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Friday, September 5: Aurora Filiberti, Csongor Jászai, Grantas Gurkšnys, Leo Kete, Domantas Vaznys, Mathys Meziere and Francesco Mariani earned Moto 1 success in their respective race categories at the Grand Prix of Vichy, France on the Allier River on Friday afternoon.
Filiberti takes opening Runabout GP4 Ladies Moto 1
Italian Aurora Filiberti took full advantage of her pole position to claim the early bragging rights in the Runabout GP4 Ladies category with a 2.41-second victory in the opening Moto. The Seadoo rider completed the 10-lap race in just over 17 and a half minutes to pick up 25 priceless points to strengthen her grip on second place in the European Championship.
Czech Nikola Dryjakova may have finished fifth in the heat but she continues to lead the championship by a comfortable margin. Second place behind Filiberti fell to Estonian Kätrin Nilbe and fellow Italian Ilaria Vanni rounded off the podium finishers ahead of Cyrielle Bramm.
Behind Dryjakova, Katarina Sepp, Nicole Cadei, Astra Gurkšnytė, Luisa Beja and Alizée Vanden-Blecken rounded off the finishers. Beja was docked 25 seconds for not maintaining her lane at the start.
Jászai earns victory in first Ski GP2 Moto
Csongor Jászai overhauled Dutch pole sitter and championship leader Daan Hoeke to claim victory in the first of the Ski Division GP2 Motos. The Hungarian reached the chequered flag 4.02 seconds ahead of the Dutchman, although Hoeke was able to extend his advantage in the European Championship standings.
Jászai said: “It was a really good race. He (Daan) pushed me all the way and in qualification. This weekend is going to be really tough. We will see how it goes in Moto 2 and Moto 3.”
Karl Joosep Steinberg remained in contention for the title with a battling third place and moved ahead of Marlon Tiik in the points’ standings. Tiik finished fourth, ahead of Marten Tiik, Martim Marques and Luuk Hoeke.
Gurkšnys seals Runabout GP4 Moto 1 win from pole
Grantas Gurkšnys emphasised the importance of qualifying by using his advantage to good effect to snatch victory in the opening Runabout GP4 Moto. The Lithuanian’s third success of the European Championship season also lifted him into the lead in the title standings, after rivals Arti Mölter and Ibiza-based Spaniard Alejandro Prats Palau shadowed him to the finish in second and third.
It was a fraught Moto for Juliusz Roman: he lost ground on his three title rivals by finishing at the rear of the field in eighth place. The Pole was docked two laps for invading an alternate course and then another 30 seconds was added to his time for missing the hole shot.
Henri Koppas, Dovydas Kutra, Kauri Kaunispaik and Rihard Leinsalu finished fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh.
Jászai and Kete prevail in first Ski GP3 and GP3.3 Junior Motos
Csongor Jászai and Leo Kete prevailed in a drama-filled opening Moto for the Ski Division GP3 and Ski GP3.3 Junior entrants. Minutes after winning the first of the Ski GP2 Motos, Jászai took advantage of his pole position in GP3 to take the win by 6.75 seconds from young Yoni Hamelin. Kete got the better of Frenchman Maxime Arthebise to strengthen his grip on the Junior category.
But the championship has been thrown wide open by the disqualification of the series-leading Belgian Loris Lambert from Moto 1. He was adjudged to have been driving dangerously and his demise lifted third-placed Michael van Reybroek to the top of the points’ standings with two Motos remaining.
Dutchman Bram Hoeke finished fourth, ahead of Alexandre Bourgeois, Manuel Leite and Corentin Lamire. Gabor Szabo was docked two laps for course violations and finished at the rear of the field, Maxime Lemire was a non-starter and Héloïse Delcluze was not classified after multiple course violations.
Start-to-finish Runabout GP2 Moto win for Vaznys
Lithuania’s Domantas Vaznys dominated the first of the Endurance GP2 Motos. From pole position, he extended his advantage over the 12 laps and 17-plus minutes of the Moto to reach the chequered flag 52.38 seconds ahead of Germany’s Justin Patzner.
The result enabled Vaznys to close the gap on third-placed Alejandro Prats Palau in the championship battle and move ahead of fourth-placed Tom Claerhout in the rankings. Miguel Antonio Oliveira, Manuel Reggiani and Patrica Mooka rounded off the finishers.
Meziere extends his championship lead with opening Ski GP4 win
Frenchman Mathys Meziere took full advantage of Estonian pole-sitter Ander-Hubert Lauri struggling at the start to take victory in the first of the Ski Division GP4 Motos and close in on the European title.
He finished the Moto 47.79 seconds clear of Grantas Gurkšnys, who is now locked in a battle himself with Daniils Potrivailo and Lucas Mouchotte for the remaining podium places in the European Championship.
Potrivailo finished third, ahead of Jennifer Poret, Lionel Bourrel and Mouchotte. Francesco Mariani was the only runner in the Ski Division GP4 Juniors. Lauri managed to get going eventually, completed just five of the nine laps but was not classified for points.