BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Debuts amid Mixed Fortunes at Thai GP

2025-03-06 16:43
In a historic day for the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Izan Guevara concluded Moto2‘s Practice session in 12th place, securing direct qualification to tomorrow‘s Q2 session, as Tony Arbolino encountered a few more challenges, finishing the day in 20th place.
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
GRAND PRIX OF THAILAND
Buriram (Thailand), 28th February 2025
12th
IZAN GUEVARA
1'35"430 / 13 LAPS
20th
TONY ARBOLINO
1'35"698 / 17 LAPS
The opening day of the Moto2 Thai GP at the Chang International Circuit was a day of mixed emotions for the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team. Making its much-anticipated debut in the Moto2 World Championship, the squad of Team Principal Paolo Campinoti showed early promise but faced challenges in the later session.

The morning‘s Free Practice 1 (FP1) saw an impressive start, with Tony Arbolino securing the fourth-fastest time and teammate Izan Guevara finishing seventh overall. Both riders demonstrated strong pace and confidence, setting a positive tone for the weekend.

However, the afternoon‘s Practice session brought higher track temperatures, presenting new challenges for the riders. Despite starting on used FP1 tires, Guevara immediately found a strong rhythm, proving his competitiveness from the outset. Arbolino, on the other hand, encountered difficulties in optimizing his Boscoscuro bike‘s setup, making it a more demanding session for him.

Despite a minor technical issue late in the session that prevented him from trying a final time attack, Guevara managed to secure a direct spot in Q2, posting a best lap time of 1'35"430 to claim 12th position overall. Arbolino, however, was unable to better his FP1 time of 1'35"323 and concluded the day in 20th place with a lap of 1'35"698. As a result, he will have to battle through Q1 in tomorrow‘s qualifying session.
ALEX DE ANGELIS

Team Manager, BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2
“Overall, it has been a positive day for our BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Team, even though Tony missed out on direct access to tomorrow‘s Q2. I am very pleased with Izan‘s performance—he started the Practice session on used tyres from the morning‘s FP1 and was immediately fast and consistent. He then confirmed his confidence on the bike when pushing for a fast lap, despite a minor technical issue in the closing minutes of the session preventing him from making another time attack. As for Tony, after dealing with chattering issues during the Jerez test, he focused on finding the best setup for his bike. While he still has room to improve in outright speed, I‘m pleased with his ability to maintain a steady rhythm on used tyres. Now, we will need to work on maximizing his speed with a new tyre.”
IZAN GUEVARA

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider
“It has been an exciting day. We made our debut in the World Championship, and this is a day we will all remember forever. We demonstrated our speed despite the high temperatures. In the final minutes of the afternoon session, I encountered a technical issue and was unable to complete the fastest lap, but it is nothing to be concerned about. I am satisfied with today, as we secured direct passage to Q2, an important achievement that is never to be taken for granted. Thanks to Yamaha and Pramac Racing for the work done over the past months, and thanks to the team for the commitment they are putting in.”
TONY ARBOLINO

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider
“The track conditions changed significantly between the morning and afternoon sessions, and perhaps we didn‘t choose the best strategy for the time attack, as I felt I had more potential to push. The key takeaway is that every mistake is an opportunity to learn and improve. Tomorrow, I will have to go through Q1 to fight for one of the four available spots in Q2. In a way, I see this as an advantage, as it will give me extra track time to refine the bike‘s setup and gain a better understanding of the conditions.”

Source: Yamaha

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