QMMF Racing Team rider Rafid Topan Sucipto in the pits before the start of the Moto2 race of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar at Losail International Circuit on Sunday.
DOHA: There was a feeling of elation and dejection in the QMMF Racing Team camp on Sunday when one rider finished the race while the senior pro failed to complete the opening round of the 2013 Moto3 World Championship.
QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West could have taken a top ten finish in Sunday’s season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar, but saw his chances dwindle when he ran into unexpected engine trouble right from the start of the Moto2 race.
Tenth after the opening lap, the Australian battled fiercely to defend a strong position, but couldn’t match the speed of his opponents on the straights. When he tried to stay with his rivals anyway, he finally crashed on the seventh lap, out of twelfth position.
On the contrary, team-mate Rafid Topan Sucipto reached his goal of making it to the chequered flag and finishing the race safely.
The Indonesian Grand Prix rookie took the 20-lap-event as another valuable learning experience and is now looking forward to the next race at Austin, Texas, in two weeks.
West cut a forlorn look after the race.
“The bike was working perfectly in the race, the chassis set-up was at a 100 per cent. But there was a problem with the engine. It was so slow that I couldn’t stay with anybody on the straights,” West said.
“Even when I was right at the rear wheel of others and having their slipstream coming on to the straight, I couldn’t hang on, they would just pull away.
“After the race, the mechanics found out that the engine overheated on the grid, which indicates that maybe a gasket blew, because there is no way in this temperature that the engine could overheat without a mechanical problem, since I am not one of the riders that revs the engine much sitting on the grid.
“The temperature was at 100 degree all the time and when that happens the electronic mapping puts additional fuel into the engine and you lose power,” the Australian added.
“I was trying to override it because I felt ten times better than everyone else in the corners, but eventually I went a bit too hard and tossed it away!”
Sucipto said: “I’m happy because my target for this race was to finish the race and this is exactly what I achieved.”
The young Indonesian added: “I keep learning lap by lap, corner by corner and I am getting faster step by step. I hope I can step up a little higher at the next race in Texas.”THE PENINSULA
