Taiyo Aksu Impresses On Junior GP debut

Taiyo Aksu signs off from STK600 season in style at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Spain

Taiyo Aksu’s 2025 has ended with a spirited ride at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Spain – the talented Aussie teen finished an impressive eleventh on his debut in the European Superstock 600 Championship.

Third in the first free practice session of the weekend, the #89 Yamaha mounted rider ended Friday sixth overall.

A small crash in final qualifying on Saturday afternoon meant a sixth row of the grid start for Sunday’s sixteen lap race, with Taiyo confident of a good result.

From lights out the Yamaha rider was in fine form. Ending the opening lap inside the top nine after passing eight riders, he soon found his rhythm. Involved in a race long fight from start to finish for sixth, Taiyo crossed the line after a hard-fought battle in a respectable eleventh.

He now turns his attention to 2026 where an announcement on his plans is imminent.

Taiyo Aksu:

“I’m really happy with my first weekend in the Junior GP paddock. The level is super high, and it’s been a big learning weekend for me. The whole structure of the weekend, especially qualifying was new but I think we did a good job. We started well on Friday and showed our pace by being in the top three and then we worked well to make it into Q2 but unfortunately, I had a small crash which meant I couldn’t qualify where I had hoped. My ideal was so much faster but that’s racing and it’s something I can learn from and take into next year. Overall, I was happy with the progression from Thursday to Saturday and I was excited for my first race in the European Championship. Starting P17 wasn’t ideal but I knew if I stayed calm and focused that anything could happen. I made a good start and kept out of trouble and was able to bring it home P11 after fighting the whole race for the top six. We had a small issue with the brake adjuster in the final couple of laps which stopped me from attacking but that aside it was a good race. It shows what can happen with the right mindset and the right people around you. I am excited to announce my 2026 plans shortly and want to thank the ARCO University Team for these past two years. I learned a lot.”