Pelumba Jepun, Yuki Takahashi memulakan hari pertama Pusingan 5 Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC) dengan cemerlang apabila berjaya mencatat masa terpantas yang juga merupakan rekod baru SuperSports 600cc di Litar Antarabangsa Losail, Doha Qatar, hari ini.
Memilih untuk menggunakan tayar Dunlop dari kompaun ‘extra-hard’, pelumba Musashi Boon Siew Honda itu mendominasi ketiga-tiga sesi latihan bebas termasuk catatan masa terbaik 2’04.413s pada sesi ketiga, sekaligus memadam catatan terpantas 2’04.437s yang dilakukan rakan sepasukan, Mohd Zamri Baba musim lepas.
Ratthapong Wilairot (AP Honda Racing Thailand) muncul pelumba kedua terbaik dengan catatan masa 2’05.150s diikuti Makoto Inagaki (YELLOWCORN Akeno Speed Racing) dengan masa 2’05.173s.
Tomoyoshi Koyama (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) pula muncul pelumba keempat terpantas di hadapan Yuki Ito (PETRONAS Hong Leong Yamaha).
Hasrat Ito untuk mendapatkan masa lebih baik tidak kesampaian apabila mengalami kemalangan pada sesi latihan ketiga dan menyebabkan sesi tersebut ditangguhkan seketika selepas bendera merah dikibarkan bagi membolehkan kerja pembbersihan litar dilakukan.
“Saya gembira kerana semuanya berjalan lancar selain turut berjaya mengatasi catatan rekod litar,” jelas Takahashi.
Tambah pelumba itu lagi, “Namun ia bukan tugas mudah. Kami menghadapi banyak kesukaran untuk mendapatkan pelarasan terbaik yang dapat disesuaikan dengan tayar yang digunakan. Hanya pada sesi ketiga barulah semuanya berjalan lancar. Malah saya menghadapi sedikit kesukaran berlumba di bawah limpahan cahaya lampu di litar setelah kali terakhir beraksi di sini pada dua tahun lepas.”
Bercakap tentang cabaran sesi kelayakan, Takahashi berkata, “Sudah tentu ianya sangat mencabar kerana sesi kelayakan akan berlangsung pada sebelah petang dimana keadaan cuaca sangat panas ketika ini. Saya perlu fokus dan pasukan juga akan bekerja keras untuk mempertingkatkan keupayaan jentera bagi membolehkan saya mendapatkan petak mula terbaik.”
Sementara itu Apiwat Wongthananon bersedia untuk menebus kehampaan perlumbaan pusingan lepas apabila berjaya mencatatkan masa terpantas dalam kelas Asia Production 250cc.
Pelumba AP Honda Racing itu sekadar mencatat masa keempat terpantas pada sesi latihan pertama sebelum bangkit dengan catatan terbaik 2’23.969s pada sesi ketiga untuk mengatasi cabaran 25 pelumba lain.
Rakan sepasukan, Nakarin Athiratphuvapat yang meraih kemenangan berganda pada perlumbaan lepas di Thailand mencatat masa kedua terpantas, 2’24.243s manakala pendahulu keseluruhan, Takehiro Yamamoto (Trickstar Racing) ketiga, 2’24.379s.
Dalam kelas Underbone 130cc, pelumba Indonesia, Ferlando Herdian mengetepikan cabaran rakan senegara, Gupita Kresna untuk mengetuai cabaran Superpole setelah mencatat masa terpantas pada sesi kelayakan.
Pelumba BKMS Indonesia Racing itu menamatkan sesi kelayakan dengan masa terbaik 2’’33.181s manakala pencabarnya dari pasukan Manual Tech KYT Rextor itu dengan masa terbaik 2’33.219s.
Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) muncul pelumba terbaik negara dengan mencatat masa ketiga terpantas, 2’33.834s manakala Rezza Fahlevy (RPM Racing) dan Sasitharen Sukumaran melengkapkan senarai lima pelumba terbaik.
Lima lagi pelumba yang turut layak ke sesi Superpole ialah duo Faito Factory Racing, Wahyu Aji Trilaksana dan Anggi Permana Putera, Ahmad Fazrul Sham (HORSE OIL William Racing Team), Mohd Adib Rosley (RCB Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team) dan Affendi Rosli (PETRONAS Hong Leong Yamaha).
Keputusan Latihan Bebas
SuperSports 600cc
1.Yuki Takahashi (Honda) 2’04.413s 2.Ratthapong Wilairot (Honda) 2’05.150s 3.Makoto Inagaki (Yamaha) 2’05.173s 4.Tomoyoshi Koyama (Honda) 2’05.394s 5.Yuki Ito (Yamaha) 2’05.700s
Asia Production 250cc
1.Apiwat Wongthananon (Honda) 2’23.969s 2.Nakarin Athiratphuvapat (Honda) 2’24.243s 3.Takehiro Yamamoto (Kawasaki) 2’24.379s 4.Ayumu Tanaka (Yamaha) 2’26.068s 5.Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (Yamaha) 2’26.112s
Kelayakan
Underbone 130cc
1.Ferlando Herdian (Yamaha) 2’33.181s 2.Gupita Kresna (Kawasaki) 2’33.219s 3.Amirul Ariff Musa (Honda) 2’33.834s 4.Reza Fahlevy (Yamaha) 2’34.698s 5.Sasitharen Sukumaran (Honda) 2’35.420s
YUKI TAKAHASHI SHATTERS QATAR LAP RECORD
Japan’s Yuki Takahashi got off to a perfect start when he smashed the SuperSports 600cc lap record at the Losail international Circuit in Qatar as Round 5 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway on Thursday.
Running on extra-hard Dunlop compounds, the Honda-man was unquestionably the man to beat as he dominated the first two practice sessions before blazing to a new lap record of 2’04.413s in FP3, erasing the benchmark previously held by teammate, Zamri Baba (2’04.437s).
Ratthapong Wilairot (AP Honda Racing Thailand) delivered the next best effort in 2’05.150s, 0.737 seconds adrift Takahashi followed by Makoto Inagaki (YELLOWCORN Akeno Speed Racing) third with a personal best of 2’05.173s.
Tomoyoshi Koyama (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) was fourth fastest with Yuki Ito (PETRONAS Hong Leong Yamaha) completing the top five.
Yuki Ito initially aimed to bridge the gap with Takahashi but suffered a massive crash in the opening stages of FP3, forcing race officials to call out the red flag and halt the session temporarily.
“I’m glad everything worked out and that we managed to break the lap record here today,” said Takahashi.
The Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing rider added, “It was not easy however. We faced difficulties finding a good setup to bring out the most of the extra hard compounds and it was not until FP3 that we found the right direction. Making things more complicated, I found it very hard trying to adapt riding under the floodlights because the last time I raced here was two years ago during my Moto2 days.”
Speaking about his expectation for Friday’s qualifying, Takahashi added, “For sure it will be tricky because the session will take place during the day when the temperature is very high. I need to focus and the team will do their best to improve the bike’s setup so I can get a good start position.”
Meanwhile Apiwat Wongthananon declared that he is ready to make up for the errors in Thailand by setting an explosive pace in the Asia Production 250cc practice.
The AP Honda Racing Thailand who missed out on the chequered flag moved from fourth in FP1 to third in FP2 before leaping to the top of the timesheets in FP3, clocking the fastest lap out of 26 riders in 2’23.969s.
Teammate, Nakarin Athiratphuvapat who took a double victory at his home race in Thailand was second fastest with 2’24.243s while championship leader, Takehiro Yamamoto (TRICKSTAR Racing) registered third with 2’24.379s.
In the Underbone 130cc, Indonesia’s Ferlando Herdian outpaced compatriot, Gupita Kresna to take the lead for Friday’s SuperPole after he appeared quickest in the Underbone 130cc qualifying.
The BKMS Indonesia Racing rider shaved off two seconds from the practice sessions to wrap up the qualifying quickest in 2’33.181s while Manual Tech KYT Rextor’s Gupita dropped down to second having clocked his best lap in 2’33.219s.
Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) also picked up the pace to register third in 2’33.834s with Rezza Fahlevy (RPM Racing) and Sasitharen Sukumaran rounding up top five.
The remaining five riders who made the SuperPole cut were Faito Factory Racing duo, Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Anggi Permana Putera, Ahmad Fazrul Sham (HORSE OIL William Racing Team), Mohd Adib Rosley (RCB Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team( and Affendi Rosli (PETRONAS Hong Leong Yamaha).
Practice Results
SuperSports 600cc
1.Yuki Takahashi (Honda) 2’04.413s 2.Ratthapong Wilairot (Honda) 2’05.150s 3.Makoto Inagaki (Yamaha) 2’05.173s 4.Tomoyoshi Koyama (Honda) 2’05.394s 5.Yuki Ito (Yamaha) 2’05.700s
Asia Production 250cc
1.Apiwat Wongthananon (Honda) 2’23.969s 2.Nakarin Athiratphuvapat (Honda) 2’24.243s 3.Takehiro Yamamoto (Kawasaki) 2’24.379s 4.Ayumu Tanaka (Yamaha) 2’26.068s 5.Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (Yamaha) 2’26.112s
Qualifying
Underbone 130cc
1.Ferlando Herdian (Yamaha) 2’33.181s 2.Gupita Kresna (Kawasaki) 2’33.219s 3.Amirul Ariff Musa (Honda) 2’33.834s 4.Reza Fahlevy (Yamaha) 2’34.698s 5.Sasitharen Sukumaran (Honda) 2’35.420s
