An exacerbated desire to win

Leaving behind them the disappointment of Estoril, our First Bike Academy riders are meeting again for the Moto3 Hawkers European Talent Cup European Championship, at the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia (Spain). It’s with the desire to annihilate the recent Portuguese frustration that the championship is about to begin. Our two French pilots – Elie Rousselot and Guillem Planques – and Blai Trias (Alvaro Fuertes being forfeited) are ready to give their best under the sun of this month of May.

First step : testing

Thursday’s tests go off without a hitch. The team of the motorcycle driving school for young people seeks to improve as much as possible in order to obtain the best possible position during qualifications and races. Then, Guillem joins the group A (which seems to be the fastest group), and Elie and Blai the group B.
The first official lap times on Friday prove us right. Guillem is the fastest, and has the 6th position in his group, suggesting advantageous qualifications for the young speed enthusiast.
Our qualified instructors note good progress on the side of Blai and Elie. 

Time for qualifications !

The weather conditions are indeed much more favorable than those of the afternoon for this first qualification.
It’s all happening now. Guillem’s objective is to start in the top 5, which is not easy in group A. Our young driver set good times from the start, and remained the best reference for some time. He retains 3rd place until mid-session, and it’s in the last P5 that the thrill seeker establishes his time frame. He will then start 9th on the grid, confirming a very good performance as well as the completion of his objective.
However, bad luck does not seem to want to leave us. During the the final qualifying weigh-in, the weight is only a few grams lower than that of the regulations. Although Guillem has set his time with a full tank of gas, the race direction imposes a severe sanction on us. Our young driver starts last in race 1 with a long lap. Impossible then to do better on the second race. Guillem however set a very good time which puts him in 4th position. It’s therefore a good comeback that is to be expected for race 1.

Meanwhile, Blai manages to qualify directly for Sunday, being 13th group. It’s therefore from 26th place that will start.
On Elie’s side, the results of the two qualifications did not live up to his expectations. He participates in the repechage round, starting 13th on the grid. After a very good start, our driver finished the first lap in 9th position, and kept this place by fighting until the checkered flag!
It’s then two pilots from the First Bike Academy that we find for this Sunday of races: Blai Trias, and Guillem Planques – the only qualified Frenchman.

Race time

It’s with the sun at its peak that this day of racing begins.
Remember that Blai starts from the 25th place, while Guillem starts penultimate following his penalty (not to mention the one more long lap to do).
Our French driver made an excellent start, and was very quickly in 16th position. The long penalty lapse unfortunately slows down his good comeback. In addition, having gone out too many times in the green part, our young student is again penalized with two new long lapses to perform.
A fall of the red flag then intervenes, and a second start of only 5 laps is given. Guillem must once again make a long lap, thinning at the same time the hope of ranking in the good points.

However, Guillem’s motivation is not empty: our student from the pilot school in the South of France gives us an excellent start. He manages to finish 14th after having managed to make an admirable comeback. These are two points which are therefore taken for this race 1.
For his part, Blai obtained 21st place and a good time.
The second race then begins. Still under the constraint of his original penalty, Guillem started from 19th place. Always excellent in his departures, he quickly places himself in a good place. Several groups are then formed little by little, Guillem placing himself in the second – and thus fighting for 8th place. After a few changes in position, our driver attacked the penultimate lap at the head of his group, but it was the points for 9th place that he obtained.
It is with great joy that we welcome a first Top 10, in the context of a very tough championship. A result that underlines the quality of the training offered by the motorcycle driving school for young people, as well as the effectiveness of the fun exercises offered to our young motorcycle sport enthusiasts. The championship was also an opportunity to analyze the points to be reworked in order to ensure follow-up in high-level competition, and to play the leading roles. It is therefore on a very good note that the weekend ends. 

For his part, Blai Trias, penalized in turn by a long lap, is 22nd on the checkered flag.
However, this weekend turns out to be rich in twists and turns. Indeed, following the disqualification of the championship leader for technical non-compliance, our two pilots enjoy the gain of a place! Guillem finds himself 8th, and Blai 21st! Let us also take this opportunity to remind you that the first three motorcycles in the classification, as well as that of Guillem, were subject to the examination of technical compliance. Ours having gone off without a hitch, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our entire technical team. Let’s appreciate their ability to prepare a competitive motorcycle for us that respects the strict regulations of the controls!

Thanks

We would like to thank our partners as well as the many people who follow us. We give you an appointment for the next round, almost at home, on the Catalan circuit of Barcelona. Don’t hesitate to come and encourage our French riders in this Moto3 European Championship Hawkers European Talent Cup!

Editorial : Pierre Lapiczak / Mélanie Farré
Photo credits : Anthony Ahunon