Team Roberts Rider Kensei Matsudaira Makes Moto4 Latin Cup Debut with a Podium Finish
Team Roberts rider Kensei Matsudaira made his debut in the Moto4 Latin
Cup representing the US this weekend with MotoGP in Goiânia, Brazil.
Kensei topped free practice 1 on Friday, being the only rider to record
a 1:39 lap time on a semi-wet track, 0.4 seconds clear of the next rider.
Free practice 2 was held in mixed conditions with rain tires, and Kensei
showed strong pace there as well finishing the session in P3, 0.4
seconds from P1.
On Saturday, qualifying and race 1 were cancelled due to the track
requiring repairs after a sinkhole appeared on the main straight
following MotoGP qualifying. Without a qualifying session, the grid for
Sunday’s race was set based on combined free practice lap times from
Friday, with Kensei starting from pole position.
The weather-related drama continued on Sunday, with the race being
red-flagged and cancelled after only 4 laps after rain started falling
in the final sector of the circuit. Kensei had been fighting in the top
group, leading for a large portion of the race and crossed the line
after lap four in P3 after two riders drafted past him on the long home
straight. With the race being red-flagged and a restart subsequently
cancelled, the results were taken across the line at the end of lap 4
which put Kensei into 3rd place overall in the race.
Kensei was disappointed with the results of the shortened race, but
happy to leave the first weekend with a podium and sitting 3rd in the
championship.
“I was in the top group of 6 riders with a lot of passing going on, I
was mostly in the top 3 positions but I knew I had the pace to fight and
win in the end. It started raining on lap 3 but it was manageable and I
felt the conditions would be an advantage for me, I honestly didn’t
expect that they would red flag it so soon. This is not the way I wanted
to finish the weekend but I’m happy to stand on the podium here in
Brazil. I’m very excited for round 2 at Interlagos in a few weeks!”
Arney Wick, Team Roberts Co-Principal: “Congratulations to Kensei for such an impressive statement during the opening round of the Moto4 Latin Cup race in Brazil. With any luck at
all, he can carry this momentum into the opening round of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup round at COTA next weekend and back again into the next Latin Cup round!”
The next round on the Moto4 Latin Cup calendar will be held at Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil on April 10-12.
Before that, Kensei will be back in action at the MotoGP Red Bull Grand
Prix of The Americas next weekend for the opening round of the
MotoAmerica Talent Cup, where he will competing on the Team Roberts
Krämer APX-350 MA.
