From starting out his career in motocross and now racing in one of the fastest leagues in the world, South African Moto3 rider Ruche Moodley said his debut season is all about learning.
The Eastern-Cape born speedster has already racked up six points in his first three races, and is eagerly awaiting the next time he gets to ride on a new track.
Moodley races for BOE Motorsports, with New Zealand teammate Cormac Buchanan.
The 18-year-old is north of Doha this weekend for the Qatar Grand Prix Moto3 race, and is preparing for his fourth race at the Lusail Circuit.
Moodley comes off a 16th-place finish at the Circuit of the Americas, narrowly missing out on points in a wet US Grand Prix.
He said tyre management at Austin was a crucial aspect of the race, as there were a lot of sectors that ate through the rubber.
He also had to deal with a wet COTA during qualifying and practice.
“Starting the race weekend with a wet session isn’t great, as it robs rookies of valuable track time. We can’t really learn where the ultimate limits are in the wet.
“From the start of the race, I had an odd feeling from the front-end of the bike.
“The grip from the front tyre didn’t give me lots of confidence, and it got worse as the race went on. After the race, we discovered that there was a technical issue with the front tyre.
“I knew that tyre performance degradation would be high at COTA.
“The high-speed corner sequences really eat away at the rubber. I knew if I bided my time, the performance would come to me later in the race,” Moodley said.
“We know this is a year of learning, and we take each race as it comes.
“Most of the tracks we visit this season will be completely new to me.
“COTA really does live up to its reputation as the Horsepower Rodeo, and I can’t wait to race here again,” he said.