Kasma may crash out of Moto2 due to money woes

PETALING JAYA: Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin’s (pic) days in the Moto2 world championship look to be numbered. He will have to pull out unless his team ONEXOX TKKR SAG can come up with RM3.23mil within the next two weeks.

ONEXOX TKKR, a Malaysian team, are in a bind now after the withdrawal of a major sponsor left them short of funds.

Team principal Bobie Farid Shamsudin said the team have not given up hope and are currently doing their best to find a replacement sponsor.

“We were supposed to receive the funds around June or July but that has not happened as the sponsor has withdrawn.

“I can’t blame them, considering the economic situation due to Covid-19, but it has left us in a difficult situation.

“We need roughly €650,000 (RM3.23mil) for Kasma to keep competing, otherwise we have little choice but to withdraw from the world championship. We really don’t want to go down that route but at the same time we have to be realistic.

“We’re still working hard to find a sponsor. You never know, anything is possible,” he said.

Bobie said he sympathised with Kasma, who has been forced to ride an older version of the Moto2 bike due to the financial situation the team are in.

“Considering the circumstances, Kasma has done very well so far.

“His bike is roughly 0.7s to 0.8s slower per lap than the newer bikes which have received chassis and engine updates. At the world championship level, that is a significant amount of time (lost).

“Kasma has been pushing really hard to make up that deficit against riders on newer bikes, which is why he has crashed a few times.

“After he crashes, he still has to use the same bike as we do not have any spare bike available. It is a very demoralising situation, not only for Kasma but also the team mechanics.”

The 20-year-old, who is Malaysia’s youngest winner of the Malaysian Cub Prix Championship, crashed out in the season-opening round in Qatar in March and Andalucia Grand Prix in Jerez last week.

He did relatively well to place 22nd at the Spanish Grand Prix, also in Jerez, earlier this month.