The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve hosts the fifth round of action in a thrilling 2022 season
It was an epic fourth round of the 2022 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship for the Junior Talent Team at Jerez and the riders will hope to keep the momentum rolling to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal this weekend. The Portimao circuit will be ready to welcome the likes of Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Racing Thailand) and Eddie O’Shea (British Talent Team) as both aim to add to their podium tally around the undulating Portuguese venue.
Seventh in the JuniorGP™ Championship standings and the lead JTT rider, Buasri heads to Portimao after a promising Jerez saw him in the podium battle throughout. Eventually leaving with a top five in Race 2, the 22-year-old Thai rider will be keen to bag more points as he closes back in on the top six overall. He took a fifth and a sixth at Portimao earlier in the year in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and will hope that this past success will spur him on in the charge to the front this weekend.
Whilst Buasri may be the lead rider in the JTT in terms of Championship position, it was a magnificent ride by 15-year-old British star Eddie O’Shea at Jerez. Having missed out on points due to misfortune in Barcelona, he bounced back in style at Jerez, coming from more than five seconds back in Race 2 to claim a heroic first podium of his career in third. A frantic last lap shuffle saw O’Shea on the rostrum and he’s keen to repeat that at Portimao, where he took a ninth in the Red Bull Rookies Cup earlier this year.
Following O’Shea through the field in Race 2 at Jerez was Danial Sharil (Asia Talent Team), with the Malaysian rider coming out in a career-best tenth and less than a second from what would’ve been a first podium in the class. Like O’Shea, Sharil has a top ten at Portimao in 2022 from the Red Bull Rookies class and the 19-year-old aims to add a top-draw JuniorGP™ result to his profile at the circuit this weekend.
Aiming for a return to the points at Portimao, Arbi Aditama (Astra Honda Racing Team) will be keen to impress after just missing out at Jerez. On the fringes of the points throughout the weekend in Andalusia, the 16-year-old Indonesian aims to bridge the gap and become a fixture within the second group. He scored points in the Red Bull Rookies Cup at Portimao earlier in the year, something he hopes to replicate.
Racing kicks off on Sunday at 13:00 (GMT+1) for the JuniorGP™ class for their only race of the weekend, with the JTT aiming for a strong weekend at Portimao. Tune in!
