We wrap up the season in Barcelona: the Solidarity GP for Valencia

Friday, November 15th - Practices

Particularly cool temperatures marked the morning in Barcelona, kicking off the final 2024 event with Free Practice. A strong start for Almansa, who placed himself in the Top 5 in the opening minutes, showcasing the progress made over the last few GPs. Bertelle began slightly further back, focusing on race pace.
After a quick check in the box, both riders returned to the track in the final minutes. Almansa wrapped up just outside the Top 10, while Bertelle finished just shy of the Top 15 but expressed satisfaction with the bike.

The momentum carried into Practice 1, with David Almansa breaking into the Top 3 early on before heading back to the box to complete his first run. Matteo Bertelle, on the other hand, started the session without immediately pushing for a time attack, focusing on refining his feeling with the bike after some adjustments.
Both riders went out in the closing minutes aiming to secure a spot in the Top 14 for direct Q2 access, at least provisionally. Mission accomplished: the team finished with Almansa in 10th and Bertelle in 12th position.

Saturday, November 16th - Practices and Qualifying

We’re back on track at 8:40 for Practice 2, with cold conditions making it challenging to improve lap times. Both riders maintained solid speed throughout the session, running together during the opening minutes.
The final moments proved critical as they pushed to improve their times. Bertelle narrowly missed direct Q2 access by just a tenth of a second, hindered by the usual late-session traffic. Almansa, however, secured his spot in Q2 without improving on his strong time from Practice 1.

Matteo started in Q1, quickly finding his rhythm and smoothly advancing to Q2, where David was waiting. Almansa began Q2 with good speed, finishing his first run in 9th position. Bertelle opted to change tires early without immediately going for a time attack. Qualifying ended with Almansa in 13th, unable to improve his earlier lap time, while Bertelle finished 18th after having his fastest lap canceled.

Sunday, November 17th - Race

The race start wasn’t ideal, with both riders losing a position amidst the chaos of the opening lap. This race continued in a tightly packed group, with Almansa and Bertelle determined to recover and making their way into the points zone. In the final laps, Matteo managed to gain a few more positions, but in the heated battle within the group, he lost contact with the top 10. Both riders fought hard until the end, competing for points positions alongside each other. The race concluded with Almansa and Bertelle leading the second group, securing the final points of the season in 14th and 15th place.

Riders Comments

Matteo Bertelle’s reflections and heartfelt farewell after two years: "It was a rather unique final race. There were some points where I lost a lot, which made it difficult to catch the leading group. The race was all about managing what I had, and there’s definitely something to learn from this. I truly want to thank the entire team for giving me a chance these past two years after a very challenging 2022. These two years have taught me so much through highs and lows, lessons I’ll carry with me in my career. A special thanks to Mirko, Gabry, Raffi, and Julian. I hope the best results come back for this team because they absolutely deserve it!"

David Almansa wraps up an intense final weekend: "This has been an incredibly emotional weekend—my last race with the team during my first year in the World Championship. I spent most of the race fighting, trying to bring home one final good result. A heartfelt thank you to the team for being part of my growth during this first season. I wish them all the best for the future!"