RACE PREVIEW
# ItalianGP
Moto3™ consistently provided great racing throughout 2023 , as well as an epic championship battle between Jaume Masia and Ayumu Sasaki , which was decided at a dramatic penultimate race .
With both men now racing in Moto2™ , a host of riders will be eager to fill the power vacuum at the front of the class . Especially Aspar CFMOTO entrant David Alonso , who starts his second season at world level . The Colombian teenager was the revelation of 2023 , finishing third in the World Championship , scoring four victories – and he ’ s started this season brilliantly , scoring an epic last gasp win in Qatar before backing them up with victories in the USA and France .
But he won ’ t have it all his own way . GASGAS Tech3 ’ s Dani Holgado will be out for revenge after his title challenge fell short in the autumn of last year . The Spaniard will be hopeful the experience gained across 2023 will propel him to another sustained push this time around , and showed that with a brilliant victory at Round 2 .
LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Inact GP ’ s Collin Veijer is another in contention for the crown . The tall Dutchman scored a brilliant victory in 2023 , his rookie season .
His Jerez triumph also showed he is a contender for this year ’ s crow .
Ivan Ortola has switched to the MT HELMETS – MSI squad for 2024 and will be eager to build on a solid season last year when he took his first and second victories and finished sixth overall . Despite getting tangled up in a crash in race one , the Spaniard scored podiums in Portugal and Spain to get back in the hunt .
As ever , there are a host of exciting rookies that will be eager to grab international attention . Leopard Racing ’ s Angel Piqueras is the most eye-catching after he won both the Junior GP and Red Bull Rookies series in 2023 . CFMOTO Aspar Team ’ s Joel Esteban , and Tech3 GASGAS ’ s Jacob Roulstone are other names to keep an eye on .
Like Moto2™ , the junior category has switched tyres for this year , with Pirelli coming in as the sole supplier . Expect to see lap records broken through the season , with the 26 entrants aware that a switch in riding style will be necessary to get the best out of the Italian rubber .
Ten KTMs , ten Hondas and two Husqvarnas , GASGAS and CFMOTO machines apiece with 26 riders making up the 2024 grid .
Gran Premio d ’ Italia Brembo | 89