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If ever there was an opportunity for promising Moto3™ riders to rise up , 2023 is it . The top three in last year ’ s championship have stepped up to Moto2™ , meaning any one of eight riders could claim the 2023 crown . As witnessed in previous years , this is poised to be a classic KTM versus Honda battle with both manufacturers boasting several names in their ranks that have what it takes to end the year as World Champion . The rider best placed to build on a fantastic 2022 is Dani Holgado . The Spanish teenager enjoyed a quietly impressive rookie campaign last year , but has stepped up his game considerably after switching to Red Bull KTM Tech3 from Red Bull KTM Ajo . He won races in Portugal , France and Italy brilliantly and still scored top six finishes on his off days . Only at Assen , where he crashed , did he slip up . As always , Leopard Racing boasts two potential candidates for the crown . Jaume Masia returns to the team after two decent seasons with Red Bull KTM Ajo . He ’ s in good form , scoring a trio of podiums in Austin , Spain and France to sit third overall , before taking an epic last gasp victory at Assen to lift him to second overall . Ayumu Sasaki , riding for the newly named Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP team , will also be a contender in the weeks to come . The Japanese rider came of age last year , but has had an up and down start to the season , finishing sixth in Portugal before crashing out of promising positions in Argentina and Austin . He ’ s scored four straight podiums , lifting him to third overall . But still that first win of the year has eluded him . The surprise package of the year so far has been Spain ’ s Ivan Ortola . The teenager failed to score points in the first two races , but showed his potential with excellent wins in Austin and Spain . He cannot be discounted . Nor can Deniz Oncu , who won his first GP brilliantly at the Sachsenring just a week on from narrowly missing out at Mugello . The young Turk has scored three podiums in succession and now sits fifth overall . Twelve KTMs and ten Hondas will occupy the 28-rider grid in 2023 , with two Husqvarnas , two GASGAS machines and two CFMOTO bikes also present .
CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich | 81