This year, Joel Esteban will make his debut in the Moto3 World Championship. He will be one of the riders for the CFMoto Aspar Team, one of the most prestigious teams in developing young talents – such as David Alonso, the best rookie in the category in 2023.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Esteban recalled: ‘It was the Aspar team that welcomed me, and it’s an honor to be with them. It’s a great project and it’s growing. Many bikes would appear in my parents’ bar. They had some friends with bikes, and I would climb on them and start revving the engine, I really liked it. When I was younger, I also went to Montmeló to watch the races, and they bought me an electric bike when I was two and a half years old’.
Next, the Spaniard spoke about the importance of Aspar and coach Nico Terol: ‘In 2021, I didn’t have a great year, but Nico Terol believed in me. He was talking to my father throughout the season, but he didn’t want to tell me anything. When it was confirmed, I was very happy and eager to work. In the first tests and the first races, we started very strong. Nico helped me a lot with the track-related aspects. We were runners-up in the European Talent Cup in 2022. It was a great year. Right after that, we made the leap to Moto3 in the JuniorGP championship, and the truth is that I adapted very quickly, and in the second race, in Cheste, I was on the podium. In August, they told me that if everything went well, I would move up to the World Championship, being David Alonso’s teammate. With Nico Terol’s experience, he can help me with everything and gives me maximum confidence’.
In 2024, Esteban hopes to learn from Alonso: ‘At the moment, I don’t feel pressure because it’s the first year, and moving up a category with pressure isn’t good. Regarding David, I will have to learn because in 2023 he took a big step forward, that happened from the beginning, and between the middle and the end, he put on a great show. They were truly great races. His way of working is very good, and maybe that’s what I’m missing’.
On the other hand, the CFMoto Aspar rookie spoke about his idol: ‘It’s Marc Márquez who I identify with since I was little. His character, aggressiveness, and the way he dominates the bike. I love everything about him’.