CFMOTO attempt to slice and dice Moto3 rivals with fast run to points at Japanese Grand Prix

MotoGP travelled east from India to Japan in the space of one week and with the kind of impressive speed that the series usually displays on the racetrack. Among the busy paddock that boxed-up their machinery and structures in India the previous weekend was CFMOTO PruestelGP who arrived to the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit with designs on world championship points. By the time of the chequered flag for round fifteen of twenty on Sunday, it was Joel Kelso who aced the best position with 15th and achieved some bounty.

-CFMOTO fill an active, speedy and eager part of a roaming Moto3 Grand Prix at the Motegi circuit and the traditional Japanese home for the championship since the early 2000s

-Joel Kelso bounces back to prominence after his misfortune in India with a hard charge to 15th place and 1 Moto3 point

-Xavi Artigas slides out of the action at mid-race distance with a crash at Turn1

-The globetrotting exploits of the world’s fastest motorcycle racing contest hops onto new territories after Japan with Indonesia, Australia and Thailand next in line.

The unique motorsport setting of the Mobility Resort Motegi brought the world championship back to familiar territory after the discovery of the new Buddh International Circuit seven days beforehand. Motegi has been a regular MotoGP stage since 1999 – when it hosted three editions of the ‘Pacific Grand Prix’ before becoming Japan’s consistent stop from 2004. The 2023 event represented the 23rd time that a Grand Prix chequered flag has been waved at the facility.

Notable for its ‘ring’ setting, sub-5km, looping 14-corner layout and short ‘tunnel’ to accommodate the ‘under-over’ trajectory of the track, Motegi was a grippy and challenging test for the braking and accelerating potential of the bikes. The lap-times were fast and furious and records began to tumble from practice on Friday as good weather conditions helped with the overall speed.

Artigas and Kelso strived for marginal gains in very tight competition. On Friday the top twenty Moto3 riders were split by just one second on combined times! Trackcraft, tows and slipstreams were at a premium and by the end of practice and qualification on Saturday afternoon the riders were situated on the sixth and seventh rows of the grid, with Kelso in 18th and Artigas in 19th. Rapid fightbacks and shrewd moves to latch onto the front-running groups were necessary for the opening phases of the 17-lap chase.

Kelso was the more proactive initially as the Australian circulated on the edge of the top fifteen and the hunt for points. Artigas was trying to win ground but his race ended in the gravel with eight laps to go as he carried too much speed into Turn 1. Kelso gritted his teeth and summoned all of his potential to win his particular battle and was rewarded with the final Grand Prix point on the day; the first time he has added to his scorecard since the Dutch GP for round eight.

When the engines had cooled in Japan, the Teams championship standings reveal that CFMOTO PruestelGP are hovering 10th from the fourteen in play. Artigas is 12th among the riders while Kelso holds 21st from a total of 35 on the leaderboard.

MotoGP will turn up the heat and humidity again in two weeks time for the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Mandalika Street Circuit on the Island of Lombok. The fifteenth fixture of the year will be the first of a demanding triple-header with Australia and Thailand to follow.

Joel Kelso: “The result is not perfect but in the end we were only a couple of seconds from the group going for P5-P6. With five-six laps to go I lost some feeling with my right foot, which didn’t affect me too much but I was braking a bit too hard sometimes and that led to small mistakes. We needed to bring back some momentum after a few tough races and while one point is not amazing, we did have a solid race with good pace. I think we can make a big step in the next Grand Prix. We’ll keep pushing forward.”

Xavier Artigas: “We made a step forward in qualifying yesterday but it has otherwise been a difficult weekend and we couldn’t get the best feeling at this track. We kept working and pushing until the end but the race obviously didn’t go to plan. I ran wide initially and then regained some positions. I pushed too much though and it’s a shame to finish the GP like this. I hope better will come in Indonesia and we finally get some results that we deserve.”

Moto3 2023 Motul Grand Prix of Japan

1. Jaume Masia (ESP) Honda 33:30.018

2. Ayumu Sasaki (JPN) Husqvarna +1.546

3. Daniel Holgado (ESP) KTM +1.602

15. Joel Kelso (AUS), CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP +13.905

DNF. Xavier Artigas (ESP), CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP

Moto3 2023 world championship standings after 14 of 20 rounds

1. Jaume Masia (ESP) Honda 199 points

2. Ayumu Sasaki (JPN) Husqvarna, 193

3. Daniel Holgado (ESP) KTM, 190

12. Xavier Artigas (ESP) CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP, 65

21. Joel Kelso (AUS), CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP, 20