Twist in JuniorGP: Cano disqualified, Bujosa crowned ETC champion! Update

We told you about the JuniorGP grand finale in Valencia but there’s been a last-minute change of champion. The ETC title does not bear the name of Carlos Cano, but of Fernando Bujosa! The former was later disqualified from the race for a technical infringement. The third place achieved by the rider of the Italian AC Racing team is therefore more than enough to secure him the triumph in the Honda one-make series.

Carlos Cano and SeventyTwo Artbox, the team that counts Emilio Alzamora—once mentor to the Marquez brothers—among its key figures, were celebrating a second straight title in Valencia. The Spaniard’s 4th place, together with Fernando Bujosa’s 3rd on the podium, seemed sufficient. But here comes the cold shower for the no-longer ETC double champion: as stated in the official notice, the post-race technical checks revealed a modified crankcase. Quoting the communication, “the crankcases must remain homologated; no modifications of any kind are allowed.” Hence the disqualification and a zero for Carlos Cano.

From tears of bitterness to tears of joy on the other side: Fernando Bujosa, who needed to win to clinch the ETC title on track, was pipped at the end by the combative Alex Longarela, race winner, and Alvaro Lucas, second at the finish line. In parc fermé everyone rushed to console him, but that’s no longer necessary. In the official photo here is Fernando Bujosa, wearing the celebratory shirt, together with the other three champions. A Spanish triumph with a pinch of Italy, as mentioned at the start: his team is AC Racing, celebrating again after the all-Italian success achieved in the category in 2022 with Guido Pini.

Three-quarters Spanish victory in the future MotoJunior. Besides Fernando Bujosa, we have Brian Uriarte, already Moto3 king in Barcelona and with a signed contract to make his official World Championship debut with Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2026. The same will happen for the other riders on the category podium: Marco Morelli, who did the double in Valencia, will race with Aspar Team, while Joel Esteban, 3rd, will be a LevelUp MTA rider. In the European Stock class the final victory went to Iker Garcia, who managed to get the better of Tibor Varga (a future Rookies Cup rider) and our Jacopo Cretaro (next year in the World Supersport Championship).

The only exception is in Moto2, where the hard-charging rookie prevailed: Milan Pawelec, a fierce 18-year-old Pole of the AGR Team with a few World Championship appearance, won the race, claiming a historic success in this category. He held off Unai Orradre by just 4 points, +26 over the Italian Alberto Surra and +32 over Alberto Ferrandez, who was fighting for both the title and the race win before a crash put him out. Thus ends the “JuniorGP era,” which began in 2022 with the renaming of the former FIM CEV Repsol, and which from 2026 will be MotoJunior.

-> Updated standings at fimjuniorgp.com