The Avant Ajo MotoE rider finishes Race 2 at Misano in ninth position

This Sunday saw Race 2 of the sixth round of the FIM MotoE World Cup season, held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli alongside the San Marino GP. Hikari Okubo faced a tough race due to high temperatures, and finished in ninth place.

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider started from eleventh on the grid and made up positions to enter the Top 10. The intense temperatures prevented Okubo from maintaining a higher pace, and he eventually came home in ninth.

Okubo finishes the season sixth in the overall standings with 95.5 points, improving on his results from last season.

Results – Race 2
1. Matteo Ferrari 13:52.553
2. Mattia Casadei +0.195
3. Eric Granado +0.673
4. Dominique Aegerter +1.092
5. Jordi Torres +1.304
9. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) +6.434

FIM MotoE World Cup Standing 2022
1. Dominique Aegerter 227 points
2. Eric Granado 192.5 points
3. Matteo Ferrari 162.5 points
4. Mattia Casadei 156 points
5. Miquel Pons 124 points
6. Hikari Okubo 95.5 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“Overall, we are happy with how the season and the weekend have gone. Hikari was consistent not just at Misano, but also every weekend. We have finished in a good position. We have taken some good points and he has been able to fight for the top positions.”

 

78 HIKARI OKUBO

“It was a tough race. I tried to push from the start but the temperatures were very high and the front tyre was suffering. I almost crashed, so I didn’t want to take the risk. It’s not the way I would have liked the season to end, but we have taken some points to finish the year in sixth position. We have improved our results compared to the last season. Many thanks to the team for all the work that they have done this year, and thanks also to the sponsors for their support.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider fights back in Race 1

The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli hosts the last round of the FIM MotoE World Cup this weekend. This Saturday, the first of the two scheduled races was held, in which Hikari Okubo finished in seventh position, moving up four places.

The Japanese, who started from the fourth row of the grid, made a good start that allowed him to gain several places on the opening laps. Okubo kept up a good race pace and tried to catch the front group. After establishing a gap, the Avant Ajo MotoE rider took the chequered flag in seventh position. 

The FIM MotoE World Cup season will come to an end with the second race at Misano, which will start at 3:30pm on Sunday and will be held over 8 laps.

Results (Race 1)
1. Mattia Casadei 13:52.413
2. Dominique Aegerter 1:43.570 +0.134
3. Matteo Ferrari 1:43.212 +0.188
4. Jordi Torres 1:43.261 +0.288
5. Alex Escrig 1:44.095 +5.086
7. Hikari Okubo 1:43.891 +5.534

FIM MotoE World Cup Standing 2022
1. Dominique Aegerter 214 points
2. Eric Granado 176.5 points
3. Matteo Ferrari 137.5 points
4. Mattia Casadei 136 points
5. Miquel Pons 115 points
6. Hikari Okubo 88.5 points

78 HIKARI OKUBO

“It was a tough race. I had the chance to fight for the Top 5 and I tried to catch up with the leading group. I didn’t want to take too many risks, because it’s important to score points for the championship and not crash. Tomorrow we have another race, and we hope it will be better and that we can achieve a good result.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider will take off from eleventh at the sixth round of the FIM MotoE World Cup

Hikari Okubo took part in Free Practice and qualifying for the sixth and final round of the season on Friday at Misano. After fighting to make it directly into Q1, he will finally start from the fourth row of the grid, in eleventh position.

The Japanese rider began the first Free Practice of the weekend with a solid result. The Avant Ajo MotoE rider had a good feeling from the get-go, and remained in the top positions throughout the session. With a time of 1:45.091, achieved on his penultimate lap of nine, he finished in third position.

Okubo’s goal in the second and final Free Practice was to qualify directly for Q2. Whilst he would finish tenth with a 1:44.585, he was forced to go into Q1. In Q1, he showed a great pace and was one of the frontrunners. The Avant Ajo MotoE rider eventually occupied third in the session thanks to a 1:44.403, earning him eleventh on the grid.

The first MotoE race will be held on Saturday at 4:25 PM local time at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Dominique Aegerter 1:43.174
2. Mattia Casadei 1:43:415 +0.241
3. Jordi Torres 1:43.442 +0.268
4. Eric Granado 1:43.451 +0.277
5. Matteo Ferrari 1:43.652 +0.478
11. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo) 1:44.403 (Q1 time)

#78 HIKARI OKUBO

“It was not an easy day. I had a crash in FP2 and my lap was cancelled, so I had to go through Q1. It was not our goal as we wanted to make it into Q2 to get a good position on the grid. I’m not entirely happy with how the day went and tomorrow we’ll have to move up a lot of positions to get a good result, but we’ll give it our all in the last two races of the season.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider travels to Misano for the sixth and final round of the year.

The FIM MotoE World Cup season concludes this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Hikari Okubo arrives in Italy focused on taking good results in the final two races.

The Avant Ajo MotoE man put in a solid performance at Round 5, in Austria. Okubo climbed to fourth place in the first race of the weekend. On the Sunday, the Japanese rider rose up the order again, crossing the finish line in seventh place. He currently occupies sixth in the overall standings, with 79.5 points.

The two 8-lap races at Misano will be held on Saturday at 4:25pm and on Sunday at 3:30pm. Avant Ajo MotoE secured victory at the Misano Circuit in 2019 with Niki Tuuli.

Circuit information – Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
Length: 4.226 m / 2.626 miles
Width: 12 m / 39.37 ft.
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 10
Longest straight: 530 m / 0.329 miles
Constructed: 1969

78 HIKARI OKUBO
“My goal at recent races was the podium, but the most important thing was to get points for the standings. We are sixth and that is positive. We are clear that we have to set a good time in qualifying to be able to do well in the races. If we achieve this, we will have more of a chance to be able to fight for the podium. As always, we will do our best from the first session of the weekend, to end the year in the best possible way.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider finishes the second race in Austria in seventh position

Hikari Okubo completed the fifth round of the FIM MotoE World Cup in Austria, placing seventh in a closely contested race.

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider faced the second race of the weekend with the aim of fighting for the leading positions. After starting from the fourth row of the grid, Okubo was feeling good and started to climb positions. On the final laps he tried to catch the front group to make it into the Top 5, but finally he crossed the finish line in seventh position.

Okubo is sixth in the overall standings with 79.5 points. The FIM MotoE World Cup season finale will be held at Misano, from September 1st-4th.

Results – Race 2
1. Eric Granado 11:54.464
2. Miquel Pons +0.248
3. Dominique Aegerter +0.428
4. Mattia Casadei +0.482
5. Alex Escrig +2.641
7. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) +3.082

FIM MotoE World Cup Standing 2022
1. Dominique Aegerter 194 points
2. Eric Granado 176.5 points
3. Matteo Ferrari 121.5 points
4. Miquel Pons 115 points
5. Mattia Casadei 111points
6. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) 79.5 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager

“Hikari had a very solid weekend in Austria. Fourth place in the first race is a good result after starting from the fourth row of the grid. He had a good race today as well, although he was unable to reach the front group.”

#78 HIKARI OKUBO

“Today I again made up positions in the race. I’m not entirely happy, but I fought to get into the Top 5. I made a mistake on the first few laps and that prevented me from reaching the group. The problem for me is usually qualifying, and I think if I started higher up, including on the front row, I could get better results. We’ve got some good points for the championship and now it’s time to continue progressing.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider finishes fourth after starting from twelfth place

Hikari Okubo moved his way up the order in the first race of the fifth round of the season. After starting from the fourth row of the grid, the Japanese rider crossed the finish line in fourth place.

He took off from twelfth after failing to get past Q1 on Friday. Okubo faced the race with the maximum motivation and climbed positions lap after lap. He improved his pace and he tried to reach the front group, reaching fourth in the last laps. He is now sixth in the overall standings with 70.5 points.

The second MotoE race at the Round 5 will be held over 7 laps on Sunday at 3:30pm.

Results (Race 1)
1. Eric Granado 11:55.313
2. Dominique Aegerter 1:41.480 +1.271
3. Miquel Pons 1:41.480 +1.797
4. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) 1:41:471 +3.369
5. Hector Garzo 1:41.334 +3.589

FIM MotoE World Cup Standing 2022
1. Dominique Aegerter 178 points
2. Eric Granado 151.5 points
3. Matteo Ferrari 114.5 points
4. Mattia Casadei 98 points
5. Miquel Pons 95 points
6. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) 70.5 points

#78 HIKARI OKUBO

“It wasn’t a bad race. I tried to catch up with the front group to fight for the podium, but I was taking too many risks. I’m happy with the result and we earned some good points. Tomorrow we’ll try to do even better to get another good result.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider places twelfth in qualifying

Hikari Okubo started the fifth round of the FIM MotoE World Cup this Friday at the Austrian Red Bull Ring circuit. After free practice, Okubo took part in Q1, but was unable to make it into Q2. He will start from twelfth position on Saturday race.

The first free practice was held in the rain. The Japanese Avant Ajo MotoE rider worked to find a good feeling in delicate track conditions and improved his times lap after lap. His best was set on his last attempt, although it was canceled and would not count. Finally, he was thirteenth with a time of 1:52.313, clocked on his seventh lap.

In FP2, Okubo started with a good feeling, leading the way. In much more favourable track conditions than in the morning, he was able to improve his times, and was eleventh with a 1:43.075 on his penultimate lap.

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider gave 100% to qualify move out of Q1, although he was finally fourth in the session with a time of 1:42.057. He will take off from the fourth row of the grid in Austria.

The first MotoE race will take place at 4:25 PM, while the second will be on Sunday at 3:30 PM. Both will be held over six laps.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Eric Granado 1:41.390
2. Mattia Casadei 1:41.530 +0.140
3. Matteo Ferrari 1:41.569 +0.179
4. Kevin Zannoni 1:41.596 +0.206
5. Dominique Aegerter 1:41.642 +0.252
12. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo) 1:42.057 (Q1 time)

#78 HIKARI OKUBO

“I didn’t have a bad feeling today. The conditions in FP1 and FP2 were very different, but even so we are close. I fought to qualify for Q2; it wasn’t possible but I trust that tomorrow we can have a good race and fight for the podium.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider will contest two races this weekend at the Red Bull Ring.

The FIM MotoE World Cup will hold its fifth round of the season this weekend, as Hikari Okubo will take part in two races in Austria. The Japanese rider arrives at the Red Bull Ring motivated to get good results, after two difficult races at Assen back in June.

Okubo was unable to set a qualifying lap in the Netherlands due to a combination of a mechanical problem and the cancellation of FP2 due to heavy rain, so started both races from last on the grid. The Avant Ajo MotoE rider competed in the first race having had limited track time beforehand and climbed positions before finishing 13th. In Race 2, cut short due to a red flag, he improved his place on the opening laps and was 11th.

Okubo is eighth in the overall standings with 57.5 points. The first 6-lap race of Round 5 will be held on Saturday at 4:25 PM local time, the second on Sunday, at 3:30 PM.

Circuit information – Red Bull Ring
Length: 4.318 m / 2.683 miles
Width: 13 m / 42.65 ft.
Left corners: 3
Right corners: 8
Longest straight: 626 m / 2053.81 ft.
Constructed: 1969

78 HIKARI OKUBO
“I have really enjoyed this summer break. I participated in the Suzuka 8 Hours and I haven’t stopped training. The last race didn’t go as we expected due to a mechanical problem and the conditions were difficult, but we were able to gain places. I have good memories of the Red Bull Ring, because it is a favourable track for my riding style. We will give our all and try to get back on the podium this weekend.”

The Avant Ajo MotoE rider completes the second race of the Round 4 and the last contest before the summer break

The second race of the weekend at Assen for the MotoE series was shortened in distance, due to weather conditions, and concluded earlier than planned due to a red flag caused by a crash. Hikari Okubo finished eleventh, fighting back from last place. 

Race 2 of the fourth round of the MotoE World Cup was first delayed, then reduced to 6 laps as a result of rain. The Avant Ajo MotoE rider started from eighteenth position on the grid. Getting off the line brilliantly, he immediately climbed up to thirteenth. With three laps to go, an incident forced the race to be red flagged, bringing it to an early close. Okubo was awarded eleventh position, although with the race not going beyond two-thirds completion, only half the regular points were given.

Okubo is eighth in the overall standings with 57.5 points. The fifth round of the MotoE World Cup will be held at Silverstone, England, from August 5-7th.

Results (Race 2)
1. Eric Granado 5:21.094
2. Dominique Aegerter +0.270
3. Mattia Casadei +0.556
4. Matteo Ferrari +0.646
5. Niccolo Canepa +2.784
11. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) +9.943

MotoE World Cup Standings 2022
1. Dominique Aegerter 158 points
2. Eric Granado 126.5 points
3. Matteo Ferrari 112.5 points
4. Mattia Casadei 98 points
5. Miquel Pons 79 points
8. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) 57.5 points

#78 HIKARI OKUBO

“It’s been a very strange and stressful day. I finished eleventh and I gained several positions. The race was declared wet and I wasn’t confident with the bike in these conditions, so I didn’t want to take risks. We got points, which is the important thing. It has been a very different weekend, in which I have barely been able to ride. We will continue to work and prepare for the next race at Silverstone.”

Hikari Okubo finishes the first race of the weekend at Assen in thirteenth

Hikari Okubo completed the first race of the fourth round of the FIM MotoE World Cup in thirteenth place, fighting his way back from last on the grid.

Friday had been a difficult day for the Avant Ajo MotoE rider, who was hindered by a mechanical issue and the cancelation of MotoE FP2 due to heavy rain. Whilst Q1 was held in dry conditions, the Avant Ajo MotoE rider crashed at the start of the run and was unable to continue. Having failed to register a time, Okubo classified in the last position on the grid, 18th. 

Okubo faced the first MotoE race of the weekend having practically enjoyed zero track time. Despite this, the Japanese rider climbed several positions to reach 14th off the start. When the group split, he dropped back two places, but recovered to claim 13th at the chequered flag.

The second MotoE race at the Round 4 will be held on Sunday at 3:30 PM local time, contested over 8 laps.

Results (Race 1)
1. Dominique Aegerter 13:55.704
2. Eric Granado +0.072
3. Mattia Casadei +0.081
4. Matteo Ferrari +0.507
5. Hector Garzo +0.960
13. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) +12.834

#78 HIKARI OKUBO

“It was a difficult day, because yesterday we couldn’t put in practically any laps due to issues with the bike. Finally we were permitted to start the race from the back of the grid. It wasn’t easy as we had to understand the behaviour of the bike – which we didn’t manage to do. Even so, we were able to climb positions. Tomorrow we hope to do better and be able to fight for a good result.”