Race 1 of the TVS Racing International Championship delivered breathtaking action today at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for Round 5 of the 2026 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, culminating in an electrifying home victory for Italy’s Cristian Borrelli.
Pole-sitter Pedrinho Matos from Portugal launched cleanly off the line to take the holeshot, tailed closely by Malaysia’s Mohd Ramdan Mohd Rosli, India’s Chiranth Vishwanath, Vietnam’s Luca Agostinelli, and South Africa’s Oratilwe Phiri. Drama unfolded on the opening lap when Chiranth and Nicaragua’s Andoni Dominguez Martinez tangled, while Andoni was forced into an early retirement, Chiranth demonstrated remarkable composure to keep his machine upright and rejoin the fray.
On Lap 2, Pedrinho maintained his advantage at the front, but Luca signaled his intentions with a blistering 1’53.668s lap, slipping past Ramdan into second and applying immense pressure just 0.020s behind the leader. Ramdan dropped to third, with Oratilwe in fourth and Cristian steadily closing in at fifth.
The lead traded hands on Lap 3 as Luca surged past Pedrinho into P1. Behind them, Cristian unleashed a rapid 1’50.712s to snatch third, pushing Ramdan down to fourth. Pedrinho struck back on Lap 4 to reclaim the lead, sparking an intense multi-rider scuffle. Ramdan fought past Cristian for third, while Spain’s Luis Miguel carved his way through the field, posting a 1’50.704s to join the leading pack in sixth.
The battle reached fever pitch on Lap 5 when Luca reclaimed the lead, only for Cristian to make an audacious sweep into first position. Pedrinho immediately launched a counterattack on Cristian but was held off. By Lap 6, Cristian held firm at the front, fending off Luca, Ramdan, Pedrinho, and Luis in a tightly knit freight train.
The final lap produced pure tactical warfare. Luca slipped past Cristian to momentarily grab the lead, while Pedrinho made a daring dive past Luca into the final corner. However, Cristian executed a flawless drive out of the final turn, slipstreaming down the home straight to pip his rivals at the line by a mere 0.063s, taking the checkered flag in 13’05.070s.
Luca settled for a valiant second place at 13’05.133s, while Pedrinho completed the podium in third with a total time of 13’05.222s. Luis concluded a strong comeback ride in fourth at 13’05.417s, just ahead of Ramdan in fifth at 13’05.449s.
Cristian said, “It was a completely crazy race from start to finish. There were so many overtakes, and every single rider at the front was pushing at an incredible pace.”
“I had a lot of fun out there, but with the level being this competitive, it was definitely far from easy. To take the win here on home soil in front of the local crowd is an unforgettable feeling. The bike felt great, and I hope we can carry this exact momentum into Race 2 tomorrow.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. CRISTIAN BORRELLI – ITALY (13’05.070s)
2. LUCA AGOSTINELLI – VIETNAM (13’05.133s)
3. PEDRINHO MATOS – PORTUGAL (13’05.222s)
4. LUIS MIGUEL – SPAIN (13’05.417s)
5. MOHD RAMDAN MOHD ROSLI
– MALAYSIA (13’05.449s)