A career-best finish of fifth is the best performance in the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship by a British rider in two years
British Talent Team’s Max Cook put in the best performance of his FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship career to take fifth place in the first of three races this weekend at MotorLand Aragon.
Having started from the second row of the grid for the very first time, the Brit quickly settled into the leading group of seven. Another race distance sat with the Championship’s key contenders will have been invaluable for the Swindonian before he then pounced in the closing stages. A late crash saw him rise to sixth before finding a last lap, last corner move to battle his way into the top five and bag a best finish for a British rider in over two years.
He wasn’t the only Junior Talent Team rider to put a strong ride together, however, with Asia Talent Team’s Takuma Matsuyama matching his best-ever FIM Moto3™ JWC result by crossing the line in ninth. An impressive result on its own is made even more impressive after the Japanese rider was forced to fight his way through from 23rd on the grid.
Thailand’s Tatchakorn Buasri arguably put in a career-best performance of his own as the AP Honda man came through from row seven of the grid to double his 2020 points tally thanks to another 14th place finish. Astra Honda’s Mario Aji, meanwhile, continues his comeback from injury and will be pleased to get a full race distance under his belt having crossed the line in 22nd.
Finally, unfortunately for British Talent Team’s Scott Ogden, despite a strong ride through from 21st on the grid to get himself well into points contention, a late crash saw the young Yorkshireman walk away from the first of three MotorLand Aragon encounters emptyhanded.
Good news for all five Junior Talent Team riders is that two races on Sunday offers a chance to build on either setting or matching career-best results on Saturday, plus it’s a chance to right the wrongs of today as well. Race 2 of the weekend gets underway at 11:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday, before the final race of the weekend starts at 14:00 local (GMT+2).
