CARLSEN PRIMED FOR POLE
Filipino rider Carlsen Jacob Solis of FCC – HONDA PHILIPPINES INC RACING TEAM stole the attention after dominated both Free Practice sessions to emerge as the fastest rider in the combined standings of the MSBK250 B category on the opening day of Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.
Carlsen maintained his impressive momentum from the season opener with a flawless performance throughout Friday’s practice sessions. After setting the benchmark in Free Practice 1 with a lap of 2’31.644s, the Filipino further raised the bar in Free Practice 2 by improving his pace to a session-best 2’30.665s, while also recording the highest top speed of the day at 132.44kph.
His consistent pace placed him comfortably at the top of the combined practice classification, reinforcing his status as one of the leading contenders heading into Saturday’s crucial Qualifying session.
Close behind was Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan of RACR CASTROL POWER1, who enjoyed another encouraging outing after clocking the second-fastest time in both practice sessions. Kabilesh improved from 2’32.754s in Free Practice 1 to 2’31.500s in Free Practice 2, finishing just 0.835 seconds adrift of Carlsen in the overall standings. His steady progression highlighted the strong pace he has carried into Round 2 as he continues to establish himself among the front-runners in the category.
Completing the top three was Ng Wei Shyang from MAGIC PAPAYA RACING TEAM. Wei Shyang showed significant improvement over the course of the day, lowering his lap time from 2’39.019s in the opening session to 2’36.058s in Free Practice 2 to secure third overall.
Carlsen shared, “I’m really happy with how today went because we managed to finish P1 in both Free Practice sessions, but for me, the work is far from over. Practice is all about understanding the bike, finding the right rhythm and identifying the areas where I can still improve. We collected a lot of valuable information today, and I believe there’s still more performance to unlock.”
“My goal for tomorrow is simple – stay consistent, keep building my confidence lap after lap and fight for pole position. I know the competition will be even stronger in Qualifying, so I can’t afford to relax. Every lap matters, and I want to keep pushing myself to be faster while maintaining a good rhythm. Hopefully, everything comes together, and we can start Race 1 from the best possible position.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – FREE PRACTICE (COMBINED)
1. CARLSEN JACOB SOLIS – FCC – HONDA PHILIPPINES INC RACING TEAM (2’30.665s)
2. KABILESH RAJINI KRISHNAN – RACR CASTROL POWER1 (2’31.500s)
3. NG WEI SHYANG – MAGIC PAPAYA RACING TEAM (2’36.058s)