Circuit Ricardo Tormo hosted the initial run sessions of the 2024 pre-season, marking a fresh start for the MotoGP calendar. Red Bull KTM rider Daniel Holgado surged to the fastest lap, stopping the clock at 1’37″300 and setting a new benchmark for the winter testing phase. Colombian rider David Alonso, representing Team Aspar, slotted in as the closest challenger with the second-fastest time, while Adrián Fernández from Madrid, riding for Honda, completed the top three in a tightly contested session.
Just a day earlier, the motorcycle racing season had already closed its 2023 chapter with a dramatic finale at the Motul Grand Prix Sanvicentero in the Valencian Community. The race capped off a campaign that saw a shift in standings, with the Valencian event finishing in eighth place within its autonomous region and the world championship ending with a final tally that placed the team near the top ten.
Valencia has long been a proving ground for up-and-coming talents, and the 2023 season underscored this trend. The youngster from the region made noticeable strides after joining KTM in 2022. He marked his first major milestone with a podium finish at the Austrian Grand Prix and then climbed to the front row for a standout appearance at the Aragon Grand Prix that same year. The momentum continued as he reached the top step at the Portuguese Grand Prix in the recently concluded campaign, signaling a rapid ascent through the ranks.
Dani Holgado scores his first podium at the World Championships in Aragon
In the intermediate category, Madrid’s Alonso López demonstrated remarkable pace, also breaking the clock’s record by posting a time of 1’33″061. The session welcomed several fresh faces in Moto3, including Ángel Piqueras from Valencia, who joined Honda’s squad and showed promise for the season ahead.
On the timetable, the action is set to resume tomorrow, with a one-day MotoGP test that promises to draw the attention of riders and teams from around the world. This will be the first opportunity for the sport’s athletes to test new setups and evaluate the latest components ahead of the season start. The field will be keen to gauge how the bikes respond under different track conditions, as teams scan every millisecond of data to inform their race-day strategies. The presence of marquee talent and emerging youngsters alike will likely produce a day filled with rapid laps and insightful feedback for engineers and riders alike.