Aeziah Divine Encouraged By Season Opener
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Bermudian motorcycle racer Aeziah Divine said he has taken plenty of positives from his debut for British development team Microlise Cresswell Racing in the R&G British Talent Cup first round at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain last weekend.
Competing in the Moto3 class, Divine qualified in 26th position before finishing 20th, 25th, and 21st in his three races in the premier national championship, run by Bennetts British Superbikes [BSB].
Derbyshire-based Microlise Cresswell Racing, who won the R&G British Talent Cup title in 2021, have supported many young riders to progress through elite British and European pathways.
“I had some good battles in all three races, but especially in races two and three,” said Divine, who races a Honda NSF250R motorcycle.
“In my first race, I battled with one of the other rookies in the class for several laps until he lost the front and spun out.
“In the next two races, I was in a group of three to four riders for most of them. I enjoyed the races, and it was nice to get more laps in as I’m still learning the bike and how to get the most out of it.
“Although I had a few hiccups throughout the weekend, including an issue in qualifying, I really enjoyed everything. I definitely know what I need to work on now.”
The 14-year-old, who competed in the Moto5 class in the Finetwork MIR Racing Cup in Spain last year, said he was particularly encouraged by his race starts but admits it was tough racing alone and not in a group.
“If you can try to latch onto one of the groups and stay with them, you can have a good tow to keep you with the pack and bring down your lap times quite a lot,” he said.
“When racing by myself, I went about three seconds slower on average. With a tow and slipstream, you can gain about a second or two just from having someone else in front of you, which I did really enjoy.
“If I’m by myself, I find it very hard to catch back up to other riders. When you see Moto3 races, the riders are all in bunches – they don’t try to overtake each other too much.
“They’re all trying to get a tow and stay together so they don’t lose time because even when you’re trying to overtake people, the person in front of you might mess up, or you can make a mistake and slow the whole group down.
“You must be strategic about when to make the safest or least risky pass. If you have a good start, it’s always best to try and latch onto the faster riders to take that advantage.”
Divine will now turn his attention to the second round at Donington Park in Derby from May 17 to 19.
“Thanks to my team, Microlise Cresswell Racing, for all the hard work and support to keep me on track, especially getting me out for my first race after the engine died during qualifying,” he added.
Divine is sponsored by Aries Sports Centre, Mailboxes, Butterfield & Vallis, Ashanti Leadership, Vibe 103, AceBoy Sports Group, and generous individuals.
