Furusato already knows what it's like to fight for a podium finish

Mandalika International Street Circuit

moto3-2023-rd15-race

Furusato already knows what it's like to fight for a podium finish

In a race where the fight for the top positions was very close, Furusato finished seventh, his best finish, just eight-tenths of a second away from victory. On the other hand, Aji was hurt after the start when a rider sent him off the track at the first corner. In his debut in the World Championship as a wild card, Aditama finished 17th after being in the group fighting for points for many laps.

Hiroshi Aoyama

Honda Team Asia

It was a hot, long 20-lap race, with Taiyo scoring his best result ever, fighting from beginning to end for a podium position. Also, Mario was fighting, but he had bad luck in turn one after the start, when another rider pushed him out, losing completely the space. That affected him a lot, struggling to catch the group and being with competitors who stopped the bike in the middle of the corner, which affected him on the acceleration. It has been a stressful race for him. About Aditama, he did it very well on his first time in the World Championship. He managed to be competitive initially, being so fast, but in the end, he dropped slightly, finishing in a remarkable 17th position. Overall, I can say that our riders did a good race.

Taiyo Furusato ⁷²

Honda Team Asia

I'm happy to finish in the group fighting for the victory. It's the first time I have experienced this. At the same time, I could not have been happier after seeing the podium so close. I've learned a lot about fighting in a close group. And my lap time was fast, almost the fastest. I need to improve some points of my riding, and we should continue working on the bike. The feeling is fantastic, what is essential for the next races.

Arbi Aditama ⁹³

Honda Team Asia

I'm so happy about my result here in Mandalika, my first race in the World Championship. I felt so excited. My start wasn't good, but I tried to catch the group, overtaking my rivals one by one, arriving at P12 and fighting for points. But I made a mistake, braking too late while trying to overtake and losing all my options. It has been an excellent experience, but now I should focus on waiting for the next FIM Junior GP races.

Mario Suryo Aji ⁶⁴

Honda Team Asia

It was a tough race, especially after another rider pushed me out in turn one. After that, it was almost impossible to catch the group. My bike's temperature rose quickly, so I rode to finish the race. I was at the limit, pushing hard during the race, but it didn't work. It's a shame I couldn't do more. I'm already thinking about Philip Island, a completely different type of circuit I like so much.