At 6 o'clock local time the lights went out at the Losail International Circuit, scene of the first race of the 2017 season for the young Moto3 riders, on 26 March. Joan Mir gained two places from the start to complete the first lap in second position. Mir followed like a shadow his compatriot Martin throughout the second lap, and just before the line he took control of the race. On the last lap there were five in the fight for the victory, then Joan Mir gained the upper hand over his rivals, managing the lead and closing all the doors. The Spaniard seemed to dance on his Honda, developed to perfection, crossing the finish line in first place. Joan Mir, the rookie of the year in 2016, thus began the season in the best way, with a win (the second in his career) in the opening round of the championship. His teammate from Leopard Racing Team, Livio Loi, finished 12th.
Two weeks later, at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo, the Leopard Racing Team duo staged two great comebacks. Having started 16th on the grid, Mir won the Gran Premio de la Republica Argentina 2017, while Loi finished sixth overall after a hard-fought race. This was the third career victory for the native of Palma de Mallorca and his second consecutive win of the season, consolidating his leadership with a perfect score (50 points). The Leopard Racing Team was also overjoyed with Livio Loi, who fought like a lion throughout the race. The Belgian is now in seventh place in the overall rankings on 14 points.
