Honda Team Asia rider Khairul Idham Pawi started the legendary Dutch TT race weekend with positive start as setting the twenty-first fastest lap time for the opening day with 1m44s435.
Although the morning FP1 has started with dry, slight drizzle changed the tarmac to difficult conditions –not damp and not dry. Pawi was the first one who went out on the track with wet tires and he made use of time to learn more about the characteristics of Assen while most riders were staying in their boxes.
As the conditions became more stable in FP2, Pawi boosted up his confidence on the track and improved his lap time for more than three seconds from this morning’s FP1.
Moto3 riders will next be on track in FP3 session, which commences at 0900 local time (GMT +2) on Saturday morning.
Khairul Idham Pawi (21th, 1’44.435, +1.404)
“It is the first time for me to ride here, and the morning FP1 was a little bit difficult with the weather conditions. In FP2, we didn’t change setup a lot and concentrated on getting used to the track. For tomorrow, we will improve our setup, my feeling and riding, then we will get closer to fast riders.”
Tadayuki Okada – Team Manager
“In this morning, Pawi kept on circulating on the track with wet tires in drizzle conditions for better understanding of this track. FP2 was the actual first dry session for him. He concentrated on leaning this track and also I gave him some advice to improve his riding. We can say it is a decent first day for him. Knowing that Pawi is a quick learner, he will make a big step forward tomorrow.”
