Amon Odaki to start P14 after maiden Q2 appearance on a positive afternoon for the Junior Talent Team
The Junior Talent Team ended the final Qualifying day of the season on a high with Amon Odaki securing a place on the fifth row for tomorrow’s FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship finale at a sun-kissed Estoril. Practice had already given cause for optimism with the Japanese star breaking into the top 10 during a rain-affected FP1, but Tuesday’s Qualifying session saw the 16-year-old advance through to Q2 before qualifying a career-best 14th. With four points finishes already to his name, a first top ten finish of 2024 will be the aim for Odaki in Wednesday’s double header.
For Arbi Aditama, it was a story of what might have been despite saving his best performance of the weekend for the crucial Qualifying session. Forced to go through Q1, the Indonesian found over half a second in the 15-minute shootout, with his 1:44.442 putting him on the verge of a first Q2 appearance since Round 3 in Barcelona. In the end, Aditama was edged out but will have points in his sights, starting from P20.
Like Odaki, Danial Shahril enjoyed a promising start to the event, demonstrating his skills in mixed conditions on Monday. The Malaysian, who celebrated his 22nd birthday last week, claimed fourth place in FP1 before narrowly missing out on an automatic Q2 spot. After being denied by less than two tenths in Practice, Shahril ended a closely contested Q1 session in 8th with a 1:44.541 despite putting in fewer laps than his rivals. This places him 22nd on the grid for tomorrow.
Honda Racing Thailand’s Jakkreephat Phuettisan continued to gain experience as his rookie season draws to a close. Facing an uphill struggle after a rain-affected opening day, the Thai rider stuck to his task in Qualifying, making an improvement of six tenths of a second over his best time from Practice. Phuettisan will go from P28 on the grid as he chases those elusive championship points.
Don’t miss tomorrow’s thrilling JuniorGP™ title decider with plenty to play for among the Junior Talent Team quartet. Lights go out at 11:00 (UTC) for Race 1 with Race 2 closing out the season at 14:00.
