Mika Ahola and score debut victory with HM CRE F480 R in Genoa
Team Honda-HM-Zanardo and Mika Ahola put in a solid and consistent performance that earned them the overall victory with new machinery. Realised in collaboration with Vertex, the new HM CRE F480R that Ahola will use to contest the 2011 E3 championship, was flawless throughout.
Passing the crono test with the fourth place, Mika Ahola conquered the final three tests with a 2nd position in Race 1, 1st in Race 2 and 3rd in Race 3.
The sum of the points saw Ahola climb to the highest step of the podium in front of three two-stroke machines of his nearest competitors.
Fellow team mate, Fabio Mossini finished 9th thanks to a 7th, 11th and 8th. The unlucky Oscar Balletti, was excluded in the final phases for a fall.
Mika Ahola, Team Honda-HM-Zanardo
– “This victory has been a surprise! I’m happy to be the first rider in classification with my Honda 4T in front of the favorite KTM 250 2T of Blazusiak and Oldrati and of the Husaberg 300 2T of Ljunggren. I’ve tested the new CRE F480 R 4T on Friday morning to try the stability with my drive characteristics. I have to admitted that the team has done a great work to bring the CRE F450 R 4T to a 480 cc. The fight with some adversaries and their two-stroke bike has been really exciting. In the end has been really hard fight with Oldrati. From January we will begin to develop this new 480cc bike. My 2011 objective is to win the E3 title; it’s very important for me because I’ve lost it in 2003 for few seconds behind Eriksson”.
Franco Mayr, Team Manager, Team Honda-HM-Zanardo – “Mika doesn’t stop surprising. Every competition he makes us live great emotions. In Genoa he should only try the new bike but that was not enough for him. He has conquered another great triumph and that’s the perfect begin for a now sporting season. We have to work on this new bike to make it more competitive but already now, after having won on a two-stroke bike, we know that we are working in the right direction”.
