Italy’s Emiliano Ercolani currently leads the way after his great tally of three wins and three second places, although the 19-year-old has suffered two crashes in the last two races, putting paid to his previously sizeable advantage. Ercolani wowed onlookers by winning last year’s R3 SuperFinale, giving him an automatic spot in this year’s R3 season, which he has certainly put to good use.
Closing in rapidly is Indonesia’s Aldi Satya Mahendra, currently in second overall and just 16 points behind Ercolani. Mahendra has learned from his early-season mistakes and has become one of the fastest in the class, taking four wins, including victory by a huge margin of seven seconds at Round 5 in Imola. The 17-year-old has also had a podium in the WorldSSP300 class this year as a wildcard, proving he is keen and ready to make the step up.
Trailing 28 points behind the lead is Brazil’s Kevin Fontainha, a rider who has proven the old adage of “consistency is key”. With no wins to his name this season, Fontainha has climbed the standings simply by finishing every race. Five podiums have also brought him well into contention. The 17-year-old finished second in last year’s championship, so he will give everything to go one better in 2023.
Fontainha’s compatriot, Gustavo Manso has also been a consistent performer throughout the year, winning two races at the start of the season and always placing himself within the lead group. The battle of the Brazilians will be an interesting one, as Manso is just five points behind Fontainha, and 33 points from the top.
