Rookie MotoGP rider Diogo Moreira enjoyed an encouraging first Friday in the premier class at Buriram, ending the day 18th overall with a best lap of 1:30.101.
The LCR Honda rider took part in his first official FP1 and Practice sessions as a full-time MotoGP competitor, marking an important milestone after the conclusion of pre-season testing.
From the opening session, Moreira demonstrated promising speed and solid consistency while continuing to adapt to the demands of the category. The Brazilian focused on understanding the bike’s behaviour over longer runs and learning from more experienced riders on track.
“I’m happy. We improved a lot today,” Moreira said. “Overall, we’re satisfied. We just need to put together the perfect lap. It’s my first Friday of the season and there were many things to keep under control. I’m still learning and I will keep improving.”
A handful of small mistakes during his time attack prevented him from improving his lap time late in the session. As a result, Moreira will have to compete in Q1 on Saturday to fight for a stronger grid position.
“On the time attack I made a few mistakes, and that’s why we didn’t improve the lap time,” he admitted.
Despite the setback, the mood within the garage remains positive. Moreira revealed that following other riders on track helped accelerate his learning process.
“I was able to follow some rivals to learn from them, and that helped me a lot. Let’s keep working like this.”
With valuable track time now under his belt, the Brazilian heads into Saturday aiming to build on Friday’s progress and deliver a stronger performance in qualifying and the Sprint.
