Historic Achievement: Mario Aji Secures Best Ever Moto2 Finish for an Indonesian Rider with P9 at the Americas GP
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia riders Mario Suryo Aji and Yuki Kunii have successfully completed Round 3 of the 2025 Moto2 World Championship at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Mario Suryo Aji delivered an outstanding performance, starting from P12 and battling throughout the race to break into the top 10. In a historic moment for Indonesian motorsport, he crossed the finish line in 9th place—securing the best-ever Moto2 result for an Indonesian rider in the World Championship.

Meanwhile, Yuki Kunii fought hard to break into the points but ultimately finished in P17. Despite the challenges, the weekend in America has been both tough and productive, showing clear progress for both riders. Their steady improvement is a testament to the hard work put in by the team, and we look forward to carrying this momentum into the next round in Qatar.

Just when the Moto2 race was about to start, we faced a critical situation as a few rain drops began to fall. This forced us to make a last-minute decision on whether to use wet or dry tires. At that moment, there wasn't enough water on the track to justify a full wet setup, making the choice even more challenging. In the end, we opted for wet tires, which proved to be the right decision as the rain intensified later in the race. Mario Aji had a strong start, gaining positions and maintaining his pace well. He fought within the top ten and ultimately finished P9, which is a solid result considering his condition. He put in a great effort and performed well. Yuki Kunii, on the other hand, struggled a bit with the changing conditions. While he showed good pace on Friday, he found it more difficult to adapt during the race. By the end, his pace was similar to Mario's, but it took him a bit longer to adjust to the drying track. Regardless, this was another valuable learning experience for him, and we hope to see further progress in the next race. Overall, it was a demanding weekend for us, but we appreciate the hard work from the team and the support from our sponsors. Now, we shift our focus to the next race in Qatar in two weeks, where we aim to continue improving.
Just when the Moto2 race was about to start, we faced a critical situation as a few rain drops began to fall. This forced us to make a last-minute decision on whether to use wet or dry tires. At that moment, there wasn't enough water on the track to justify a full wet setup, making the choice even more challenging. In the end, we opted for wet tires, which proved to be the right decision as the rain intensified later in the race. Mario Aji had a strong start, gaining positions and maintaining his pace well. He fought within the top ten and ultimately finished P9, which is a solid result considering his condition. He put in a great effort and performed well. Yuki Kunii, on the other hand, struggled a bit with the changing conditions. While he showed good pace on Friday, he found it more difficult to adapt during the race. By the end, his pace was similar to Mario's, but it took him a bit longer to adjust to the drying track. Regardless, this was another valuable learning experience for him, and we hope to see further progress in the next race. Overall, it was a demanding weekend for us, but we appreciate the hard work from the team and the support from our sponsors. Now, we shift our focus to the next race in Qatar in two weeks, where we aim to continue improving.

Finishing in the top 10 in such tricky conditions was an unreal experience. Honestly, my mindset going into the race was to be competitive in dry conditions, as the weather forecast predicted a cloudy but dry race on Sunday. However, things changed suddenly on the grid when the rain started to fall. It was a tough decision to make. On the sighting lap, we assessed the track conditions with slick tires—Sector 1 had plenty of drops, Sector 2 was fine, and Sector 3 had more drops, but the track wasn't completely wet. I was quite confused at that moment. On the grid, I noticed many riders switching to wet tires. My team and I discussed that if the rain stopped during the warm-up lap, we would change to slicks and start from the pit lane to gain an advantage later in the race. However, the rain continued, so we stuck with the wet tires. To be honest, I wasn't feeling very optimistic because I had struggled in wet conditions on Friday. But during the race, my confidence on the wet track grew. The bike worked really well, and our setup—slightly more on the dry side—turned out to be a good compromise. In the middle of the race, I had some difficulties, attacking the front and losing grip multiple times. But I adjusted my riding style slightly, and by the final part of the race, I was able to manage the conditions better. It was one of the most challenging days of my life, but finishing in the top 10 as the first Indonesian rider to do so was an incredible achievement. That being said, I'm happy, but never satisfied—I'm always hungry for more. I need to stay focused, analyze what I can improve, and keep pushing forward. The learning journey never stops. I'll keep fighting for better results in the next race. I want to dedicate this result to my team, as I couldn't have done it without them. A huge thanks to my family and friends who always support me, both at home and at the track. I really appreciate it. Thank you!
Finishing in the top 10 in such tricky conditions was an unreal experience. Honestly, my mindset going into the race was to be competitive in dry conditions, as the weather forecast predicted a cloudy but dry race on Sunday. However, things changed suddenly on the grid when the rain started to fall. It was a tough decision to make. On the sighting lap, we assessed the track conditions with slick tires—Sector 1 had plenty of drops, Sector 2 was fine, and Sector 3 had more drops, but the track wasn't completely wet. I was quite confused at that moment. On the grid, I noticed many riders switching to wet tires. My team and I discussed that if the rain stopped during the warm-up lap, we would change to slicks and start from the pit lane to gain an advantage later in the race. However, the rain continued, so we stuck with the wet tires. To be honest, I wasn't feeling very optimistic because I had struggled in wet conditions on Friday. But during the race, my confidence on the wet track grew. The bike worked really well, and our setup—slightly more on the dry side—turned out to be a good compromise. In the middle of the race, I had some difficulties, attacking the front and losing grip multiple times. But I adjusted my riding style slightly, and by the final part of the race, I was able to manage the conditions better. It was one of the most challenging days of my life, but finishing in the top 10 as the first Indonesian rider to do so was an incredible achievement. That being said, I'm happy, but never satisfied—I'm always hungry for more. I need to stay focused, analyze what I can improve, and keep pushing forward. The learning journey never stops. I'll keep fighting for better results in the next race. I want to dedicate this result to my team, as I couldn't have done it without them. A huge thanks to my family and friends who always support me, both at home and at the track. I really appreciate it. Thank you!

Today's race was held in really tricky conditions. At the start, I felt quite confident because I had a good performance in the wet on Friday. In the beginning of the race, I was feeling strong, but after three laps, I started struggling with the bike and the changing conditions. I began to lose confidence, which caused me to drop back and lose touch with the group fighting around P15. Toward the end of the race, I started to regain my confidence, but by that point, it was too late—the group ahead had already pulled too far away. Still, I was close to the points, and this result is actually my best race finish so far, so in that sense, I can be happy. Looking ahead, I now have more experience with this track, and I'll aim to improve even more next time. Thank you!
Today's race was held in really tricky conditions. At the start, I felt quite confident because I had a good performance in the wet on Friday. In the beginning of the race, I was feeling strong, but after three laps, I started struggling with the bike and the changing conditions. I began to lose confidence, which caused me to drop back and lose touch with the group fighting around P15. Toward the end of the race, I started to regain my confidence, but by that point, it was too late—the group ahead had already pulled too far away. Still, I was close to the points, and this result is actually my best race finish so far, so in that sense, I can be happy. Looking ahead, I now have more experience with this track, and I'll aim to improve even more next time. Thank you!







