The battle in the TVS Racing International Championship category intensified on the opening day of Round 2 in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026, as riders from across the globe delivered a fiercely competitive combined practice session at Chang International Circuit, Buriram, Thailand.
After splitting victories during the opening round at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia’s Mohd Ramdan Rosli and India’s Sarthak Chavan once again emerged as the centre of attention in Buriram, but this time, the margin between them was almost impossible to separate.
Representing Malaysia, Ramdan surged to the top of the combined standings with a stunning lap of 1’50.802s during Practice 2, narrowly edging Sarthak by just 0.063s in what is already shaping up to be another explosive chapter in their growing rivalry.
The Malaysian rider showed impressive consistency throughout the session, setting his fastest lap on Lap 6 out of 10 while reaching a top speed of 199.30km/h. More importantly, Ramdan’s late session pace immediately established him as one of the key favourites heading into qualifying and race day.
However, Sarthak was never far behind. The Indian rider, who claimed victory in Race 1 during Round 1 before finishing second in Race 2, continued to demonstrate why he remains one of the strongest title contenders this season. Clocking a best lap of 1’50.865s in Practice 2, Sarthak also matched the highest top speed of the day at 202.60km/h, underlining both his straight-line speed and growing confidence around the Chang International Circuit.
Behind the leading duo, Spain’s Luis Miguel made a strong statement during Practice 1 by topping the session with a rapid 1’50.875s, placing him third overall in the combined standings. The Spaniard consistently looked aggressive throughout the day and remains firmly in contention as the gap to the front continues to shrink.
South Africa’s Oratilwe Phiri added further intensity to the battle after ending fourth overall with a best time of 1’50.933s, while Colombia’s Jhon A Lopez C completed the top five with a 1’50.999s lap, becoming the fifth rider to break into the highly competitive 1’50 bracket.
What made the opening day even more compelling was the sheer closeness of the field. The top five riders were separated by less than two-tenths of a second, highlighting just how unpredictable the TVS Racing International Championship category could become as the weekend progresses.
Ramdan said, “I’m still trying to find the best setup for the bike at the moment. Right now, I feel like I still can’t ride at 100 percent or fully show my true pace yet. There are still a few areas where I’m struggling to feel completely comfortable and confident on the bike. But despite that, every time I go out on the track, the feeling keeps getting better little by little. We are making progress step by step, and that gives me some confidence moving forward. Still, honestly, it’s not enough for me yet because I know I can do more and perform better. For tomorrow’s qualifying and Race 1, we plan to make some changes to the setup so I can feel more comfortable on the bike and ride more naturally. Hopefully, those adjustments will help me unlock more pace and allow me to fight stronger tomorrow.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. MOHD RAMDAN ROSLI – MALAYSIA (1’50.802s)
2. SARTHAK CHAVAN – INDIA (1’50.865s)
3. LUIS MIGUEL – SPAIN (1’50.875s)
4. ORATILWE PHIRI – SOUTH AFRICA (1’50.933s)
5. JHON A LOPEZ C – COLOMBIA (1’50.999s)