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🇲🇾 Motorland Aragon, Sepanyol | 29 Jun 2025 – Qabil Irfan memulakan minggu perlumbaan dengan prestasi cemerlang bagi Pusingan 3 ESBK Talent yang berlangsung di Litar Motorland Aragon, Sepanyol. Dari sesi latihan rasmi Free Practice 3 dan Free Practice 4 sehinggalah ke sesi Qualifying, Qabil terus konsisten mendominasi saingan apabila mencatat masa terpantas dalam ketiga-tiga sesi tersebut. Prestasi ini sekaligus mengesahkan kedudukan Qabil di petak pertama untuk perlumbaan Race 1.
Race 1
Bagi Race 1 pusingan ke-3 ESBK Talent berlangsung dalam keadaan cuaca yang agak panas, mencecah sekitar 45°C di Litar Motorland Aragon, Sepanyol yang mempunyai 17 selekoh dan laluan lurus 968 meter.
Qabil memulakan perlumbaan dengan cemerlang apabila berjaya melakukan holeshot sejurus lampu merah dipadam dan mengetuai perlumbaan pada awal pusingan. Namun, keadaan angin yang agak kuat di Sektor 4 selekoh 15 hingga 17, terutamanya di laluan lurus, menyukarkan Qabil untuk terus mengekalkan kedudukan di hadapan memandangkan slipstream menjadi senjata utama pelumba-pelumba lain. Empat pelumba di kelompok hadapan saling bersaing rapat, saling pintas-memintas sepanjang perlumbaan. Namun pada pusingan terakhir, Qabil mula mengorak langkah seawal selekoh 1.
Qabil berjaya melebarkan jurang dari selekoh 1 hingga selekoh 15, namun seperti yang dijangka, Enzo Zaragoza (Sepanyol), memanfaatkan slipstream untuk memintas Qabil sejurus memasuki Turn 16 dan melintasi garisan penamat dengan kelebihan hanya 0.062 saat di hadapan. Qabil menamatkan perlumbaan ditempat ke-2.
Race 2
Bermula di petak ke-2, Qabil tidak teragak-agak untuk melakukan holeshot sebaik sahaja lampu merah dipadam, sekaligus mendahului perlumbaan pada pusingan awal.
Motorland Aragon terletak di kawasan berbukit dengan keadaan cuaca panas disebabkan musim panas di Eropah, Qabil bijak mengatur strategi ketika pelumba lain berlumba-lumba merebut kedudukan hadapan. Kelompok hadapan yang terdiri daripada lapan pelumba memperlihatkan persaingan sengit di pertengahan perlumbaan untuk merebut kemenangan.
Qabil yang semakin matang dalam merancang strategi memilih untuk tidak memaksa diri mengetuai perlumbaan. Sebaliknya, Qabil kekal di kedudukan ke-4 sambil mengekori rapat pelumba di hadapan.
Pada pusingan terakhir, Qabil memulakan strategi dengan memintas satu demi satu pelumba sehingga berjaya mendahului di selekoh terakhir. Namun, beberapa meter sebelum garisan penamat, Alessio Arnold dari pasukan Full Moto Squadra Corse berjaya memintas Qabil dengan perbezaan masa yang amat kecil, hanya 0.028 saat. Qabil menamatkan perlumbaan di tempat kedua dalam satu penamat yang amat sengit.
🇬🇧 Motorland Aragon, Spain | 29 June 2025 – Qabil Irfan began Round 3 of the ESBK Talent Cup with outstanding form at the Motorland Aragon Circuit in Spain. Demonstrating strong pace from the outset, Qabil topped the timesheets in both Free Practice 3 and Free Practice 4, before securing the fastest lap in the Qualifying session. This commanding performance earned him pole position for Race 1.
Race 1
Race 1 took place in extremely hot conditions, with track temperatures reaching approximately 45°C. The Motorland Aragon Circuit, featuring 17 corners and a 968-metre straight, proved to be a challenging stage for all riders.
Qabil got off to a brilliant start, seizing the holeshot as the lights went out and leading in the opening laps. However, strong winds in Sector 4—especially between Turns 15 and 17—combined with the long straight, made it difficult to hold the lead, as the slipstream effect became a key factor for the chasing riders.
Throughout the race, the front group of four riders engaged in a fierce battle, constantly trading positions. On the final lap, Qabil made a bold move from Turn 1, pushing hard to create a gap up to Turn 15. Yet, as anticipated, Enzo Zaragoza of Spain utilised the slipstream to his advantage, making a decisive overtake at the entry to Turn 16 and crossing the line just 0.062 seconds ahead of Qabil. Qabil finished the race in a strong second place.
Race 2
Starting from second place, Qabil quickly took the lead as soon as the red lights went out.
Motorland Aragon is on a hilltop, and with the current summer heat in Europe, Qabil used a smart strategy while other riders fought hard to get to the front. A group of eight riders stayed close together in the middle of the race, making it very competitive.
Qabil, now more mature in planning his races, chose not to lead early. Instead, he stayed in fourth place and followed the front group closely.
On the final lap, Qabil made his move by overtaking one rider after another. He managed to take the lead at the last corner, but just a few metres before the finish line, Alessio Arnold from Full Moto Squadra Corse overtook him. Qabil finished in second place, just 0.028 seconds behind, in a very close race to the line.
#4 Qabil Irfan
Frando Racing VHC Team Liqui Moly
🇲🇾”Race 1 memang sengit. Saya cuba untuk push dan jarakkan diri dengan pelumba lain, tetapi tidak berjaya. Saya juga perasan kumpulan kedua semakin hampir kerana ada pelumba dalam kelompok saya yang mengetuai kumpulan agak perlahan. Strategi saya adalah untuk mendahului di lap terakhir dan cuba menjarakkan diri, tetapi saya dipintas di laluan lurus sebelum garisan penamat.”
“Race 2 agak mencabar untuk saya kerana terlalu ramai pelumba dalam kelompok hadapan. Saya cuba kekalkan pace untuk terus berada dalam kumpulan dan strategi saya adalah untuk menyerang di pusingan terakhir. Saya hampir menang, tetapi Alessio berjaya memintas saya sebelum garisan penamat. Saya ingin ucapkan terima kasih kepada Hakim Danish yang banyak membantu saya dari segi tunggangan dan strategi, serta kepada crew chief dan pasukan VHC yang sentiasa memberi sokongan sepanjang minggu ini.”
🇬🇧 “Race 1 was intense. I tried to push and break away from the other riders, but it didn’t work. I also noticed the second group closing in because one of the riders in our lead group was setting a slower pace. My strategy was to take the lead on the final lap and try to pull away, but I was overtaken on the straight just before the finish line.”
“Race 2 was quite challenging for me because there were so many riders in the front group. I tried to maintain my pace to stay with the pack, and my strategy was to attack on the final lap. I came close to winning, but Alessio managed to overtake me just before the finish line. I’d like to thank Hakim Danish for helping me a lot with my riding and race strategy, as well as my crew chief and the VHC team for their support throughout the week.”
Zulfahmi Khairuddin
Pengurus Pasukan SIC Racing
🇲🇾“Alhamdulillah, ini merupakan hujung minggu yang baik buat Qabil setelah menamatkan minggu perlumbaan dengan prestasi yang membanggakan. Qabil bermula dengan cemerlang sejak sesi Free Practice 3 dan 4, kedua-dua sesi di kedudukan pertama, dan seterusnya mencatat masa terpantas dalam sesi kelayakan untuk meraih Pole Position bagi Pusingan 3.
Untuk Race 1 dan Race 2, kita sedia tahu bahawa Litar Motorland Aragon mempunyai laluan lurus yang panjang, memberikan kelebihan kepada pelumba lain untuk menggunakan slipstream ketika memintas. Namun, saya melihat Qabil menunjukkan prestasi yang sangat baik dan bijak menggunakan strategi sepanjang perlumbaan. Walaupun dipintas pada saat-saat akhir, Qabil hanya tewas kurang daripada satu saat dalam kedua-dua perlumbaan.
Saya berharap Qabil dapat mengekalkan momentum dan prestasi sebegini sehingga penghujung musim. Tahniah kepada Qabil, dan terima kasih kepada semua penaja serta seluruh pasukan yang telah memberikan sokongan sepanjang minggu ini.”
🇬🇧 “Alhamdulillah, it has been a positive weekend for Qabil, having completed the race week with an impressive performance. He started strongly in Free Practice 3 and 4, topping both sessions, and went on to set the fastest time in qualifying to secure pole position for Round 3.
For both Race 1 and Race 2, we knew that Motorland Aragon has a long straight, which gives other riders an advantage when using the slipstream to overtake. However, I believe Qabil performed exceptionally well and showed great race strategy throughout. Although he was overtaken at the very last moments, he finished less than a second behind the winner in both races.
I hope Qabil can maintain this momentum and level of performance until the end of the season. Congratulations to Qabil, and thank you to all the sponsors and the entire team for their support throughout the week.”
