WorldSBK – PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team in the points in Indonesia

It was something of a complicated Superbike Sunday for the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team at Mandalika in Indonesia today. While Eric Granado continued to struggle with an intestinal virus that prevented him from competing in race 2, Hafizh Syahrin took on two two-part races after various crashes for other riders brought out the red flags.

Having sat out yesterday’s race 1 due to a virus, Granado was passed fit to compete in today’s Superpole race but then was later deemed unfit to take part in the afternoon’s second 21-lap race. As the Superpole Race got underway as scheduled, Syahrin made a very strong start and was lying fourteenth one lap in. Unfortunately, the race was then red flagged following crashes for several other riders. Restarted and reduced to just eight laps, the limited track time prevented riders towards the back of the grid from making much of an impact. Syahrin lay seventeenth for the best part of the race, followed by Granado in nineteenth, positions the pair were able to hold to the line.

Race 2 began in dry conditions although dark clouds threatened overhead. Syahrin gained one position in the early stages and was lying sixteenth when a red flag halted proceedings on lap seven following a crash involving two other riders. The race recommenced shortly afterwards, with Syahrin lining up sixteenth on the grid but found it difficult to reach those ahead and make up any positions. He nevertheless scored one championship point by finishing this final race of the weekend in fifteenth place.

The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team now has six weeks in which to prepare for round 3 of the championship, set to take place at the Assen TT Circuit in The Netherlands on 21-23 April.

Hafizh Syahrin P15

“Today’s races were not so easy. Although we were able to improve our overall package a little, I was still too far from the pack, only able to stick with them in the early stages really. I continue to lose speed and time out of the corners but I hope we can take a step during the next race weekends. We’ve scored two points, which is better than nothing, but I’m a little disappointed that I can’t be there fighting. I hope we can do so in the next races, and we’ll keep working towards that goal.”

Eric Granado DNS

“I didn’t race yesterday in the hope that I’d feel better today. This morning I tried to compete in warm-up and the Superpole race too, but after visiting the medical centre again, the doctors weren’t convinced that I was fit enough to continue and so I was ruled out of race 2. I feel a little better than yesterday and did want to race, but it wasn’t possible in the end, and health comes first. I’m sorry for the team and now we’ll look ahead to the Assen round, where we’ll be back giving it our all.”

Full Results Here