Billy Van Eerde to add FIM CEV Repsol Ride to his dance card in 2019
The stellar rise of Aussie youngster Billy Van Eerde shows no signs of abating with the 16-year-old selected, amongst a combination of talented youngsters from the Asia Talent Cup and British Talent Cup to race under the Junior Talent Team umbrella in the 2019 FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship.
Promoting and running talents from different paths on the Road to MotoGP, the Junior Talent Team unifies three team names under the same umbrella, and unites the efforts of Dorna talent promotion programs, including the sponsors and partners who provide important backing to young riders and teams. In 2019 the project continues to count on the valuable support of Honda, Kushitani and Astra Honda.
Billy Van Eerde won the Asia Talent Cup this year and will start his second year in the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2019, and will now also race the highly competitiv FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship.
Junior Talent Team 2019 Line-Up
- 30 Max Cook GBR (16) British Talent Team
- 31 Bill Van Eerde AUS (16) Asia Talent Team
- 32 Haruki Noguchi JPN (17) Asia Talent Team
- 33 Yuki Kunii JPN (15) Asia Talent Team
- 34 Mario Aji INA (14) Astra Honda Racing Team
Billy Van Eerde makes the step to the FIM CEV Repsol as the reigning Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion after being crowned in the final round at Sepang International Circuit. The first Australian IATC race winner and Champion, Van Eerde will be racing in the JTT alongside the rider he narrowly beat to the crown: Haruki Noguchi from Japan.
The pair will join Yuki Kunii, the veteran of the squad and now a Moto3 Junior World Championship race winner aiming even higher in 2019, in Asia Talent Team colours.
Max Cook arrives in the JTT fresh from a top season in the British Talent Cup, where he took a number of wins and was a consistent pacesetter and frontrunner. Cook also has experience in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the European Talent Cup ahead of this next step as the British Talent Team rider in the JTT.
Mario Aji from Indonesia is the final rider in the JTT in 2019. An IATC race winner and standout performer at many rounds in 2018, ‘Super Mario’ moves into the Junior Talent Team structure in Astra Honda Racing Team colours.
After race wins, multiple podiums and some impressive showings in 2018, the JTT is now ready to attack a new season with a number of new faces – with experienced Kunii ready to lead the way.
Action begins for the five riders with a winter training camp soon to be confirmed, before racing starts on the 7th of April at the Circuito do Estoril in the FIM CEV Repsol season opener.
