Elf Team's Grit Prevails : Catalunya Circuit Challenges

On September 4th, 2023, at the Catalunya circuit in Barcelona, riders from the Elf team faced a demanding race day. The track conditions were far from ideal, with a severe lack of grip, making it a challenging day for everyone involved. Let's take a closer look at how each category performed.

MotoGP: The GASGAS Tech 3 riders had a tumultuous weekend at Barcelona. The race kicked off with a dramatic first-corner collision involving four riders, and shortly after, the championship leader suffered a crash that led to a temporary race suspension. Unfortunately, Pol Espargaro, who had previously experienced a crash during the Sprint race the day before, faced technical issues this time, forcing him to retire. In contrast, Augusto Fernandez, the promising young rookie, showed his resilience by securing a ninth-place finish. Fernandez was pleased with his race management but acknowledged the need to improve his qualifying performance for better grid positions in future races.

Team manager Nicolas Goyon praised Fernandez's determination and noted his spirited battle with Fabio Di Giannantonio. Despite Espargaro's retirement, the team managed to salvage some points in a challenging weekend.

Moto2: Tony Arbolino, representing Elf Marc VDS Racing, had a tough day in Barcelona. Starting from the twentieth position on the grid, he struggled with rear grip issues, ultimately finishing seventeenth, out of the points. Despite a promising start that saw him climb to eleventh place after the first lap, Arbolino couldn't maintain his position.

Sam Lowes, starting from eleventh position, had a more steady race, finishing ninth at the checkered flag. Lowes acknowledged the challenges of the race but remained optimistic about upcoming races. He emphasized the importance of improving their qualifying performance in the coming weeks to achieve better results.

Moto3: After securing back-to-back podiums at Silverstone and Spielberg, Dani Holgado faced his second Did Not Finish (DNF) of the season at Catalunya. Although he crashed near the end of the race while battling for victory, the championship leader managed to restart and finish in 22nd position. Holgado remained positive and focused on the upcoming Grand Prix at Misano, where he maintains a 13-point lead in the overall standings.

Filippo Farioli, despite qualifying on the front row, was involved in an early-race incident and couldn't complete the race. Joël Keslo, who started seventeenth, finished 18th, while Xavi Artigas, Keslo's CFMoto teammate, secured 13th place, contributing three points to the overall standings.