Leon Camier and Ryuichi Kiyonari enjoyed the warm and passionate welcome of the Thai people during a well-attended event, hosted by A.P. Honda, that took place in downtown Bangkok on the evening of Wednesday 13 March.

In the spectacular Honda BigWing facility located in the vibrant country’s capital, the Moriwaki Althea Honda Team riders were joined by Team Director Midori Moriwaki as they met with local media and a crowd of enthusiastic Honda customers, dealers and VIP guests.

The Superbike World Championship is quite popular in the country and this was just a first taste of the passionate support riders and teams can expect to experience over the coming weekend at the Chang International Circuit in the Buriram province, where Round 2 of the championship will kick off on Friday morning, at 10.30 am local time, with the first free practice session.

Leon Camier 2

“Before heading to Buriram, we took part in a Honda event in Bangkok and were able to enjoy the great support of our fans, a real boost for us as we prepare for the next, challenging round. The Buriram track is actually a simple one, with just a few hard braking points and some tight turns but, at the same time, that makes it hard because every tenth can make a big difference. I remember that times were very close last year, so if you don’t get everything perfect you can find yourself struggling to make a good lap at this track. The temperature also makes things tough of course. Air temperatures of close to 40 degrees and a track temperature in the mid-fifties make it very challenging for us riders, both physically and mentally.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari 23

“I knew about the great passion that people in this country have for bike racing and so it was great to experience it first-hand while meeting many fans at the Honda Big Wing facility in Bangkok. It was really good fun, and I am looking forward to doing my best this coming weekend. I like the Buriram circuit, and the layout is quick enough to learn, with two long straights, a few hard-braking points and a few slow corners. With my riding style, I particularly like the tight corners. Having said that, it’s a tricky track when it comes to setting good lap times. Temperatures will be a further challenge of course, not so much for the bike and tyres but for the rider. I cannot really imagine how will it be to run three races, but it will be the same for everyone, so we just have to wait and see how it goes.”

Camier and Kiyonari are warmly welcomed by Thai fans

Location Information

In March 2015 Thailand became the latest Asian country to play host to WorldSBK™ at the new state-of-the-art Chang International Circuit. The venue was opened in 2014 earning FIM Grade A and FIA Grade 1 classifications, with the owners striving to attract the biggest names in two and four-wheel motorsports.… read more.

Pole Position Left
Length 4.554Km
Corners 12
Right Corners 7
Left Corners 5

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Records

Pole Record 1'31.912 (178,37 Km/h) A. Bautista (Ducati Panigale V4 R, 2019)
Race Record 1'32.724 (176,81 Km/h) A. Bautista (Ducati Panigale V4 R, 2019)
All Time Record 1'31.912 (178,37 Km/h) A. Bautista (Ducati Panigale V4 R, 2019)
2019 Race 1 Winner Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Panigale V4 R)
2019 Superpole Race Winner Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Panigale V4 R)
2019 Race 2 Winner Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Panigale V4 R)