Race
Moto2 2025
Round 1
Aji Secures a Point in Thailand as Kunii Finishes P19 in Moto2 Debut
Chang International CircuitIDEMITSU Honda Team Asia riders Mario Suryo Aji and Yuki Kunii successfully completed the opening race of the 2025 Moto2 World Championship at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
Aji maintained a consistent pace throughout the race, staying close to the Top 10 before ultimately crossing the line in 15th place, securing a valuable point to start the season. Meanwhile, Moto2 rookie Yuki Kunii continued his steady development, finishing his debut race in 19th position and demonstrating promising potential for the upcoming rounds. Both riders will continue working on their progression, aiming to achieve even stronger results in the next Grand Prix.
Hiroshi Aoyama
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Today was a long and demanding race in Buriram, with extremely hot conditions. Both riders made a strong start, with Mario beginning from P14 and working his way up to P11 by the midpoint of the race. However, in the latter stages, he began to struggle with discomfort in his shoulder, which affected his pace. Ultimately, he finished in P15—not the result he had hoped for, but he remained in the fight for good points until the end.
For Yuki, it was his first Moto2 race, and I would say he performed well in terms of lap times. He matched Mario’s pace and was even faster towards the end. Starting from P23 made the opening laps difficult, but he managed to recover and finished in P19. While this isn’t an ideal position, it’s a respectable result for a rookie. He competed well against other newcomers and finished ahead of many of them, which is encouraging for his development.
Now, we have some time to recover both physically and mentally before heading to Argentina. Hopefully, we can improve on our performance there. I want to thank our supporters and sponsors, and we will come back stronger for the next race.
Today was a long and demanding race in Buriram, with extremely hot conditions. Both riders made a strong start, with Mario beginning from P14 and working his way up to P11 by the midpoint of the race. However, in the latter stages, he began to struggle with discomfort in his shoulder, which affected his pace. Ultimately, he finished in P15—not the result he had hoped for, but he remained in the fight for good points until the end.
For Yuki, it was his first Moto2 race, and I would say he performed well in terms of lap times. He matched Mario’s pace and was even faster towards the end. Starting from P23 made the opening laps difficult, but he managed to recover and finished in P19. While this isn’t an ideal position, it’s a respectable result for a rookie. He competed well against other newcomers and finished ahead of many of them, which is encouraging for his development.
Now, we have some time to recover both physically and mentally before heading to Argentina. Hopefully, we can improve on our performance there. I want to thank our supporters and sponsors, and we will come back stronger for the next race.
Mario Aji
64
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia First of all, I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made from day one. The team has supported me a lot, and while there’s a small difference between the Jerez test and this Grand Prix, I wasn’t feeling 100% physically to perform at my best. Fortunately, from my first run, I felt comfortable, even though I had to manage some shoulder pain.
Today, we made a breakthrough. It was a tough race for me—I lost some strength in the last 10 laps, but we still fought for the Top 10. There are many positives to take away and learn from for the next round. While I’m happy, I’m not fully satisfied with today’s result, so we will keep working.
Now, we have 10 days to rest and recover so I can be in better shape for Argentina. I want to thank my team for their incredible support throughout the week—they gave me confidence and positive energy. I’m looking forward to improving in Argentina and achieving a better result. Thank you so much!
First of all, I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made from day one. The team has supported me a lot, and while there’s a small difference between the Jerez test and this Grand Prix, I wasn’t feeling 100% physically to perform at my best. Fortunately, from my first run, I felt comfortable, even though I had to manage some shoulder pain.
Today, we made a breakthrough. It was a tough race for me—I lost some strength in the last 10 laps, but we still fought for the Top 10. There are many positives to take away and learn from for the next round. While I’m happy, I’m not fully satisfied with today’s result, so we will keep working.
Now, we have 10 days to rest and recover so I can be in better shape for Argentina. I want to thank my team for their incredible support throughout the week—they gave me confidence and positive energy. I’m looking forward to improving in Argentina and achieving a better result. Thank you so much!
Yuki Kunii
92
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Honestly, I’m quite happy with my race today since it was my Moto2 debut. Coming into this race, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the bike in a competitive race setting, especially against riders with more experience in the World Championship.
At the start of the race, I wasn’t very confident on the bike and was feeling quite nervous. However, as the laps went by, I started fighting more and gaining confidence. In the middle of the race, I struggled a bit, but towards the end, my pace improved, and I managed to catch up to the group ahead. This was a big step forward for me, especially compared to the pre-season test.
Next up is Argentina, a track I’ve never raced on before. My focus remains the same—keep improving, adapt as quickly as possible, and push for a strong result.
Honestly, I’m quite happy with my race today since it was my Moto2 debut. Coming into this race, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the bike in a competitive race setting, especially against riders with more experience in the World Championship.
At the start of the race, I wasn’t very confident on the bike and was feeling quite nervous. However, as the laps went by, I started fighting more and gaining confidence. In the middle of the race, I struggled a bit, but towards the end, my pace improved, and I managed to catch up to the group ahead. This was a big step forward for me, especially compared to the pre-season test.
Next up is Argentina, a track I’ve never raced on before. My focus remains the same—keep improving, adapt as quickly as possible, and push for a strong result.
