The second round of the hotly contested 2023 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship will get underway this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, alongside the fourth round of the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship.

The series’ opening races last month at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ in Assen provided extremely close racing and unpredictable results as the 19 young contenders showcased their talent on board their R3 machines. Italy’s Emiliano Ercolani came out on top in Race 1, with Spain’s Marc Vich and Brazil’s Kevin Fontainha completing the podium.

In Race 2, with several penalties imposed for track limits infringements, the eventual winner was Gustavo Manso – the young Brazilian completing a great comeback after missing Race 1 with an ankle injury. His two compatriots, Eduardo Burr and Fontainha finished second and third. Ercolani took a solid fourth in Race 2, which gives him a six-point title lead heading into Barcelona.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya track hasn’t been featured on the R3 calendar since 2021, meaning that for the majority of the field it will be a new experience. In fact, of the 20 riders due to compete this weekend, only Vich and Burr have prior R3 racing experience at the complex Catalan track.

With fair weather expected throughout the event, and the usual fervent Spanish crowd cheering on the stars of the future, it’s sure to be another unmissable weekend of action in the championship.  

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Source: WorldSBK.com