Difficult race in Austin for Aji and Chantra

Circuit Of The Americas

The IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia riders completed the third race of the Moto2 World Championship.

Difficult race in Austin for Aji and Chantra

In both cases the result was disappointing, Indonesian rookie Mario Aji started promisingly with some good overtaking, but a mistake in turn 5 ended his participation in Texas. While Thai rider Somkiat Chantra lost many positions at the start and finished the race in 21st position.

Hiroshi Aoyama

IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia

We're disappointed with today's result. Mario had a promising start, gaining some positions in the beginning of the race, but unfortunately, he crashed on lap 5, ending his race early. We were hoping for him to gain more experience and make progress, but it didn't go as planned.

As for Chantra, starting from 19th place, we anticipated him to move up the grid, but he ultimately finished 21st. He struggled with grip issues and wasn't feeling physically strong, so he couldn’t maintain his pace. To be honest, it's been a difficult weekend for us. Now it's time to shift our focus to the next race. I want to extend my gratitude to our sponsors, supporters, and the team. We'll come back stronger for the next Grand Prix in Jerez.

Somkiat Chantra ³⁵

IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia

Today was race day at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. It's hard to summarize the race because it's been a tough day for me. Right from the start, I tried to be in the front, but unfortunately, I lost some positions in the first corner and despite my efforts to make a comeback, I couldn't achieve the desired result. Overall, it's been a difficult weekend. Now, it's crucial to change the mentality and put our focus to the next race and aim for a better race result in Jerez.

Mario Aji ³⁴

IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia

Today's race started off well, and I found myself engaged in a thrilling battle with some experienced riders, gaining positions right from the beginning. However, a small mistake led to disappointment as I crashed in turn 5. While I'm physically ok, it's hard on a mental level because I had such a good feeling with the bike.

Nevertheless, it's crucial to understand why the crash happened. Recognizing that this is my first mistake, both the team and I accept it as part of the learning process. What matters most now is that we conclude the weekend with a positive note - a strong feeling while riding and confidence in the bike. I choose to focus on the positives as we continue to learn and grow with each race. Let's remain optimistic and aim for an even better performance in Jerez.