Arbolino Earns the First World Championship Points for BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Team in Thai GP

2025-03-06 16:53
In the season's opening at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Tony Arbolino finishes 13th in the Moto2 Thai GP, while Izan Guevara is penalized for a jump start and ends the race 16th
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
GRAND PRIX OF THAILAND
RACE
Buriram (Thailand)
13th
TONY ARBOLINO
35'32"334 / 22 LAPS
16th
IZAN GUEVARA
35'34"328 / 22 LAPS
It was not the 2025 Moto2 World Championship debut the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team had hoped for in the Thai GP, which opened the intermediate class season, as they only managed to secure a few points.

The highest expectations were placed on Izan Guevara, who started from 11th on the grid and had shown promising race pace in practice, suggesting he could battle among the front-runners. His race start seemed to confirm this, as he quickly moved up to 5th place by the first corner, raising hopes for a strong performance. However, just minutes later, Race Direction issued a cold blow, penalizing him with two long-lap penalties for a jump start. After serving the penalties, Izan dropped to 20th place, and despite a determined effort in the second half of the race, he could only recover to 16th, just outside the points.

Meanwhile, Tony Arbolino put in a comeback race after a difficult qualifying session forced him to start from 20th on the grid. After the usual early-lap battles, Tony gradually found his rhythm, making up positions and eventually crossing the line in 13th place. His result secured the first points in the history of the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha team.
ALEX DE ANGELIS

Team Manager, BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2
"I can only say it‘s a shame about Izan‘s mistake at the start because, from what we saw in the opening laps, he was comfortably keeping pace with the front group. I‘m convinced he could have had a great race. After serving the two long-lap penalties, he not only lost many positions but also dirtied his tires on the left side, losing the initial feeling. It‘s unfortunate, but the positive takeaway is that we saw his competitiveness in those first few laps. As for Tony, starting so far back and in such extreme weather conditions made it tough to expect much more. However, his climb into the points is certainly a positive sign. His weekend was an uphill battle from Friday, and from that moment on, he was always playing catch-up. Even that is an important lesson to learn."
TONY ARBOLINO

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider
"My race was all about managing the situation with little feeling on the bike. I mainly focused on avoiding mistakes and making it to the finish line. Right from the first laps, I struggled a lot with the front end—I could never find my rhythm, complete a clean lap. As a result, not only was I slow on a single lap, but I also never managed to maintain a decent race pace. In these conditions, the only thing I could do was bring home the best possible result. A small consolation is that I was at least able to score a few points, even though it‘s clear that these are not the positions where I want to be fighting. Now, I‘m already looking ahead to Argentina, where we need to take a step forward."
IZAN GUEVARA

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider
“I‘m satisfied with my weekend, though I‘m left with a bittersweet feeling. I thought I hadn‘t jumped the start, but maybe I did. It‘s a shame in every way because I was feeling really good during those first four laps in the group. I was able to overtake other riders, gain positions, and maintain a strong pace throughout the weekend. We knew I could lap in 1‘35”, but during the long-lap penalty, when I hit the dirty part of the racing line, the tyres picked up the dirt and started sliding in the left-hand corners, so that riding became really difficult. I ended up lapping in 1‘37”, a pace I hadn‘t had all weekend, which made things quite complicated. I tried to adjust my riding style to adapt to the condition of the rear tire, but there wasn‘t much I could do. I lost too much grip and just had to make the best of the situation. We gained a couple of positions, but not enough to reach the points. Even so, we did a great job throughout the weekend. I want to thank my team for their hard work and also apologise. Now, we focus on Argentina, where I know we‘ll have a great weekend.”

Source: Yamaha

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