Tsunoda Scores, Asians Shine in Moto3, Gelael on the Podium! | This Week In Motorsports

Bahrain International Circuit

After 140 days, both Red Bull drivers have successfully scored points together.

The Bahrain Grand Prix weekend saw contrasting stories for Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon - one celebrating a breakthrough, the other grappling with missed opportunities.

In qualifying, Tsunoda bounced back from a track limits deletion in Q1 to secure a spot in Q3 for the first time as a Red Bull driver, ultimately lining up P10. Albon, meanwhile, struggled with traffic and balance issues, bowing out in Q1 in P16 - a result Williams traced back to setup limitations and aero challenges.

The race brought redemption for both. Albon made early gains with sharp overtakes, briefly climbing as high as P5 before tyre wear and strategy shuffled him down the order. Tsunoda ran a strong, measured race - capitalising on pit windows and delivering consistent pace to cross the line P9, securing valuable points.

Despite a late-race safety car mixing things up, Albon held on to finish P12, just outside the points, while Tsunoda underlined his growth with another composed top-ten result.

F2: Miyata’s Charge Shines, Maini Battles Through

It was a gritty and strategy-driven weekend for Ritomo Miyata and Kush Maini, both starting deep in the field but showing contrasting fortunes across the two F2 races.

In the Sprint, both drivers began near the back - Miyata in P19 and Maini in P20 - but it was Miyata who made the most of late-race strategy. After a mid-race safety car, a well-timed pit stop and fresher tyres saw the Japanese rookie climb through the field, cracking the top ten by Lap 23 to finish P10. Maini struggled to find rhythm and tire life, eventually finishing P17, despite briefly holding the fastest lap.

The Feature race saw more of the same: Maini and Miyata began 20th and 19th respectively. Miyata again showed strong racecraft, moving up to a provisional P5 during the pit cycle and pulling off several overtakes in the closing laps to finish P14. Maini had a quieter run but kept things clean and gained late to end P18.

While Maini’s weekend was more about gathering data and staying consistent, Miyata’s performances - marked by smart tyre calls and aggressive overtakes—highlighted his growing comfort and potential in the F2 field.

F3: Inthraphuvasak Fights Back, Ho Stays Solid

It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, Christian Ho, and Gerard Xie across the Sprint and Feature races.

Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak delivered one of the standout comeback drives in the Sprint, clawing back from P28 after early contact and a pit stop to finish P18. The Feature race saw him continue his charge through the field, climbing to P12 after a series of bold overtakes - only for a 10-second track limits penalty to drop him to P16 by the flag. Nevertheless, his pace and racecraft were evident all weekend.

Christian Ho showcased consistency and composure, finishing P8 in both races. He made early moves in the Sprint and stayed firmly in the top 10 throughout. In the Feature, he fought off pressure in the midfield and briefly climbed to P8 before late-race battles saw him settle for P10 - a solid haul of points for the Singaporean.

Gerard Xie endured a tough but determined weekend. Starting both races deep in the field, he gained ground during the Sprint, reaching as high as P17 before fading to P22 due to tyre wear. In the Feature, despite some off-track moments and a trip through the bollards, he kept pushing to finish P26.

Circuit Paul Ricard

Ajith Kumar returns to action at the GT4 European Series

Ajith Kumar returned to action at the GT4 European Series in Paul Ricard last weekend, driving the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 for AV Racing. He qualified 40th and 39th overall in Q1 and Q2 respectively, showing steady improvement across sessions. In Race 1, he moved up two places to finish 38th, and in Race 2, gained further ground however was classified 35th after a 45-second stop-and-go penalty added post-race for a pit stop infringement.  

Lusail International Circuit, Qatar

Ojiwara dominates Round 2 of Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup

The second round of the 2025 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, held at Lusail International Circuit, Qatar, showcased an exciting race on April 12-13. Japanese rider Ryota Ogiwara continued his dominance, clinching victory in both races.

In Race 1, Ogiwara edged out Seiryu Ikegami in a dramatic final-corner duel, with Shingo Iidaka securing third, completing an all-Japanese podium. Race 2 progressed similarly, as Ogiwara again outpaced Ikegami, while Iidaka claimed another third, solidifying Japan’s grip on the leaderboard.

Teerin Fleming delivered consistent fifth-place finishes in both races, while Bodie Paige battled to ninth and tenth, earning valuable points. Unfortunately, Rikki Henry and Archie Schmidt were sidelined by injuries, missing the event.

Ogiwara’s performance strengthens his championship lead as the series looks ahead to Round 3 at Malaysia’s Petronas Sepang International Circuit in August.

Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

 
Strong opening from Origine Motorsport, Team KRC and Garage 75 in the GT World Challenge Asia

Race 1

Bob Yuan and Leo Ye Hongli had an ideal start to The GT World Challenge Asia by winning the season opener in Sepang for The GT3 PRO AM category.

Origine Motorsport’s Porsche in The GT Pro AM category claimed the chequered flag eight seconds ahead of Phantom’s 911 GT3 R shared by Dorian Boccolacci and Anthony Liu. The Silver-Am winners Tony Ruan and Maxime Oosten finished on the overall podium for Team KRC, BMW., while The GT Silver category was won by FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom shared by Franky Cheng and James Yu.

The GT3 AM Category saw AMAC Motorsport’s William Ben Porter as the winner.

Race 2

Prince Jefri Ibrahim and JMR celebrated a home victory in Race 2 of the race with Ibrahim and Alexander Sims piloting their Corvette Z06 GT3.R to a 3.2-second win over Craft-Bamboo’s Cao Qi and Jayden Ojeda.

FAW Audi’s Franky Cheng and James Yu surged 12 places in the final 14 minutes to take third overall and the Silver class win.

KRC’s BMW (Tony Ruan/Maxime Oosten) took fourth overall and the Silver-Am win, while Garage 75’s David Tjiptobiantoro and Christian Colombo secured the AM class victory. JMR and its drivers now lead their championships.

Coloane Circuit, Macau

Big moves in ROK Cup Asia

ROK Cup Asia Round 2 moved to Macau’s Coloane Karting Circuit last weekend alongside the China Karting Championship. With action packed races, near wins, and dominant performances, Round 2 had it all. Here’s how the races went across 4 categories:

Junior

Conrad Garrow had a dominant weekend at Macau, winning the super heat and finals by a respectable margin behind Danish Chen. Following Garrow’s stellar performance, Chen also had a strong weekend finishing the Super Heat and Finals in P2. In P3, Zeng Sihan took the final podium spot in the Super Heat and Poomsit Klombunjong swapped with him in the finals.

Mini 

In the Mini/Cadet class, Han Yuchen and Liu Jinyu had strong performances with Yuchen winning the super heat with Jinyu and Xu Xiche in P2 and P3 respectively. In the final race, John Han took P1 with Yuchen in P3, sandwiching Liu Jinyu in P2 for the second time on Sunday.

Senior 

A tough fight in the senior ROK saw Sun Yibei, Tang Zixuan battle it out for podium places. Tang won the final race with a 1.3s lead from Sun Yibei, exchanging their spots from the super heat earlier in the day. Zhang Xiaoxian took P3 in the final.

Academy Trophy

Xu Xizhe showed strong pace on Sunday, taking wins in both super heat and final. He was joined by Chong Ka Kei, who finished 1.5s behind him in the final. And Zhang Shixuan in P3.

Riverpark

Super Sprint once again delivered the goods with a long and challenging course that demanded full focus and fast hands. The event drew a packed grid of 116 drivers across multiple categories. Here are the winners:

Amateur Street – Santi Sarsoza [68.430 seconds]
Amateur Drivers – Irwin Eugene Viray [62.206 seconds]
Intermediate Drivers – Irwin Eugene Viray [62.196 seconds]
Prepped Drivers – Gen Colina [61.851 seconds]
Pro Class Drivers – Christopher Co [64.849 seconds]
Ladies Class – Rain Acejas [69.385 seconds]