Qualifying
Moto2 2025
Round 5
Hard Work Ahead: IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Prepares for Tomorrow’s Jerez Battle
Circuito de Jerez - Angel NietoIDEMITSU Honda Team Asia riders Mario Suryo Aji and Yuki Kunii have completed qualifying for the fifth round of the Moto2 World Championship at the Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto, Spain. The day didn’t start in the best way, with Aji finishing 26th and Kunii 27th in the final practice session this morning.
During qualifying 1 at midday, Yuki Kunii managed to improve his performance and ultimately secured 22nd place on tomorrow’s starting grid. Meanwhile, Mario Aji — just like during the preseason test at Jerez — faced bad luck once again. After a highside in the last corner, he suffered a shoulder subluxation. Although he is currently okay, it remains uncertain whether he will be fit to race tomorrow, pending medical evaluation.
Hiroshi Aoyama
⠀ ⠀ ⠀
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Today’s Moto2 qualifying sessions were really hot, both in the morning and afternoon. Yuki Kunii improved his lap time and qualified 22nd. I think this is the first time I’ve seen him riding with more confidence — he’s starting to better understand how to manage the bike, and that’s very positive. Even though the grid position is 22nd, I believe this could be a turning point for him. Hopefully, he can maintain this positive feeling into the race and future rounds.
On the other side, Mario Aji had some trouble with his shoulder again, which prevented him from showing his true potential. It’s a pity because he had shown promising speed. Right now, he’s receiving treatment, and we’ll see what the doctors decide about tomorrow. We’ll monitor his situation closely and do our best.
Today’s Moto2 qualifying sessions were really hot, both in the morning and afternoon. Yuki Kunii improved his lap time and qualified 22nd. I think this is the first time I’ve seen him riding with more confidence — he’s starting to better understand how to manage the bike, and that’s very positive. Even though the grid position is 22nd, I believe this could be a turning point for him. Hopefully, he can maintain this positive feeling into the race and future rounds.
On the other side, Mario Aji had some trouble with his shoulder again, which prevented him from showing his true potential. It’s a pity because he had shown promising speed. Right now, he’s receiving treatment, and we’ll see what the doctors decide about tomorrow. We’ll monitor his situation closely and do our best.
Yuki Kunii
92
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Today I’m quite happy with how qualifying went. Even though we are still working to fully perfect the bike setup, we made a big effort yesterday and found something better. This morning, I focused purely on my riding and feeling, and the improvement was clear compared to Friday.
In qualifying, I finally felt a little more confident and pushed as much as I could. In the end, I achieved my best lap at this track. It might not look like a big step on the timing sheets, but personally, it was a major improvement. Around me, Aoyama-san and the HRC staff, as well as all the mechanics, have been supporting me a lot. I want to say thank you to everyone. Tomorrow is race day, and I’ll bring this energy and confidence to push even harder.
Today I’m quite happy with how qualifying went. Even though we are still working to fully perfect the bike setup, we made a big effort yesterday and found something better. This morning, I focused purely on my riding and feeling, and the improvement was clear compared to Friday.
In qualifying, I finally felt a little more confident and pushed as much as I could. In the end, I achieved my best lap at this track. It might not look like a big step on the timing sheets, but personally, it was a major improvement. Around me, Aoyama-san and the HRC staff, as well as all the mechanics, have been supporting me a lot. I want to say thank you to everyone. Tomorrow is race day, and I’ll bring this energy and confidence to push even harder.
Mario Aji
64
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia This morning during the final free practice, I felt comfortable on used tires. We also made a small setup change compared to yesterday, which worked well — I felt much more relaxed at the limit, even when riding alone. Heading into qualifying, I was optimistic. In the first exit, I posted a decent lap time — just 0.5 seconds from the top — and I felt I could do even better in the second exit.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of traffic, and a small movement in the last corner aggravated my shoulder. It’s frustrating because I felt strong on the bike, but overall, I still feel positive about my riding and the setup improvement. Now, I’m not sure if I’ll be cleared to race — we’ll wait for the doctor’s decision. Regardless, I’ve learned a lot today, and the team and I have made progress.
This morning during the final free practice, I felt comfortable on used tires. We also made a small setup change compared to yesterday, which worked well — I felt much more relaxed at the limit, even when riding alone. Heading into qualifying, I was optimistic. In the first exit, I posted a decent lap time — just 0.5 seconds from the top — and I felt I could do even better in the second exit.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of traffic, and a small movement in the last corner aggravated my shoulder. It’s frustrating because I felt strong on the bike, but overall, I still feel positive about my riding and the setup improvement. Now, I’m not sure if I’ll be cleared to race — we’ll wait for the doctor’s decision. Regardless, I’ve learned a lot today, and the team and I have made progress.
