CHIRANTH’S MAIDEN VICTORY IN MOTEGI
The TVS Racing International Championship delivered another spectacular chapter at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, as India’s Chiranth Vishwanath emerged victorious in a breathtaking Race 1 battle at Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026. Chiranth edged Spain’s Vicente Perez Selfa and Malaysia’s Mohd Ramdan Rosli in a dramatic sprint to the chequered flag, with just 0.114s separating the top three finishers.
Starting from pole position, Vicente made the perfect launch and immediately asserted control of the race, leading Portugal’s Pedrinho Matos and Colombia’s Jhon A Lopez C through the opening laps. However, it quickly became clear that no rider would be able to escape from the chasing pack as a train of contenders remained locked together at the front.
On Lap 3, Pedrinho powered past Vicente to take the lead. At the same time, Malaysia’s Mohd Ramdan Rosli joined the fight, surging into second place while Jhon and Chiranth remained firmly in contention. The momentum shifted again a lap later as Chiranth briefly moved to the front before Ramdan responded immediately, setting the fastest lap of the race at 2’05.831s and reclaiming the lead.
With ten riders covered by less than a second, the race developed into a battle of strategy and positioning. Vicente returned to the front on Lap 5, but the advantage changed hands repeatedly as the leading riders traded places.
On Lap 6, Malaysia’s Md Naqib Rifqi, who had climbed into the leading group after setting the fastest lap earlier in the race, crashed out while fighting near the front. The incident reduced the contenders but did little to ease the intensity of the battle.
Entering the closing stages, Vicente continued to lead while Chiranth stalked closely behind. Spain’s Luis Miguel produced a late charge to move into podium contention, while Ramdan remained firmly in the hunt. By the final lap, five riders were separated by mere fractions of a second.
Race concluded with Chiranth timed his final attack to perfection and surged ahead, crossing the line in 16’57.997s to secure his maiden victory in the championship. Vicente was forced to settle for second, just 0.014s behind, while Ramdan completed the podium only 0.114s adrift of the winner. Luis Miguel and Nicaragua’s Andoni Dominguez rounded out an incredibly close top five.
Chiranth said, “Throughout the weekend, I felt I had the pace to win, and I knew I had a good chance of taking victory. At the end of the day, we managed to do it. I would like to dedicate this win to my mom and dad because without them, I wouldn’t be here. Before the race, I kept telling myself to stay focused and make the most of every opportunity, and that’s exactly what I did. I would also like to thank TVS Racing. They are the backbone of this championship and work incredibly hard behind the scenes. They have built a fantastic machine, and I’m grateful to the entire team for all their support.Many riders have strong pace and a fast bike, but in a one-make championship, everyone has the same opportunity. In the end, what matters is making the most of the race, and today I was able to do that. I’m very happy to take home my first victory.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. CHIRANTH VISHWANATH – INDIA (16’57.997s)
2. VICENTE PEREZ SELFA – SPAIN (16’58.011s)
3. MOHD RAMDAN ROSLI – MALAYSIA (16’58.111s)
4. LUIS MIGUEL – SPAIN (16’58.224s)
5. ANDONI DOMINGUEZ – NICARAGUA (16’58.551s)
