The Qualifying session just concluded under light rain, making this very tricky conditions for the riders, especially mentally. Mario Aji managed to improve his personal lap time, there were some positive aspects from today. He was highly competitive up until the third sector, with a real chance to advance to Q2. However, he consistently lost time in the final sector, so it’s clear that he’ll need to focus on improving that area to deliver a strong performance in tomorrow’s race.
He rode well overall, so we’ll concentrate on refining his performance in sector four. The rest will follow naturally. We’ll also keep an eye on the weather for tomorrow and make the necessary adjustments for tomorrow’s race here in Motegi.

Starting from 26th position tomorrow is not ideal, but what’s important is that I’m beginning to understand how the bike reacts and how to handle it. I’m happy because I feel comfortable on the bike, but somehow, the lap times aren’t coming together. I need to have a detailed discussion with the team, but overall, things have improved compared to yesterday—not just the data, but also my feeling on the bike.
It’s a shame that the starting position could have been better, the team had expected more from me. However, what matters is that we keep learning. We never stop progressing, and tomorrow I’ll focus on doing my best, staying concentrated, and understanding the bike better to fight for crucial positions in the race.