Another phenomenal race unfolds in Thailand as the Japanese star fends off Ikegami again, with rookie Matsuyama grabbing a debut podium
Just like Race 1, Race 2 at the Thai Grand Prix was a cracker that went down to the wire – and once again, Ryota Ogiwara collected the 25 points to make it a perfect start to his 2025 title tilt. Seiryu Ikegami was a close P2 once more as just 0.022s covered the Japanese duo across the line, as Haruki Matsuyama bagged a debut podium in P3 after finishing just 0.133s from the win.
Unlike Race 1, Ogiwara and Ikegami didn’t have it all their own way from the off as an ATC freight chain formed at the front, with the fast starting Badly Ayatullah grabbing an early lead from 11th on the grid.
The lead changed plenty of times throughout, with Ayatullah having the longest stint with the lead baton before the Indonesian’s race ended at Turn 1 with two laps to go. This left the Japanese trio, with Race 1 podium finisher and home hero, Noprutpong Bunprawes, just under two seconds from the podium fight.
It went down to the final corner, with Ogiwara defended well. There was no room up the inside for Ikegami or Matsuyama to have a lunge, and with the finish line a short burst away, Ogiwara pipped Ikegami to P1 for the second race in a row.
1.8s behind third place Matsuyama was Bunprawes as the Thai rider begins his season in fine fashion on home turf, with Alfonso Daquigan picking up P5. Thailand’s Tanachat Pratumtong crossed the line in P6, narrowly ahead of Indonesia’s Nelson Cairoli and Japan’s Shingo Iidaka, as Sarthak Chavan and Archie Schmidt rounded out the top 10, with the latter recovering well from a double Long Lap penalty.
So that’s it from Thailand! The ATC is up and running in 2025 and heading to Round 2 in Qatar, Ogiwara holds the title lead.
