The Mandalika International Circuit roared with excitement as Indonesia’s very own Fadillah Arbi Aditama of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM stormed to victory in Race 1 of Round 4 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship AP250 category, crossing the line with a winning time of 17’53.902s.
From the very start, the home hero faced immense pressure as Mohammad Murobbil Vitoni surged ahead with a strong launch off the line. But it was Arbi who quickly stamped his authority, overtaking to seize control of the race. Behind him, Candra H of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA, Galang Hendra Pratama of YAMAHA BAF YAMALUBE AKAI JAYA MBKW2 RACING, and Md Izam Izkmal of VICTOR RACING TEAM battled fiercely for podium contention.
The intensity only grew as the laps unfolded. On Lap 4, Japan’s Riichi Takahira clocked the top speed of the race at 188.1km/h, snatching second place from Murobbil, while Malaysia’s Md Izamli and Galang maintained their charge. The battle for podium positions looked set to be decided among five riders, but drama struck on Lap 6 when Murobbil crashed out, losing his shot at glory.
The closing stages witnessed a five-rider duel for the win. The final lap turned chaotic when both Riichi and Candra crashed in a high-stakes battle for victory, leaving Arbi to power home and ignite the Mandalika crowd with a sensational triumph.
Mohamad Danial Syahmi Ahmad Syahril of UMA RACING YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR ASIA TEAM rode a masterful race to claim second place just 0.784s adrift, finishing at 17’54.686s, while Thailand’s Krittapat Keankum of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM secured the final podium spot with 17’54.761s.
Arbi said, “I tried to push very hard from the beginning because I knew I had a chance to pull a gap. But the wind was very strong this afternoon, so I had to manage my pace in the middle of the race. On the last lap, my pit crew told me to just go all out, so I gave everything I had. My tyres were destroyed, but this bike has super good handling and I could go very fast in the middle of the corners. Alhamdulillah, thank you so much to my team and the mechanics. It was an incredible race!”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
- FADILLAH ARBI ADITAMA – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (17’53.902s)
- MOHAMAD DANIAL SYAHMI AHMAD SHAHRIL – UMA RACING YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR ASIA TEAM (17’54.686s)
- KRITTAPAT KEANKUM – YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM (17’54.761s)
- GALANG HENDRA PRATAMA – YAMAHA BAF YAMALUBE AKAI JAYA MBKW2 RACING (17’57.673s)
- FARRES PUTRA MD FADHIL – CARDINALS Factory YAMAHA ZYNERGYS Racing Team ARRC (17’57.936s)