Max Cook heads triple Junior Talent Team top 10 finish in CEV Repsol at Portimao

It was another phenomenal day for Max Cook in Portugal as the British rider finished P7 in the Moto3™ Junior World Championship race at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, repeating his career-best finish claimed in Estoril just six days ago. Bill Van Eerde and Scott Ogden made it a memorable day for the JTT at Round 2 of the 2020 FIM CEV Repsol season, the Australian and Briton finishing P9 and P10 respectively – their best finishes in the Junior World Championship.

A scorching day on the Algarve greeted the JTT for one race on Monday, and having started from P17 on the grid, Cook had some work to do if he was to match – or better – his Estoril heroics. But that’s exactly what the British Talent Team rider did, Cook cut through the order and tagged himself onto the lead group with a handful of laps remaining and eventually took the chequered flag in P7. A fantastic ride for Cook who sits seventh in the Championship standings after two races.

Having started from a career best P11 on the grid, Van Eerde made no mistakes in the race to cement his maiden Junior World Champion top 10, finishing just over four seconds from the race winner. Four tenths behind the Australian was teammate Odgen who enjoyed a race-long battle with his teammate, the reigning British Talent Cup Champion had a wonderful Monday ride to P10 – a fantastic result for the Briton in just his fifth race at this level.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the day that Takuma Matsuyama was hoping for in Portimao. The Japanese rider was the leading JTT man on the grid after a stunning qualifying, but an early crash put an end to his hopes of a second consecutive top 10 in his rookie campaign. Matsuyama managed to finish the race and despite the disappointment, you can be he’ll be ready and raring to go in Jerez to make amends.
Sadly, Tatchakorn Buasri and Mario Aji weren’t present in Portimao due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Hopefully the Thai and Indonesian riders will be able to link up with their JTT teammates in Jerez.

Overall then, it was a great day for the JTT. Two career best results and a career equalling best result sees Cook, Van Eerde and Ogden leave the Algarve brimming with confidence. The Junior Talent Team riders will be back on track at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto for two race days in Andalusia on the 29th and 30th of August.