Xiberras feeling vindicated by throwing Ojeda into deep end

PremiAir Racing owner Peter Xiberras maintains putting Jayden Ojeda in the car for the final two rounds of the 2025 season was a "good move."

The Chevrolet squad made headlines late last year as it moved Richie Stanaway aside for the last two events of the 2025 championship to blood incoming driver Ojeda.

The rookie encountered a baptism of fire at Sandown and Adelaide, but arrived in 2026 with knowledge of his team, car and surroundings.

Ojeda has duly gone from strength to strength, recently qualifying a brilliant third in the Tasmania Sunday Shootout, before recovering from a poor start to finish sixth.

A brace of top 10s in Tasmania came after a run to eighth in Christchurch. His season could look even better had he not lost a wheel in the second Sydney race, and started last for the two Melbourne races after crashing out of practice.

Xiberras, though, believes he is seeing good signs from his rookie, who remains an outside chance to qualify for the 2026 Supercars Finals.

"The sooner we get him in the car, the progress comes sooner, so that's the whole reason we did it," Xiberras said on Supercars' Equip Super Cool Down Lap podcast.

"Put him in the car, let hime start to get used to it, and I think we started to see it last round, he started to show some real promise.

"I think this weekend we can see he's come of age, so definitely a good move I feel."

Ojeda slashed 17 points from his deficit to 10th across the Tasmania weekend, and is 185 points off the pace heading to Darwin, where PremiAir claimed a surprise pole through James Golding in 2024.

Xiberras insists the goal is to get a driver in the Finals, and believes Ojeda's current form has the team on the right track.

"I think we're seeing a momentum, and it's definitely heading in the right direction," Xiberras said.

"Our goal is to get in the 10."

Track action at Hidden Valley commences on Friday June 19.