Effort without reward for IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia in Windy Phillip Island’s Race
Phillip IslandIDEMITSU Honda Team Asia experienced a difficult race day at Phillip Island, where strong winds and low temperatures once again made conditions unpredictable. After a one-hour delay due to weather, the Moto2 race unfolded in tricky circumstances for all riders. Mario Aji finished in 20th position, while Yuki Kunii crossed the line in 25th. Despite the promising speed shown on Friday and Saturday, both riders struggled to maintain their pace in the race and couldn’t reach the points zone.
Starting from 19th after serving a three-place grid penalty from qualifying, Aji held his ground in the opening laps and stayed close to the group fighting for the top twenty and close to the group battling for the points. The Indonesian rider showed consistency and determination but couldn’t find the extra pace to move forward, finishing in 20th place but just 4 second behind of the points zone.
On the other side of the garage, Kunii began from 26th and dropped to the back of the grid after a difficult start. However, in the second half of the race, he managed to recover his rhythm and gained one position to finish 25th. After a disappointing Sunday, the focus now shifts to Sepang, Malaysia, where the team will aim to turn lessons into progress in just one week’s time.
The Moto2 race today was quite tricky again. The start was delayed by one hour, and even when the race began, the wind was still very strong, making it difficult for everyone. Mario finished 20th and Yuki 25th, which are not the positions we want to be in, but Mario rode quite well throughout the weekend. He was in the group fighting for the points and missed out by only a few seconds, so we can see that he’s getting closer.
For Yuki, it was his first time racing at this track, so it was not easy to find the right feeling. He improved every day, but the race conditions didn’t help him. Both riders must reset their mindset for Sepang, a circuit they both know well. I expect them to perform stronger there and take another step forward before the final part of the season.
The Moto2 race today was quite tricky again. The start was delayed by one hour, and even when the race began, the wind was still very strong, making it difficult for everyone. Mario finished 20th and Yuki 25th, which are not the positions we want to be in, but Mario rode quite well throughout the weekend. He was in the group fighting for the points and missed out by only a few seconds, so we can see that he’s getting closer.
For Yuki, it was his first time racing at this track, so it was not easy to find the right feeling. He improved every day, but the race conditions didn’t help him. Both riders must reset their mindset for Sepang, a circuit they both know well. I expect them to perform stronger there and take another step forward before the final part of the season.
I’m happy with the performance level we reached this weekend, even if the race result doesn’t show it. Unfortunately, we couldn’t maximize the qualifying position because of the penalty, and that made things harder from the start. The pace and performance were there, but I just missed the group fighting for the points by a small margin. Still, I prefer to take all the positives from this weekend because we made real progress, and that’s what matters right now.
I’m grateful for how the team worked and for the motivation they give me every weekend. Even if the result is not what I wanted, it’s part of the learning process. I feel my confidence coming back step by step, and now I’m fully focused on Malaysia. We’ll keep working hard, keep believing, and I’m sure better results will come soon. Thank you to the team and to everyone supporting us.
I’m happy with the performance level we reached this weekend, even if the race result doesn’t show it. Unfortunately, we couldn’t maximize the qualifying position because of the penalty, and that made things harder from the start. The pace and performance were there, but I just missed the group fighting for the points by a small margin. Still, I prefer to take all the positives from this weekend because we made real progress, and that’s what matters right now.
I’m grateful for how the team worked and for the motivation they give me every weekend. Even if the result is not what I wanted, it’s part of the learning process. I feel my confidence coming back step by step, and now I’m fully focused on Malaysia. We’ll keep working hard, keep believing, and I’m sure better results will come soon. Thank you to the team and to everyone supporting us.
Today’s race was not easy at all. The start was difficult, but in the second half, I found a better rhythm and could recover a little bit. The wind was very strong, especially in the fast corners, and it made it difficult to keep a consistent pace. Even if the result is far from where we want to be, I learned a lot today about how to manage the race in these conditions.
Each session this weekend helped me to understand this circuit better, as it was my first time racing here. The feeling with the bike improved every day, and I know that with more experience, I can be closer to my teammate. Now we move to Malaysia, a track I know well, so I hope to make a clear step forward and fight for a better result there.
Today’s race was not easy at all. The start was difficult, but in the second half, I found a better rhythm and could recover a little bit. The wind was very strong, especially in the fast corners, and it made it difficult to keep a consistent pace. Even if the result is far from where we want to be, I learned a lot today about how to manage the race in these conditions.
Each session this weekend helped me to understand this circuit better, as it was my first time racing here. The feeling with the bike improved every day, and I know that with more experience, I can be closer to my teammate. Now we move to Malaysia, a track I know well, so I hope to make a clear step forward and fight for a better result there.
