Aji and Kunii Complete a Demanding Portuguese GP, Focus Turns to Valencia Finale
Autódromo Internacional do AlgarveUnder sunny conditions, the Moto2 race took place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, marking the penultimate round of the 2025 season. Starting from the back of the grid — Aji in P22 and Kunii in P28 — both IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia riders faced a demanding race from the start. A difficult beginning of the race forced them to recover positions throughout the early laps, and although they managed to find a steady rhythm mid-race, the initial gap to the front group proved too large to close.
Lap by lap, Aji and Kunii pushed to stay near the top 20, showing consistent effort and determination. Ultimately, Aji crossed the finish line in P21 and Kunii in P23 — a small step forward compared to previous rounds but still short of the team's expectations. Portimão once again proved to be one of the most technically challenging circuits on the calendar, and the team will now shift focus to Valencia, where the final race of the season will take place next weekend. The goal: to end the 2025 campaign with a strong and positive performance.
Today's race was not an easy one for either of our riders. Both had a difficult start and lost several positions in the opening laps. After that, it took some time for them to find their rhythm inside the group, and unfortunately their best lap times were not enough to close the gap to the points zone.
This weekend overall was complicated — the weather changed a lot, and Portimão is a very demanding track. Still, we expected to be a bit closer to the front, so we must continue working to improve. Our focus now is on Valencia. We hope to show a stronger pace and finish the season in a better position.
Today's race was not an easy one for either of our riders. Both had a difficult start and lost several positions in the opening laps. After that, it took some time for them to find their rhythm inside the group, and unfortunately their best lap times were not enough to close the gap to the points zone.
This weekend overall was complicated — the weather changed a lot, and Portimão is a very demanding track. Still, we expected to be a bit closer to the front, so we must continue working to improve. Our focus now is on Valencia. We hope to show a stronger pace and finish the season in a better position.
The team has given me everything once again since day one, and I'm really thankful for their effort. Unfortunately, my position on the grid affected my race a lot. I lost some places at the start and couldn't recover as much as I wanted. I still struggle in sector one — that's where I'm losing most of the time — and I need to really understand how to fix that.
It's been a difficult weekend for me, and I feel bad not being able to give the result the team deserves. But there's one race left, and I'll keep pushing until the end. I'll try to deliver something positive for the team in Valencia. Thanks again to everyone for believing in me.
The team has given me everything once again since day one, and I'm really thankful for their effort. Unfortunately, my position on the grid affected my race a lot. I lost some places at the start and couldn't recover as much as I wanted. I still struggle in sector one — that's where I'm losing most of the time — and I need to really understand how to fix that.
It's been a difficult weekend for me, and I feel bad not being able to give the result the team deserves. But there's one race left, and I'll keep pushing until the end. I'll try to deliver something positive for the team in Valencia. Thanks again to everyone for believing in me.
For me, the feeling with the bike today was better than the previous days. We made some small improvements that helped me to be more consistent during the race. I tried to recover positions after a difficult start, and even if the result is not what we wanted, I can feel that we're taking steps in the right direction.
Portimão is not an easy circuit, especially when you start from the back, but I learned a lot this weekend. Now I'll focus on Valencia — it will be the last race of the year, and I want to finish it in the best way possible for the team.
For me, the feeling with the bike today was better than the previous days. We made some small improvements that helped me to be more consistent during the race. I tried to recover positions after a difficult start, and even if the result is not what we wanted, I can feel that we're taking steps in the right direction.
Portimão is not an easy circuit, especially when you start from the back, but I learned a lot this weekend. Now I'll focus on Valencia — it will be the last race of the year, and I want to finish it in the best way possible for the team.
