29 September 2022 – Chang International Circuit – Thailand

Our Asian trip continues and after a week from the Japanese Grand Prix we meet again at the Chang International Circuit for the Thai Grand Prix. What we are about to experience is the fourth and final event of this World Championship 2022. There are still 200 points to be awarded and Ayumu is in fourth place 80 points from the summit and seventeen from third place. John instead is seventeenth, with 62 points and six zeros, of which five are the result of the terrible injury he ran into at the beginning of the year. The performance of our drivers, especially Ayumu, who has seven podiums, but without forgetting John, who has always scored points in the last five races, have allowed us to bring us just two points from the third position in the team standings. This result is proof of the excellent work done by all Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing.

The previous race took place on the home circuit of Ayumu, which after starting from the second position, led the race up to five laps from the end and closed the race in third place. Positive also the result of John, who at the end of the 20 laps of the race was seventh. As proof of the great speed put on the field by our two drivers, it must also be said that Ayumu signed the third fastest lap of the race, while the sixth belongs to John.

The Chang International Circuit hosts the World Championship since 2018. The track was inaugurated in 2014 and has 5 curves on the left and 7 on the right, with a length of 4,554 and a straight of 1000 meters. It is located in the city of Bururam and, due to the pandemic, it was held for only two years, in 2018 and 2019.

Here are the words of Ayumu, John and our Team Owner, the MotoGP Legend Max Biaggi.

AYUMU SASAKI : “I am very excited to go back to Thailand. It has been a long time since we came here last time, so I am even more excited. We already know what we want to improve from my home GP in Japan. I just can’t wait to ride again, try to keep our momentum going, we will focus on our work during the weekend and yeah, hopefully we can fight for another podium.”

JOHN MCPHEE : “It’s great to be heading back to Thailand. Three years since we’ve rode this track, last time here I was in the mix at the front and the plan is to be there again on Sunday!”

MAX BIAGGI – TEAM OWNER : “Back in Thailand, on a modern circuit, with very long straight sections. This year our Husqvarnas are very fast, so I expect our two drivers to be fast from Friday. The weather, as is often the case in these regions, will be a big unknown, so we should not be left unprepared. There are still four races left, and our goal must always be to fight for the podium, in every race!”

Statistics

In 2019 we all raced for the last time on this circuit and on that occasion to win was A. Arenas, who on the podium preceded L. Dalla Porta and A. Lopez. In the race the fastest lap was obtained by A. Ogura, with a time of 1’43.222 and an average of 158.8 Km/h. 1’42.599 is the time with which C. Vietti obtained the pole, realizing an average of 159.7 Km/h.

On this track, in the two years in which it was run, Ayumu obtained as best result the twentieth place in 2018, in his second year of the World Championship. John instead in both editions of the GP ran into a fall.

The All-Time Lap Record of the Chang International Circuit belongs since 2018 to M. Bezzecchi, who during qualifying got the pole with a time of 1’42.235 and an average of 160.3 Km/h. This time therefore also represents the Best Pole. The Best Race Lap belongs since 2018 to D. Foggia, who got the time of 1’42.963, at the average of 159.2 Km/h. Finally, the Top Speed was obtained in 2019 by K. Toba, who reached the speed of 237.3 Km/h.

Schedule – Local Time (GMT +7)

Here are the times to follow the Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing during this weekend.

Thursday 29 September
17:00 – Press Conference

Friday 30 September
09:00 – 09:40 – FP1 Moto3
13:15 – 13:55 – FP2 Moto3

Saturday 01 September
09:00 – 09:40 – FP3 Moto3
12:35 – 12:50 – Q1 Moto3
13:00 – 13:15 – Q2 Moto3

Sunday 02 September
10:00 – 10:10 – WUP Moto3
12:00 – RACE Moto3