Muhammad Kiandra Ramadhipa of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM emerged victorious in a thrilling Race 1 of the AP250 category at Round 6 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, held at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand.
In the qualifying session, Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah of YAMAHA Racing Indonesia claimed pole position with a fastest lap time of 1’51:714s. Herjun Atna Firdaus of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM took second with a time of 1’51:872s, while his teammate, Muhammad Kiandra Ramadhipa, qualified in third with a time of 1’51:949s.
As the race began, Herjun made a strong start, but Faerozi quickly overtook him. Peerapong Boonlert of YAMAHA Vit Chonbur also got off to a strong start, but unfortunately fell at the first corner along with Cao Viet Nam of the Honda Racing Vietnam Team.
By lap 3, the ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM duo of Herjun and Kiandra led the pack in P1 and P2, while Faerozi and Kiandra’s teammate, Muhammad Kiandra Ramadhipa, maintained constant pressure in P3 and P4, looking for opportunities to overtake.
The race became increasingly intense on lap 5, especially among the championship contenders—Faerozi, Herjun, and Kiandra—who were all within half a second of each other, battling fiercely for the top spot.
In the final lap, while battling for P1, the ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM duo worked together at the front to lead the race. However, Faerozi, with a top speed of 193.9 km/h, managed to overtake Herjun and move into the lead.
The race concluded with Kiandra crossing the finish line first, claiming victory with a time of 18’53.236s. With this win, Kiandra now leads the championship with 147 points, having made up for the points he missed in Round 5. He now holds a 2-point advantage over Herjun.
Kiandra said, “During the race, my only focus was on doing my best for the team and for Indonesia. I didn’t let the pressure of the championship challenge distract me. My main goal was to concentrate on delivering the best performance possible. I’m really happy to secure the victory in Race 1, and I hope to carry this momentum into tomorrow’s race to achieve even better results.”
Faerozi finished in second place with a time of 18’53.236s, while his teammate Arai Agaska Dibani Laksana completed the podium in third place with a time of 18’53.395s.
Due to an infringement of Article 1.21(3) of the 2024 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship regulations, which addresses “Short Cutting and Gaining a Lasting Advantage,” Faerozi has been penalised a dropped of 1 position.
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
AP250
- Muhammad Kiandra Ramadhipa – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (18’53:236s)
- Arai Agaska Dibani Laksana – YAMAHA Racing Indonesia (18’53:395s)
- Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah – YAMAHA Racing Indonesia (18’53:236s)
- Herjun Atna Firdaus – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (18’53:508s)
- Kitsada Tanachot – EEST NJT Racing Team (18’53:598s)