Beating it at first turn and fleeing ahead, drawing gap with each lap, enough to keep his contenders at bay summarises Rheza Danica Ahrens’ winning moves in Race 1 and Race 2 of Round 1 of the Asia Production 250cc race category, Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM star rider will be back for Round 2 at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend.
Rheza missed his golden opportunity of taking the championship title last season but he is fuelled with determination and willpower to turn his disappointment into victorious strategy. During the races at Buriram, his strategy worked when he bolted ahead and worked magic with his machine towards a double-win. He paced up so quickly, leaving the trail of riders behind him to fend for themselves.
Commenting on the race, Rheza said, “We had excellent speed in the last round and of course, I managed my consistency throughout the race at Buriram. Although I was ahead of the others, it was still important that I maintained that momentum to ensure that I made no mistakes or provide an opportunity for an attack from the back. One of the challenges that I faced during Round 1 was with the tires. With new tires, it was difficult to find the best setup for the race.”
Rheza is no stranger at the Sepang circuit. In fact, the Indonesian lad has carved some memorable achievements at the circuit. Last season, he took the podium twice in Round 2 after putting up a good fight with the Kawasaki riders. He may have failed to live up to his mark in Round 4 but with confidence and performance data in hand, it’s time to step up his game and make his mark.
“Our strength relies on the data we have obtained from last season as it would help us prepare and improve for the upcoming race. I have an important role to play which is to understand the circuit better. In the AP250 race category, power of the machines is equivalent as the dexterity of the riders themselves. Therefore, everyone in the top 7 has the potential to win. Most importantly is to maximise our capacities and ensuring zero-error.”
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