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.

Qabil Irfan:

“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.”