One for the Agius - Australian scores Moto2™ maiden podium
Phil Branagan
Sunday, 20 October 2024
The Australian held his own at Phillip Island.
Fermin Aldeguer has taken a fighting Moto2™ victory in the opening race at the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix 2024.
The teenager fought a huge battle with the Fantic Racing Kalex of Aron Canet, the two Spaniards swapping the lead twice on the final lap of 23, Aldeguer forcing his way through with an aggressive move at Turn 10 on the final lap to take a narrow win – his first at Phillip Island after taking three consecutive pole positions at the 4.4km track.
Advertisement
The two sped away from the pack that was led by an Australian. Senna Agius rode a brilliant race after starting from 13th on the grid, making a great start on the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Kalex and settled in eighth place, then picked off two places move onto the tail of Ai Ogura (MT Helmets MSI Boscoscuro).
Then mid-race, the Aussie moved past and started the chase to catch third-placed Alonso Lopez – who dropped his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro on lap 21! That left Agius in third place, two spots better than his previous career-best of fifth, at Catalunya earlier this year.
“I have no words for you!” he said after the race.
“I felt so good I found myself being so out of control. I didn’t want to catch him [Lopez] too quickly, I wanted to look after my tyre. I am so emotional, I just can’t believe it!
Post-race it was hard to tell who was happier, winner Aldeguer of second-placed Canet.
“I feel all race, incredible,” Aldeguer smiled.
“I want to to win here after the three pole positions, thank you to our team.”
“It is like a victory. I give it everything,” Canet said after finishing second in Moto2 for the 19th time.
“I am very happy for myself, I don’t lose nothing, I give all my talent, all my professional[ism].”
Fourth place was a great finish for Ogura, who is known to have struggled previously at the track. With the result a top-five result next weekend in Thailand will see him become the first Japanese rider to win a world title since Hiroshi Aoyama won the 250cc GP title in 2009.
The other Aussie rider in the race, Harrison Voight, had a lonely ride to 18th place on the Preicanos Racing Kalex.
With second place Canet is now also second in the Moto2 championship with 176 points but just one point ahead of Aldeguer and Sergio Garcia, who finished in ninth place. Lopez is another 12 points back in fifth on 163 points, equal with Gonzales.
