldn't do the perfect lap, and in the last laps another rider slowed me down, which made me lose contact with the group. In the end it was not a perfect qualifying, but better than usual.” 

Moto2

Mattia Rato P6

“I am very happy, I have done a good job. I felt good on the bike very quickly. Two good qualifying sessions. In the first one I was lucky to be able to catch up with another rider, which allowed me to do a good lap; in the second one I'm happy because I had a good pace.  Let's hope for a good start tomorrow and then we'll see.”

Sam Wilford P10

"A good qualifying. We struggled to improve in Q2. I think we have good pace for tomorrow and that we can have a good race, and fight for the top five positions."

European Talent Cup

Owen van Trigt P13

“It was good, it could have been better, but we need more. I learned a lot today riding behind the faster riders, especially in the corners. Their cornering speed is much higher. I think overall we did a good job.” 

From the AGR Team we regret to announce that our rider Carter Thompson will not take part in the second event of the FIM Junior GP that will be held this weekend at the Valencia circuit. After having performed an X-ray on him at a hospital in Valencia yesterday Thursday night, it has been verified that he suffers a fracture in his right clavicle.

As it will be recalled, Carter Thompson suffered a heavy crash at Le Mans in which he temporarily lost consciousness, which led the doctors to transfer him to a hospital center to keep him under observation. There he told the doctors about the discomfort they felt in his right shoulder, bruised in the incident of the crash. However, he was not given much importance. Once discharged, Carter Thompson returned to his habitual residence, where he rested except for one day when he went for a short bike ride. During that lap he felt some discomfort in his shoulder, although nothing was out of the ordinary after one like the one he had. As it is, Carter traveled to Valencia to take part in this weekend's FIM Junior event.

Yesterday, Thursday, Thompson got on his bike to take part in FP1. Throughout the session I felt intense pain in his shoulder, which, however, did not prevent me from riding fast. In the team we try to minimize this pain based on a specific bandage and provide pain relievers. He went out in FP2, but the pain was increasing and Carter suffered a lot in that session.

In this situation, thinking that Thompson's discomfort could be due to a tendon or muscle problem, Carter was taken to a most trusted physiotherapist of the team, who immediately suggested a possible fracture in his right clavicle, diagnosed that obviously it would have to be checked. by means of an x-ray. He was immediately transferred to the emergency hospital center in Valencia, where the examination revealed the fracture.

Obviously in view of this circumstance Carter Thompson will not take part in this weekend's event. Our pilot has to travel immediately to Barcelona for a new exploration that will indicate the procedure to follow. The expectation is that Carter is recovered to take part in the FIM JuniorGP to be held in Jerez de la Frontera and in the Rookies Cup that will take place on the Italian GP weekend.

The Estoril circuit hosted this weekend the first round of the Finetwork FIM Junior GP World Championship. The AGR Team and our riders arrived in Portugal motivated and eager to return to action after a winter that has been too long for all of us.

The AGR Team will be present this season in three categories. 

● In FIM Junior we will support the New Zealander Cormac Buchanan and the Canadian Torin Collins; both repeat with us. 

● In Moto2 our riders will be Sam Wilford, one of our own, and our new Italian addition, Mattia Rato. 

● In the European Talent Cup we repeat with the Australian Carter Thompson and incorporate the Dutch rider Owen van Trigt. With both we hope to help them grow as riders so they can continue to advance in their careers.

The weekend in Portimao was characterized by good weather, the usual wind that blows in that part of Portugal, and the impetus given by the young riders participating in the FIM JuniorGP, which led to incidents and accidents that forced the interruption of some of the races that took place... Things of 'the force of youth'.

Among our riders, throughout the weekend there was a bit of everything, as is typical of racing. But the positive spirit and determination of the team to help and support our riders in every way has always prevailed. 

Junior GP

A multiple crash late in the race forced Race Direction to neutralize the race and reschedule it for a 5-lap sprint race. 

Cormac Buchanan P13

Torin Collins DNF

Grid position was obviously a determining factor in a race with only 5 laps to go. Buchanan started from the fourth row - 12th - and entered the finish one place further back. Little else can be noted, except that the fastest lap of our New Zealand rider was less than three tenths of a second slower. An encouraging statistic for a weekend that should have ended differently.

In the case of Collins, he went to the ground during the third lap of the race. 

Cormac Buchanan: “Today’s race was quite a difficult one. In race one I wasn’t able to do a good start but was able to regain positions and felt quite good and had the same pace as the front group, but unfortunately the red flag came out when I was fighting for P10. In the second race, I went to P11 but then I made some mistakes and nearly crashed in the last lap, so I finished P14 finally. Not super happy but I made some points. For sure in Valencia it will be more.”

European Talent Cup ETC

The Talent, as it is called in the paddock, held two races in Estoril. 

Race 1

Carter Thompson DNF

Owen van Trigt P 23

In the first race, Carter Thompson's expectations of a good race after qualifying seventh in practice were dashed in the early stages due an engine failure while riding in 5th position. 

Alberto Fernandez, who was in Carter’s slipstream could not avoid hitting him. Both went down pretty hard but fortunately both riders emerged from the incident physically unscathed.

As for Owen van Trigt, a bad start relegated him to the back of the pack, a position from which he began to climb positions. Our rookie finished the race in 23rd place in a group that crossed the finish line separated by thousandths of a second. 

Race 2

Carter Thompson P 14

Owen van Trigt P 25

Carter Thompson's second race was marked by the high speed crash in race one. The good feeling he had with the bike didn’t return in race two. In the first pass through the finish line after the start he had lost eight places with respect to his position on the starting grid. From then on he was caught in a group in which the continuous overtaking gave Carter no chance to go forward. After the 15 laps of the race Carter ended up entering first of that group, doing the best fastest lap among them and adding the 2 points awarded to the 14th classified.

As for Owen van Trigt, his second start in the ETC was a positive one. In his case his evaluation is not to be measured in his position at the finish line but in the evolution of his times. And comparing his best lap of Race 1 with that of Race 2, Owen clearly made a step forward, lapping almost two tenths faster in Race 2 than in Race 1. So it must be considered a positive weekend for our ETC rookie.  

Carter Thompson: “Today I had a good start in race one and was able to stay in top 5 and was able to keep a good pace. But on lap 3 going down the back straight my engine died then got hit and had a really fast crash. In race 2 I was not able to get a good feeling with the bike and didn’t have a great race.”

Moto 2

Bittersweet taste left us the weekend of Mattia Rato in Moto2. The Italian rider was fast from the very first moment, showing that he is aiming for everything for Sunday's races. In the end the podium escaped in both races, but Rato showed that he is going to be one of the roosters of the category. He left Estoril sharing second place in the provisional standings with his compatriot Niccolo Antonelli, a veteran World Championship rider and multiple GGPP winner. 

Race 1

Mattia Rato P5

Sam Wilford P10

A red flag forced the interruption of the first Moto2 race, leading to an 11-lap restart. Our two riders had a good race, a statement that may be strange in the case of Rato, who starting from fourth on the grid 'only' finished fifth. However, the Italian of our team this year, showed a maturity and serenity that made him forget his bad choice at the start, which led him to pass the finish line on the first lap, ninth. Mattia chose the outside to tackle the first corner, which let a bunch of riders sneak up on him on the inside. But far from being obfuscated, he was able to keep his cool, which ended up giving him that fifth position at the finish.

In the case of Sam Wilford, his race was conditioned by his position on the grid, 15th. However, the brave Sam made a very good start, fought the whole race, and in a very tight final sprint entered the finish line tenth, three thousandths ahead of the rider who followed him.    

Race 2

Mattia Rato P4

Sam Wilford P8

An intense and eventful second race, in which up to eight riders were out of the race due to various incidents. Rato again made a mistake in the way he attacked the first corner of the race, losing several positions on the entry again. When on the third lap he began to ride at the same pace as the race leader, he had already opened a lead that was impossible to cut. Nevertheless, Rato was still on the verge of the podium, beating his pursuer again on the finish line. 

As for Wilford, he repeated his good performance of the first race, which only did not shine more because he was conditioned by the 15th place from which he started on the grid. Sam was not happy with his championship debut, which is good, but he certainly gave it his all throughout the weekend.  

Mattia Rato: "In the first race I made a couple of mistakes at the start and in the first two laps. Then little by little I got into the rhythm and in the end I managed to make the difference. In the second race I made a few less mistakes. In the end my pace was better than the others. On the last lap in the last corner I managed to overtake Yeray. I'm happy, the team worked very well and I feel fit."

Sam Wilford: "After a difficult qualifying session yesterday, we managed to save the day today. I look to improve in Valencia, hopefully that means starting from a better position on the grid, which will allow me to fight for better positions in the race".  

First qualifying completed for the young AGR Team riders in mixed track conditions at the Estoril circuit. 

In the Moto2 class, the young Italian rider Mattia Rato will start from the second row of the grid in an excellent fourth position in his debut with the team. With a vibrant energy our rider will be looking to fight among the top positions at a track where he finished third last season. Sam Wilford will start from the fifth row of the grid, in fifteenth position. A difficult day for our driver due to the difficult track conditions, tomorrow he will start with great motivation for two solid races. 

Mattia Rato: "I am very happy with the work we have done since the beginning of the championship. The result we have achieved today is the result of everyone's effort, there is still a long way to go but I am very motivated for tomorrow's race".

Sam Wilford: "We will start both races tomorrow from 15th on the grid. It's not where we want to be, but we'll focus on having two strong races tomorrow."

In the JuniorGP class, Cormac Buchanan will start from the fourth row of the grid in twelfth position while his teammate Torin Collins will start from twenty-sixth. It was a difficult day for our young drivers with a new qualifying format with a third timed practice and a Q1 and Q2. During the first practice, the appearance of rain in the first sectors made it difficult for our riders, who suffered several crashes throughout the day.

Cormac Buchanan: "First of all, I'm happy to have made it straight through to Q2. It's a good result for the team and for us because it wasn't easy. During Q2 I did a good job, I was able to run with the group but the group broke up and I couldn't find a way to set a fast lap".

Torin Collins: "Today was a difficult day for me, we have to improve for the race tomorrow, it's not the position we want to be in, let's give it our all!"

In the European Talent Cup category, Carter Thompson was fifth fastest of the field, while Owen Van Trigt completed the day in fourteenth position. Thompson continues his upward progression on the track and was able to position himself among the top riders, despite suffering a crash during the day. Owen Van Tright is adapting to the category and the team in a very positive way, prioritising his learning on the track. 

Carter Thompson:  "During QP1 I felt good, I was able to do a fast lap but the track conditions and the wind plus a small crash prevented us from improving our time. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race!

Owen Van Tright: "I still need to adapt to the class but we made small steps forward today. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race and to continue learning with my team".

Nebrija University and the AGR Team competition team sign a collaboration agreement with the aim of promoting education in the field of motorcycling. A great opportunity for Nebrija University students to apply their knowledge in a real racing environment. This educational alliance will focus on the development of the students of the university to gain experience within the margin of the FIM Junior GP Championship and, in turn, that the AGR team can count on the talent and knowledge of the applicants.

The students will start their training from the beginning of the season and will learn race by race surrounded by great professionals. This union will also provide the delivery of three face-to-face classes of our technical team where they will offer their knowledge and experience. Three on-site classes at the Nebrija University, located in the epicenter of Madrid, two theoretical classes and one with the incorporation of one of our racing motorcycles to complete the experience of the students. We are delighted to be able to communicate this union and we cannot wait to begin this path of mutual growth, which we hope will continue over time.

Anscari Nadal - AGR Team Manager: "From AGR we are very happy to collaborate with a prestigious University such as Nebrija. For us it is the beginning of a collaboration that we hope will last for many years, we are sure it will be very good for both parties. We want to help in the training of their students and in turn be able to open a window to the workplace, we are also delighted to provide the talks at the university."

Sergio Corbera - Nebrija University: "The collaboration with the AGR team is another step that consolidates the "Learning by doing" philosophy of the Nebrija University as a commitment to train the best engineers in all aspects. In this sense, this alliance aims to prepare our students in the world of motorcycling, giving the best students the opportunity to start their professional training in a reference structure.  

 The FIM Junior GP is the prelude to the MotoGP World Championship. The need for technicians in this competition is very high, but due to the leap it represents there is a kind of blockage that prevents teams from giving free rein to incorporate new graduates. This is where there is a gap at present and where we want to direct our collaboration with AGR, a reference structure in the FIM Junior GP. 

For our students it is a very constructive experience, which will bring them great added value on a technical and human level. The fact of having the opportunity to work in a structure such as the FIM Junior GP gives them an insight into the demands and pressure of the world of competition. Undoubtedly, a very enriching collaboration for both parties in which the main beneficiaries are our students and motorcycling".