Moto2 rookie Senna Agius claimed a first-career top-five finish at Catalunya on Sunday, the breakout result his best performance to date in the world championship.

After dominating the European series to win the title last year, 18-year-old Agius graduated with the Liqui Moly Husqvarna IntactGP team for 2024, but has faced his share of adversity to date.

Barcelona was the best yet for the young New South Welshman, however, quickly improving upon his grid position of 12th in the early laps and eventually got the better of a late battle for fifth position. It was also a milestone result – the highest yet – for the factory-backed Husqvarna Moto2 project.

“A great start and, unlike the first races, I could actually stay there and fight,” Agius said. “We had made a big change during the weekend that focused the bike on being able to attack on Sunday and we’d already started work on Friday with the rear tyre and how the drop would play-out.

“I kept charging forward and P5 is a massive step forward from the last races. Feet on the ground though, it’s a good result that we deserve, and we will again go to tracks I haven’t been to and have other situations to face, but at least I’ve shown people what I can do. Let’s see how the rest of the season pans out.”

Agius’ previous best finish of ninth came all the way back during a guest appearance with Marc VDS at Valencia in 2022. His best scores of this year had come in Portugal (14th) and France (13th), where he’d qualified eighth.

Of the other Aussies in grand prix racing, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) crashed out of MotoGP on Sunday, while Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) impressed for P8 and Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) crashed out of Moto3.