Sepang success for the home hero in a stunning opener to the penultimate round
A blockbuster Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup Race 1 brought a new winner in the class with a final corner shootout.Giving the home crowd something to cheer about, Qabil Irfan stormed to victory in damp but drying conditions to notch up 25 points ahead of Bintang Pranata and Qayyim Razin, the podium covered by less than a quarter of a second. Championship leader Hayato Chishiki suffered his worst finish of the year with 13th, his Championship lead now down to 15 points over Waku Kunitate.With everyone on wet tyres, a brilliant start saw Irfan grab the holeshot from polesitter Kotaro Togashi and lead through the first lap. However, it was fellow Malaysian Razin who got a brilliant launch, up from the third row of the grid and leading by the end of the first lap. The lead group consisted of both Irfan, Razin, Pranata, a fast-starting Maulana Malik who enjoyed spells at the front and Muhammad Badly making it a 10-wheeler at the front. Behind, a double long lap penalty for causing the crash at Mandalika ended Matsuyama’s hopes of a top six finish.Elbow were out down the main straight in the closing stages as Badly and Razin got a bit too close for comfort at the end of Lap 7 – Badly was handed a long lap penalty for irresponsible riding, five becoming four in the battle for victory. Onto the last lap, Pranata took the lead at Turn 1 and attempted to break clear but it was to no avail. Into the penultimate corner for the final time, Razin came up the inside to lead down the back straight as he aimed to repeat his wins from earlier in the year. Pranata got him back but it was Irfan who went all the way around the outside of both to hit the front and hold on to the line.A first win in the class for Irfan with Malaysian fans going crazy for a home victory. Pranata and Razin completed the podium whilst Malik took a career-best fourth. Kunitate’s fifth means he’s 15 points behind Chishiki who 13th at the flag was only, his worst finished of the season.
Lights out at 09:45 local time (UTC +8) on Sunday, don’t miss it!
