Red Bull KTM 'Hero' Hiroshi Aoyama of Japan rode his KTM 250 KRR bike through the pain of a hand injury to finish sixth in the 250cc class on Sunday. The result gave the Japanese rider 10 championship points, some compensation for the crash he sustained in Qatar in the opening round. Hiroshi decided to forego painkillers in favour of a better feel for the bike. His team-mate Mika Kallio, who joined the 250cc class this season after shining in 125cc was less fortunate and was forced to withdraw in the 19th lap with a broken second gear.
Hiroshi Aoyama, sixth place 250cc 45”50.891 “I am really happy with this result considering my finger injury. I had a good start but took it easy on the first lap, and a bunch of other riders passed me again. But then I found my rhythm, and I wasn’t in too much pain, even though I didn’t take any pain killers because an injection would have numbed my hand too much and would have destroyed the feeling for the bike. At the end, it got tougher and tougher, but sixth is great in these circumstances and gives me a lot of hope for this season. Luckily we have three weeks off before the next race in Turkey. I won my first Grand Prix with KTM on the Istanbul track last year, and I want to be 100 per cent fit when we return there!”
Mika Kallio, retired 19th lap 250cc “My start was very good, and I was able to improve my position and fight within the same group my team-mate was in. Then some other riders touched my fairing and I ran wide and lost my rhythm for a while. Then I got back into the groove, made good lap times again and thought a result between fifth and seventh place was possible. Then the bike broke, and I just had to stop.”
Team Race Director Hara ld Bartol “Respect to Hiroshi for what he did today, to ride within half a second per lap of the race winner is remarkable, considering his injury. It’s a real pity that Mika missed out on the race finish again, this time it was the sprocket of the second gear that broke.”
250cc Results: 1. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain, Aprilia, 45’35.846
2. Alvaro Bautista, Spain, Aprilia, 45’36.064
3. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy, Honda, 45”36.324
4. Alex De Angeles, San Marino, Aprilia, 45”44.002
5. Alex Debon, Spain, Aprilia, 45”50.539
6. Hiroshi Aoyama, Japan, KTM, 45”50.891
Mika Kallio, Finland, KTM, DNF
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