Rd.13 GRAN PREMIO TRIBUL MASTERCARD DI SAN MARINO E DELLA RIVIERA DI RIMINI: Sunday, September 10, 2017
Weather: Wet
Ambient: 17℃ / Track: 17℃
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia rider Khairul Idham Pawi, a.k.a. Super KIP finished 9th at the rain soaked San Marino Grand Prix today. Japanese compatriot Takaaki Nakagami finished the race in 11th place.
In contrast to the previous two days, race day saw fully wet conditions. At 12:20 pm (GMT +1), Pawi cautiously started from 28th on the grid. The Malaysian Moto2 rookie’s careful and bold riding moved him up through the field, every single lap. He managed to survive the tricky conditions in spite of many experienced riders crashing, and reached to the finish line for his best result in the Moto2 World Championship.
In the meantime, Nakagami overcame his weakness in the wet, almost finishing in fifth place, but without warning, suddenly fell on the final lap. The Japanese rider re-joined the race and crossed the checkered line in 11th place.
The next race week, the Aragon Grand Prix starts on September 22 at Motorland Aragon, with Free Practice 1 for the intermediate class starting at 10:55 local time (GMT +2).
Khairul Idham Pawi (9th, 52’41.204 / +1’01.495)
“Finishing in 9th place is a very good result for us. It was difficult to start the race from the back of the grid and in the beginning, I pushed a little hard to follow the group. I didn’t have enough grip from the front and almost crashed many times. I tried to stay concentrated to keep my pace and rhythm until the end. Today’s result boosted my confidence.”
Takaaki Nakagami (11th, 53’12.157 / +1’32.448)
“Knowing that it would be a survival race, our priority was reaching the finish without crashing. However, I crashed in the end, which is a great shame. I am really sorry for my team because they always work very hard for me. The positive side is we managed our pace in today’s difficult conditions with so much rain.”
Tadayuki Okada Team Manager
“Well done for Pawi, he managed his pace until the end despite many riders crashing. He boosted his confidence by completing today’s race and I am very happy about that. It’s a pity that Taka crashed on the final lap, but he picked his bike up to rejoin the race and gained championship points. Before the crash, he was very competitive, which is a positive for us. I believe he will show his potential again next weekend.”