After an unforgettable victory in Malaysia with Taiyo Furusato, the Moto3 Honda Team Asia arrived in Portimão motivated and confident. The Portuguese Grand Prix at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve was the 21st round of the 2025 season and second to last event of the year.
The weekend also marked the debut of Zen Mitani, replacing Tatchakorn Buasri. The team decided to let Buasri fully recovering from shoulder surgery, so as not to compromise his future.
The first day was extremely positive for the team – despite tricky weather conditions – with Furusato finishing second at the end of the practice sessions. The Japanese rider showed a good pace from the FP1 and improved significantly in the afternoon session, securing a strong position ahead of qualifying.
On the other side of the garage, Zen Mitani quickly adapted to the Moto3. The young Japanese rider completed his first day in P22, just under one second from the top ten.
The qualifying day started with a damp track after overnight rain, making the first session tricky for everyone. In the morning practice, Mitani finished 15th, ahead of his teammate Furusato closing 16th. In qualifying, Mitani continued to impress, finishing fifth in Q1 and securing P19 on the grid while Furusato got the 11th place in Q2, making his lap time alone.
The race was a tough 19-lap battle. Taiyo Furusato, starting from the fourth row, was author of a spectacular comeback. Lap by lap, the Japanese rider gained positions using intelligence and showing maturity and confidence. Taiyo joined the front group in the final part of the race and fought for victory until the final corners. He finally got the 3rd place.
Zen Mitani, at his first race with the team, finished P19. The young Japanese rider showed his competitiveness and fought hard demonstrating good potential and strong adaptation: a promising start to his journey with the team.
It’s time to fly directly to Valencia for the final race of the 2025 season with strong energy and motivation.
MOTO3: TAIYO FURUSATO #72
Grid P11-Race 3
It feels amazing to be back on the podium. I managed the race well, stayed calm, and focused on saving the tyres for the end. The pace was strong, and I could make good overtakes lap by lap. The victory in Malaysia gave me more confidence and maturity, and today I used that experience to make the right moves at the perfect time.
I want to thank my team for the great work this weekend. The bike was perfect, and I’m really happy to give them another podium. Now we go to Valencia full of motivation and ready to finish the season in the best way possible
MOTO3: ZEN MITANI #2
Grid P19- Race 19
It wasn’t the result I wanted, but it was a positive race overall. It was my first Grand Prix with this team, and I learned a lot during these three days. I was fighting in a good group, quite close to the points, and the feeling on the bike improved step by step.
I’ll keep working to understand everything better and to adapt my riding more to this category. Thank you to the team for the great support and welcome — now I’ll focus on Valencia to make another step forward.
HIROSHI AOYAMA – Team Manager
It was a really tight race from start to finish — the lap times were very close between all riders, so it was a tough 19-lap battle. Taiyo Furusato started a bit behind the leading group and needed time to overtake, but in the last part of the race, he caught them and fought for the victory. His lap time dropped slightly at the end, but finishing third is a great result, and I’m really happy with how he managed the race.
For Mitani, it was his first race with us, and he did very well considering the conditions. He finished 19th, just a little over one second away from the points, which shows he was competitive. The track and weather were not easy, but both riders performed well. Thanks to all our sponsors and supporters — we’ll keep this positive momentum going into Valencia.
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