LAST-LAP HEROICS, RAMDAN RULED ON HOME SOIL

Race 1 of the TVS Asia One Make Championship, held in conjunction with Round 2 of the 2025 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, delivered a thrilling showdown today at the Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, with local favourite Md Ramdan Rosli emerging victorious on home soil.

Earlier in the day, Ramdan secured pole position with a blistering lap time of 2’20.784s during qualifying. Japan’s Hiroki Ono followed closely in second with 2’21.858s, while India’s Sarthak Chavan completed the front row in third with 2’22.752s.

When the lights went out, Ramdan got off to a strong start, taking control of the race early. He was closely pursued by Sarthak and Hiroki, setting up a fierce battle among the trio, all of whom were part of the 2024 top three in the standings.

By lap 2, the leading trio had carved out a 2 second gap from the chasing pack, solidifying their positions at the front.

On lap 4, Hiroki Ono momentarily took over the lead but ran wide at turn 14, allowing Ramdan and Sarthak to slip past. However, the experienced Japanese rider responded quickly, regaining the lead on lap 5.

As the final lap unfolded, in a sensational final corner move, Ramdan made his move on Hiroki at the final turn, overtaking him and storming across the finish line to seal a memorable win in front of the home crowd at 14’20.495s.

Hiroki finished second with a time of 14’20.661s, while Sarthak completed the race in third at 14’21.081s.

Ramdan shared, “I am really happy that I could finish on top of the podium today. On Friday, I had a big issue with the bike, but I stayed positive. This morning, I had a really good feeling, I refreshed my mind, and I was focused on winning my home race, and I did it! I proved I can win. I want to thank the crew who worked on my bike over the past two days, this win is for them. I dedicate this victory to my family, my wife, and my son who are watching me from home. I’m really happy today. Thank you!”

TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1

  1. Md Ramdan Rosli – Malaysia (14’20.495s)
  2. Hiroki Ono – Japan (14’20.661s)
  3. Sarthak Chavan – India (14’21.081s)
  4. Luis Miguel – Spain (14’25.705s)
  5. Chiranth Vishwanath – India (14’25.755s)