Honda India riders miss out at Suzuka
Rajiv Sethu and Anish Shetty finished outside points following a dismal qualifying round in Race 1 of the Asia Road Racing Championship at the Suzuka circuit in Japan on Saturday.
Making a comeback after a wrist injury picked up in a practice round in Australia, 20- yearold Sethu finished 25th in the first race of round 3 after qualifying 31st early in the Asia Production 250cc class while Shetty, who earned his first points of the season in
Australia, was 24th after starting from 30th place on the grid.
With seven wild card entries, it turned out to be a tough competition on the Suzuka track.
Shetty had a blip on lap 4, while Sethu had to deal with brake problems that affected their respective performances on the day.
Said Shetty later, “For me, the Suzuka track is completely new. Being an extremely technical track with 23 turns including the chicanes, the learning has been unparalleled in Japan.
“Starting from 30th on the grid, I didn’t have a good start. But challenging myself, I coped up with the bike on the track and gained over other Asian riders to close at 24th. Now, I’ve got a feel of the track and I want a better position. My mantra is to keep calm while being more aggressive.”
Added Sethu, “It’s less than a month since my wrist surgery and getting momentum on track back is my top priority. Unfortunately, my crash in free practice 1 meant I couldn’t get much practice and confidence on track.
“Climbing up six positions from the start, I made good recovery to finish in the top 25.”
Honda 2Wheeler India team’s third rider, 19- year old Taiga Hada of Japan lost the opportunity to win on home soil in the premier class. Starting 15th, Hada closed in the top 12 of the total 24 riders to finish with four points.