FIM JuniorGP World Championship

【2021 End Of Season Review】Syarifuddin Azman Wins Race, Asia Talent Team Fight Hard All Season

The FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship has given rise to many top MotoGP riders. The Asia Talent Team, including Takuma Matsuyama (Asia Talent Team), Mario Suryo Aji (Astra Honda Racing Team), and Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Racing Thailand), competed in a total of eight races in 2021.

【2021 End Of Season Review】Syarifuddin Azman Wins Race, Asia Talent Team Fight Hard All Season

Asia Talent Team Starts Season Well

The opening round was held at Circuito do Estoril in Portugal, where the junior talent team were off to a good start. Aji, who started eighth on the grid, moved up to third place, but was overtaken at the last possible minute to finish fourth by an 0,06s gap. Matsuyama started from third grid, to finish sixth after a heated battle. Buasri rode a solid race to finish 15th earning one championship point.


Aji Fourth in the Season Opener
Aji Fourth in the Season Opener

Matsuyama shined in Round 2, held in Valencia. In Race 1 the Japanese rider lapped at an impressive pace, heading into the last lap in the lead. He missed out on victory by 0.076 after being overtaken on the last turn, but was nonetheless on the podium in second place. Jose Julian Garcia (SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE) was second in Race 2, while Aji was eighth / fifth and fourth in the standings at the end of Round 2. Matsuyama at this stage was fifth overall, just behind Aji.


Matsuyama clinches his first podium by finishing second in Round 2
Matsuyama clinches his first podium by finishing second in Round 2

Although rounds 3 and 4 were unlucky for the Asia Talent Team riders, Honda rider Syarifuddin Azman (SIC Racing) won Race 1, joined on the podium by third-place Jose Antonio Rueda (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0). Aji was sixth in Race 1, and consistently lapped at the fastest times in Race 1.


Aji sixth in Round 3 Race 1
Aji sixth in Round 3 Race 1

Consistent Points in Second Half of the Season

In Round 5, Aragon, Rueda finished second, and Matsuyama was tenth. In Round 6 held at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Aji was eighth in Race 2, and Matsuyama was tenth. In Round 7, at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in San Marino, Aji was eighth despite it being the first time for the Asia Talent Team at the venue.


Aji Eighth in Round 7 despite his first time on the track
Aji Eighth in Round 7 despite his first time on the track

The season finale, Round 8 in Valencia was a double-header. Aji unfortunately missed the round due to an injured leg. Buasri, strong on wet tracks, started Race 1 from the 21st grid, and finished 13th. Matsuyama crashed in Race 1, but ignored the pain to gain points in Race 2, finishing 14th.

Rueda finished the 2021 championship in eighth place, while Azman was ninth, Garcia tenth, Diego Moreira (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) 11th, Aji 12th, Matsuyama 14th, and Buarsi 24th.


Wet last round helps Buasri to finish 13th
Wet last round helps Buasri to finish 13th


  • Standings
Pos. Rider Num. チーム Constr. Pts
1 DANIEL HOLGADO 96 ASPAR JUNIOR TEAM GasGas 208
2 IVAN ORTOLÁ 24 TEAM MTA KTM 169
3 DAVID MUÑOZ 64 AVATEL - CARDOSO RACING KTM 150
4 JOEL KELSO 66 AGR TEAM KTM 124
5 DAVID SALVADOR 38 TM RACING FACTORY TEAM TM RACING 99
6 SCOTT JAMES OGDEN 26 ASPAR JUNIOR TEAM GasGas 96
7 DAVID ALONSO 80 ASPAR JUNIOR TEAM GasGas 93
8 JOSE ANTONIO RUEDA 95 TEAM ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 Honda 70
9 SYARIFUDDIN AZMAN 63 SIC RACING Honda 64
10 JOSÉ JULIÁN GARCÍA 20 SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE Honda 64
11 DIOGO MOREIRA 92 TEAM ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 Honda 62
12 MARIO SURYO AJI 16 Astra Honda Racing Team Honda 58
13 DANIEL MUÑOZ 17 AVATEL - CARDOSO RACING KTM 56
14 TAKUMA MATSUYAMA 32 ASIA TALENT TEAM Honda 53
15 COLLIN VEIJER 9 AC RACING TEAM Husqvarna 44
16 LUCA LUNETTA 58 AC RACING TEAM Husqvarna 37
17 ZONTA VAN DEN GOORBERGH 84 TEAM SUPER B Honda 30
18 Marcos URIARTE 89 LAGLISSE ACADEMY Husqvarna 29
19 JOSHUA WHATLEY 70 TEAM MTA KTM 25
20 GERARD RIU 67 MT-FOUNDATION 77 KTM 23
21 Matteo BERTELLE 28 TEAM MTA KTM 21
22 MARCO TAPIA 13 LEOPARD IMPALA JUNIOR TEAM Honda 18
23 MARCOS RUDA 5 GAZZOLA RACING KTM 15
24 TATCHAKORN BUASRI 33 Honda Racing Thailand Honda 13
25 DAVID REAL 23 CUNA DE CAMPEONES KTM 11
26 Alberto FERRÁNDEZ 54 MT-FOUNDATION 77 KTM 10
27 NOAH DETTWILER 55 TEAM MTA KTM 8
28 FILIPPO FARIOLI 7 LAGLISSE ACADEMY Husqvarna 5
29 RAFFAELE FUSCO 69 TM RACING FACTORY TEAM TM RACING 5
30 ADRIÁN CRUCES 11 CUNA DE CAMPEONES KTM 4
31 NICOLA FABIO CARRARO 10 TM RACING FACTORY TEAM TM RACING 4
32 CLÉMENT ROUGÉ 45 LAGLISSE ACADEMY Husqvarna 4
33 Marco MORELLI 97 AVATEL - CARDOSO RACING KTM 3
34 SENNA AGIUS 81 SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE Honda 3
35 SHO NISHIMURA 57 MT-FOUNDATION 77 KTM 2