The battle for pole position in the TVS Racing International Championship delivered a thrilling showcase of global talent at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, with Spain’s Vicente Perez Selfa emerging on top after a Combined Qualifying session at Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026.
Featuring riders from across the world, the championship once again demonstrated its international appeal as lap times tumbled throughout Practice and Qualifying session. In the end, it was Vicente who produced the decisive lap, clocking an impressive 2’05.190s to secure pole position for the opening race of the weekend.
South Africa’s Oratilwe Phiri set the early benchmark in Practice 1, stopping the clock at 2’06.171s while also recording the highest speed of the session at 202.627kph. The margin at the top was thin, with Vicente just 0.059s adrift in second, followed closely by fellow Spaniard Luis Miguel. Colombia’s Jhon A Lopez C and Portugal’s Pedrinho Matos completed a tightly packed top five, underlining the competitiveness of the field.
The momentum shifted in Practice 2 when India’s Chiranth Vishwanath stormed to the top with a 2’05.709s lap, becoming the first rider of the weekend to break into the 2’05s range. Malaysia’s Mohd Ramdan Rosli secured second ahead of Luis Miguel, while Vicente remained firmly in contention despite ending the session fifth.
In Qualifying Group A, Portugal’s Pedrinho Matos stole the spotlight with a remarkable 2’04.976s lap, becoming the first rider of the weekend to dip below the 2’05s barrier, while Malaysia’s Md Naqib Rifqi secured second in the group ahead of Japan’s Jean Kento Turner.
Then, in Qualifying Group B, Vicente responded with a blistering 2’05.190s effort to claim the fastest combined time of the day. The result secured him pole position ahead of Pedrinho, whose earlier benchmark remained good enough for second overall.
The fight behind them was equally fierce. Colombia’s Jhon produced a standout lap to secure third on the grid, just 0.160s shy of pole position, while Chiranth maintained his strong momentum throughout the weekend to claim fourth. Luis Miguel completed a strong showing for Spain in fifth, ensuring two Spanish riders inside the top five. The final combined qualifying standings underlined the remarkable depth of talent in the field, with riders from different nations filling the first five grid positions and less than six-tenths of a second covering them all.
Vicente said, “I’m really happy to finish the day on pole position. We executed our strategy perfectly today. The team made several modifications to the bike throughout the sessions, and we knew we had the pace to put in a fast lap if everything came together. It wasn’t just about being quick, but also about managing the session well and choosing the right moment to push, and we did exactly that. The feeling with the bike improved every time we went out on track, so I’m very pleased with the work we have done so far. Tomorrow is a new challenge, but I believe we have a strong package and the potential to fight for the victory. Of course, the competition is very close, so we need to stay focused and keep working hard. For now, I’m just enjoying the moment and looking forward to the races. It has been a great start to the weekend, and hopefully we can continue this momentum tomorrow.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED QUALIFYING
1. VICENTE PEREZ SELFA – SPAIN (2’05.190s)
2. PEDRINHO MATOS – PORTUGAL (2’05.337s)
3. JHON A LOPEZ C – COLOMBIA (2’05.350s)
4. CHIRANTH VISHWANATH – INDIA (2’05.519s)
5. LUIS MIGUEL – SPAIN (2’05.704s)