Asia Talent Team ready for penultimate round in Jerez

Having returned to action at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao at the end of August, after the long summer break, the next stop for the Asia Talent Team’s five young riders is the Circuito de Jerez, where they will compete in two races in the penultimate round of this season’s FIM Repsol CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship.

At Portimao Kaito Toba, Andi Izdihar and Nakarin Atiratphuvapat collected points whilst crashes for Kazuki Masaki and Ayumu Sasaki meant both missed out on the points. Toba took sixth place in Portugal, consolidating his third place in the championship, whilst in 12^th place Izdihar got his first points in the series. Atiratphuvapat was on target for a stronger result, but a late penalty for exceeding track limits saw him dropped to tenth.

Portimao marked the first time in 2016 that Masaki missed out on the points but he remains in the championship top ten overall regardless, whilst for Sasaki he still sits sixth in the standings and retains a realistic chance of finishing fourth overall, despite his misfortune at the Portuguese round.

Meanwhile in the recent Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup visit to Aragon Sasaki won Race 2 and secured the title in the competition, whilst Toba was the winner in Race 1. Elsewhere, Masaki and Izdihar managed to fit in a trip to China for the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup where Masaki finished fourth in Race 2 at the Zhuhai International Circuit, with Izdihar on the podium in second in Race 1 to keep his title hopes alive.

Last year at Jerez it was not the best of weekends for the Asia Talent Team as Toba crashed in both races, whilst former rider Adam Norrodin missed out on the points in both contests, with the team’s other 2015 rider Yuta Date salvaging some pride in sixth place in the second race of the weekend.

This year Toba will hope to do much better and Masaki and Sasaki will also look to strengthen their respective top ten championship positions. Izdihar and Atiratphuvapat hope to seize the opportunity to build up more experience at a Grand Prix racing venue.

Two Qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday 1^st October at 10:50 Local Time and 13:50 Local Time to decide the grid for Sunday’s two Moto3 Junior World Championship races. Those races (both 16 laps) are scheduled to begin at 11:00 Local Time and 14:00 Local Time on Sunday 2^nd October. The races can be seen live here.

Download Race 2 Classification by clicking here.
Download Championship Standings by clicking here.

Download Race 1 Classification by clicking here.
Download Championship Standings by clicking here.

Download Championship Standings by clicking here.

Asia Talent Team back in action

Back in July, Albacete hosted round five of the FIM Repsol CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, the series now resuming almost two months later. In Albacete Kaito Toba managed to return to the podium with a third place finish, holding him third in the championship standings. Meanwhile his teammate, Ayumu Sasaki, scored for the fifth race in a row and with 62 points is still a threat for the top three.
 
During the summer break both riders have stayed in shape and in form by racing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, Sasaki in particular showing very well. Races in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic have seen the duo compete in all kinds of weather conditions, teaching them yet more valuable skills for the remainder of the Junior World Championship. Thanks to nine podium finishes, Sasaki returns to the Asia Talent Team as the Red Bull Rookies title favourite while Toba holds fifth overall.
 
Sasaki and Toba may have taken much of the limelight so far, but Kazuki Masaki should not go unnoticed. The Japanese rider has scored in every single round and is sitting pretty in seventh with 55 well earned points. His ability to stay calm while under pressure will be put to the test in Portugal as racing resumes.
 
In 2015 the circuit of Portimao was not kind to the Asia Talent Team, Toba collecting just a single point. But with a year’s worth of experience for the riders and team, the 4.692km long circuit is sure to bear more fruit in 2016. Toba is the only rider of the five to have ridden the circuit before, but all have proven to be quick studies at the previous rounds.
 
Of all the riders Andi Faird is perhaps the most excited to get back out on track, the Indonesian talent keen to pick up where he left off after securing a debut front row in Albacete. His one-lap pace is certainly there; can he make another step around the 17 corners of the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve?
 
Nakarin Atiratphuvapat is also looking to learn the circuit and build of the flashes of brilliance he has shown on his way to three point scoring finishes. Consistency will be key for the Thai rider in the closing five races of the 2016 season, remaining in the top 15 would be a major achievement.
 
Two Qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday the 27^th of August at 09:50 Local Time and 13:20 Local Time to decide the grid for Sunday’s single Moto3 Junior World Championship race. The race (16 laps) is scheduled to begin at 13:00 Local Time on Sunday the 28^th of August and can be seen via the link below.

LIVE TIMING - Saturday & Sunday
VIDEO LIVE STREAMING - Sunday Race
 

Toba back on the podium
in sweltering Albacete

From the start of the Moto3 Junior World Championship round in Albacete, Kaito Toba was with the leaders. He stuck inside the top six and did not yield position, not afraid to slip past World Championship riders such as Karel Hanika. As is true of almost every Moto3 Junior World Championship race, the fighting was fierce and there was no chance to rest under the blazing Albacete sun.

As the final laps began, Toba upped his paced and closed in on the podium, slotting into third and working his way ever closer to Marcos Ramirez. Try as he might, Toba’s charge up to second would end, crossing the line in third place and only 0.308s off a return to victory. Not only did Toba return to the podium after a difficult Sunday in Barcelona, he also set the fastest lap of the race, a 1’35.471.

Kazuki Masaki had another solid weekend as well, eventually crossing the line in eighth place. For the entirety of the race he was inside the top ten, battling with his Asia Talent Team teammate Ayumu Sasaki for supremacy. The pair traded positions with the likes of Tony Arbolino and came out on top; Masaki crossed the line in eighth spot and ahead of Ayumu Sasaki in ninth. A great weekend overall for the three Japanese riders, all able to show their progress in the championship.

Nakarin Atiratphuvapat leaves Albacete with two more championship points, finishing inside the top 15 for the third time in 2016. It was a hard day for the Thai rider, having to overcome a number of more experienced riders for his 14th place.

The day proved the hardest for Andi Farid, the Indonesian rider making a magnificent launch off the line. For most of the race he stayed with the leading group, just at their backs, as he looked set to take an incredible first top ten. Unfortunately he crashed before the end, unharmed but forced to ask ‘what could have been?’ Regardless of final result, Farid proved he has the pace.

The Championship will resume on the 28th of August in Portugal. Toba heads into the summer break with 80 points, third overall and the leading Honda rider. Not far off him is Ayumu Sasaki, 62 points placing the Japanese rookie in fifth overall. 55 points have Masaki sat in seventh and only three points behind championship front-runner Albert Arenas. Thanks to his two additional points, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat is 14th overall.