Latest news with #Moto3
The Herald
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
More points for Moodley in Aragon
Gqeberha riding sensation Ruche Moodley had an exceptional outing at this past weekend's round of the Moto3 World Championship, with the sole SA rider in the field making a successful return from a fractured arm and a missed round in France. Moodley crossed the finish line in 14th at Ciudad del Motor de Aragon in Spain, claiming yet more points in his first-ever campaign at this level. Having had some more recovery time and battling through the pain at the last round in Silverstone, he was more optimistic heading into round eight. 'I knew that Silverstone was going to be tough. 'But with a bit more time to build more strength in my injured arm, I had a good feeling going into this weekend's Aragon race,' said the teenager. And so it proved with Moodley starting the weekend feeling confident and stronger, ending in 10th place at the end of the opening practice session on Friday morning. He maintained this strong showing and claimed 14th place in the second session. MotoGP applies an interesting system for qualifying, with the top 10 times recorded in the second practice session giving riders a free pass directly into qualifying 2 (Q2). In Q2, they compete for pole position. The rest of the field has to fight in Q1 for their grid positions. A similar concept has been applied to Moto3, where the top 14 riders immediately pass into Q2, so Moodley's lap time was quick enough to progress straight into Q2. 'It was great to keep up the early pace from the start of the weekend. 'I had a good feeling with the bike and delivered a lap that was quick enough to get into Q2. 'I knew from there it was game on.' Qualifying in Aragon relies heavily on slipstreaming. There is a nearly 1km-long straight towards the end of the lap where a good draft can be worth about half a second per lap. Moodley preferred to run alone during qualifying, where another rider's mistake can ruin a good lap time. This may have cost a little time, but a clean lap meant he would start 14th on the grid. The Moto3 race start was, as always, a close-fought affair. Aragon is an exceptional motorcycle circuit that provides plenty of overtaking opportunities, so Moodley fought hard from the beginning. 'I knew it's a long race here and that tyre strategy would come into play and our strategy since the start of my rookie season has been to complete every race as we learn all the tracks of the calendar.' Moodley slowly picked off his rivals to edge up to 14th by half race distance with his pace hotting up as the race progressed and his confidence built. His quickest lap time was quicker than his qualifying lap, and just a few tenths off the race leaders. 'There was a massive 10-bike group battling for the lead. 'I was just off that pack, in the middle ground. 'They were all dragging each other along down the long straight. 'I could see them, but I was just too far back to get a slipstream. 'It was a bit frustrating, but they were also not getting away from me.' 'All in all, I am pleased with how this weekend progressed. 'It was a good showing now that my arm is getting stronger. 'We can only go upwards from here,' said the comeback kid. The Herald
New Straits Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Hakim Danish dedicates Aragon win to all Malaysians
KUALA LUMPUR: Motorcycle racer Hakim Danish Ramli is on track to becoming the first-ever Malaysian to win the Red Bull Rookies Cup title. With the season nearing the halfway mark, Hakim consolidated his position atop the championship standings after winning his first race of the season in Aragon, Spain (race two) yesterday (June 8). The 17-year-old now has 125 points to his name. Spanish duo Brian Uriarte (95 points) and Benat Fernandez (63 points) are second and third in the championship. Hakim dedicated his victory in Aragon, Spain to all Malaysians. Uriarte (+0.188s) and David Gonzalez (+0.195s) finished second and third in race two. "Obviously I'm really happy to win the race as it was quite challenging," said Hakim. "My tyre grip was fading so I had to manage it carefully and try my best to remain patient while staying with the lead group. "On the second last lap I made a mistake and forgot to downshift one more gear. I got overtaken and went down to seventh position. "I quickly focused on catching up and during the last corner was able to get on the throttle earlier and hit the line first. "Thank you to everyone who has supported me, this win is for all Malaysians." With four rounds and eight races remaining this season, the championship fight is far from over though Hakim's consistent performances this season will put pressure on his rivals. The Terengganu-born finished second in all his first five races of the season before winning yesterday. The Red Bull Rookies Cup is one of the key feeder series for the Moto3 World Championship. Former champions in the series who have gone on to shine include Johann Zarco, Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta, among others Last month Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif disclosed that Hakim essentially has a seat waiting for him in Moto3 next season but must first prove himself worthy of the slot. Hakim is a product of SIC's two-wheel talent development programme which is run by ZK Racing. Mugello will host the next round of the Red Bull Rookies Cup on June 21-22.
New Straits Times
08-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Hakim Danish clinches first win of season in Aragon
f KUALA LUMPUR: Motorcycle racer Hakim Danish Ramli did his chances of securing a seat in Moto3 next year no harm after emerging victorious at the Aragon leg of the Red Bull Rookies Cup today (June 8). Hakim, who finished second in race one yesterday (June 7), went one better in race two today, taking the flag ahead of Spanish duo Brian Uriarte (+0.188s) and David Gonzalez (+0.195s). It was Hakim's first race win of the season - he had placed second in his first five races - and further consolidated his position atop the championship standings with 125 points to his name. It was a commendable achievement for Hakim, who started from seventh on the grid, which is likely to boost his chances of moving up to the Moto3 World Championship next year. Last month Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif disclosed that Hakim essentially has a seat waiting for him in Moto3 next season but must first prove himself worthy of the slot. Hakim is a product of SIC's two-wheel talent development programme which is run by ZK Racing. Mugello will host the next round of the Red Bull Rookies Cup on June 21-22.
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Ruché Moodley hopes low-key return puts him in good stead
Moto3 star rides through the pain at British Grand Prix after undergoing arm operation. Teenage Moto3 sensation Ruché Moodley hopes to bounce back strongly in Aragon next weekend after a rather low-key return from injury at the British Grand Prix. The 18-year-old BOE Motorsport rider suffered a fractured radius in his right arm during practice ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix last month. He had to undergo an operation which included a titanium plate and half a dozen screws. He watched the French MotoGP on television before getting the green flag to race at Silverstone last weekend. Moodley kept a low profile at the end of the field at Silverstone. He was still regaining his fitness and served two long-lap penalties for causing the collision at Jerez which caused his injury. He qualified in 21st place and rode through the pain to finish 20th. ALSO READ: Binder: Sleeping at home and racing at Kyalami will be 'sick' Ruché Moodley plays it safe 'We made a decision that I would stay out of trouble on the opening laps. If I crashed or was taken out, my penalty laps would be carried over to the next race. So I took it easy at the start and dropped a few positions on the opening lap,' Moodley told Double Apex. 'I took my penalty laps early in the race, on lap two and three, as I figured the field would be most bunched up then. I struggled later on because I lost a lot of feeling in my arm. It started to feel numb so it was difficult to feel what the bike was doing. 'I don't have the strength that I had before to muscle the bike around, since I could only start moving my arm in the week leading up to the race. It lost strength after being immobilised for three weeks.' ALSO READ: Who is Ruché Moodley? Meet South Africa's new Moto3 sensation The Gqeberha-born Moodley made a sensational start to his Moto3 career by finishing 11th in his first race in Thailand to earn five points. He went on to finish in the points in three of his first four races before missing the fifth and sixth rounds of the season. He is 23rd in the championship on nine points and is confident he can fight for points again at the Aragon Grand Prix. 'The plan now is to build up the strength in my hand,' he continued. 'I will be much stronger in two weeks when we get to Aragon. I am looking forward to riding that incredible circuit.'
The Herald
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Painful Silverstone race for Ruche Moodley
Ruche Moodley made a welcome return to the Moto3 world championship at Silverstone after missing the sixth round, having fractured the radius in his right arm in round five. The 18-year-old Gqeberha rider was given the green light to race in the Silverstone Grand Prix by the FIM medical team. 'I was really happy when the FIM medical team gave me clearance to race this weekend, as I was really frustrated watching the French GP from my couch at home, and it's great to be back on the bike,' Moodley said. 'I have been training almost from the day I got back from the hospital, so I knew my fitness wasn't going to be a problem. But my arm was still quite sore.' The weekend started in a positive manner as Moodley felt good on the bike and delivered competitive lap times, despite still nursing his injured dominant arm. He had a steady qualifying session, managing his tyres and the pain in his arm to place his BOE Motorsports machine in 21st position in the huge Moto3 field. He also had to serve a double long-lap penalty for his role in an incident at the Spanish Grand Prix, which resulted in the fractured arm, so he had a mountain to climb. 'Silverstone is such a high-speed circuit, both with long straights and fast, flowing corners,' Moodley said. 'It really is a physical track that demands a lot of riders. So, we had made a decision that I would stay out of trouble on the opening laps. 'If I crashed or was taken out, my penalty laps would be carried over to the next race. 'So, I took it easy at the start and dropped a few positions on the opening lap. 'This race, for me, was all about getting to the finish line more than anything else. 'I took my penalty laps early in the race, on laps two and three, as I figured the field would be most bunched up then. 'With those two laps done, I kept my head down. I had to focus on the track and getting to the end. 'I struggled later on because I lost a lot of feeling in my arm. It started to feel numb, so it was difficult to feel what the bike was doing. 'I don't have the strength that I had before to muscle the bike around, since I could only start moving my arm in the week leading up to the race. It was immobilised for three weeks and lost strength.' Moodley had a rather lonely race as the front pack set a blistering pace. He steadily worked his way up from 24th to finish 20th when the checkered flag was waved. 'That felt like the longest race of my life. In the second part of the race, I was pretty much on my own, just counting down the laps. 'I was trying not to think about the pain, I was really glad to see the checkered flag. 'The plan now is to build up the strength in my hand. 'I will be much stronger in two weeks when we get to Aragon. I am looking forward to riding that incredible circuit,' he said. The Herald
