Thailand’s home heroes and Asia’s rising stars delivered a captivating opening day in the AP250 category as the battle intensified during the combined practice sessions of Round 2 in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 at the Chang International Circuit, Buriram, Thailand.
While local favourite Krittapat Keankum of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM looked set to dominate after topping both Practice 1 and Practice 2, it was Japan’s Hiroki Ono of HONDA RACING VIETNAM who struck late in Practice 3 to emerge fastest overall with a blistering lap time of 1’51.793s.
The AP250 category once again proved why it remains one of the fiercest battlegrounds in Asian motorcycle racing, with lap times separated by mere fractions as riders continuously traded positions across the three sessions.
Krittapat, who arrived in Buriram carrying immense momentum after a perfect double victory in Round 1 at Sepang International Circuit, immediately established himself as the rider to beat on home soil. The Thai ace set the pace in Practice 1 with a late flying lap of 1’52.421s on Lap 10 out of 10 laps, narrowly edging Indonesia’s Irfan Ardiansyah of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM by just 0.066 seconds.
The momentum continued in Practice 2 as Krittapat lowered the benchmark further to 1’52.116s, once again showcasing impressive consistency and composure under pressure. However, the chasing pack was never far behind.
Japan’s Riichi Takahira of Tianyu Asia Racing MFZ came within touching distance after posting 1’52.142s, while Thailand’s Panjaruch Chitwirulchat of HONDA RACING THAILAND reinforced the strength of the home contingent in third with 1’52.169s. Peerapong Luiboonpeng of ONE FOR ALL and Irfan completed an ultra-competitive top five, all separated by less than four-tenths of a second.
Just when it appeared Krittapat had control of the combined standings, Hiroki Ono delivered a statement performance in Practice 3. The experienced Japanese rider unleashed a stunning 1’51.793s on Lap 10 out of 11 laps, becoming the only rider to break into the 1’51 bracket across the day.
The late surge not only propelled Hiroki to the top of the combined standings, but also sent a strong warning to his rivals ahead of qualifying and the races to come. Behind Hiroki, Krittapat settled for second ahead of Riichi Takahira, Irfan Ardiansyah and Panjaruch Chitwirulchat.
Hiroki shared, “From FP1 until FP3, we kept trying different settings on the bike because I wanted to find the best feeling and improve my confidence on track. At the beginning it was not easy, but session by session we continued making adjustments and working hard together as a team. Finally, in FP3, I started to feel much more comfortable with the bike and everything came together really well. I could push harder with more confidence, and that helped me become the fastest rider today. I feel very happy and grateful because all the effort from the team paid off. But this is only the first step. The competition is still very close, so we need to continue working hard and stay focused for tomorrow’s qualifying. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum and achieve an even better result tomorrow.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. HIROKI ONO – HONDA RACING VIETNAM (1’51.793s)
2. KRITTAPAT KEANKUM – YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM (1’52.116s)
3. RIICHI TAKAHIRA – Tianyu Asia Racing MFZ (1’52.142s)
4. IRFAN ARDIANSYAH – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (1’52.161s)
5. PANJARUCH CHITWIRULCHAT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (1’52.169s)