KIP finishes fourth in first outing on Moto3

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 -- Malaysia's Khairul Idham Pawi who marked his return to riding for the first time since August, finished fourth in his 2020 Moto3 World Championship pre-season test at the Jerez-Angel Nieto Circuit, yesterday.

The 21-year-old-rider who is making his switch back to the Moto3 class with Petronas Sprinta Racing completed 58 laps with a best time of one minute 58.333 seconds despite suffering a pair of small falls which he overcame to continue riding unhurt.

"It’s my first outing on a Moto3 bike in a long time and after a long recovery from injuries, but it’s been great to see the team again and get back to riding. 

"My finger feels a little strange, but I’ve had no problems with it when I get on the bike. Conditions were very slippery and windy, which made it difficult, so hopefully it’s a little better tomorrow," he said in a statement today.

The Perak born rider noted that he would take some time for him to adjust the riding style from Moto2 to suit a much lighter bike with less power in Moto3 class.

"I improved my lap time every time I left the garage, and there’s still lots left to find. The bike is completely different to a Moto2 bike, and it’s taken some time to adjust my riding style back to suit a much lighter bike with less power. 

"It was good to be able to work with John; he helped me out and following him around sped me up," he added.

Meanwhile, his teammate John McPhee ended the session in third after completing 60 laps in the wet conditions with a lap time of 1:56.688s, 0.454s from the fastest rider.

Despite heavy rain all day, McPhee has utilised the time to work on refining his electronics settings with his crew.

"We made the most of the wet track time to try and improve the bike’s electronics, and I think we took a lot from the day. We made a big step forward and I felt really good despite only having wet track time. 

"It’s always nice to find an improvement in any area, even if it’s only a small one, and we’ll be ready to ride tomorrow if the track is dry. We’ve made positive changes, we’ve completed lots of laps, and we’re already focusing on a strong 2020 season," he added.

Andrea Migno of Sky Racing Team VR46 clocked the fastest lap of 1:56.234s and followed by Tony Arbolino of VNE Snipers came in second with 0.261s behind.

-- BERNAMA