HAFIZH EYES MEMORABLE FINISH IN QATAR
MotoGP debutant Hafizh wows ’em by qualifying 15th
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian rookie MotoGP rider Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah raised eyebrows by qualifying 15th in his first-ever premier class qualifying session at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.
The 23-year-old put up an impressive performance on Saturday to conclude his third free practice remarkably inside the top 15.
With his first MotoGP qualifying effort taking place under floodlights, Hafizh did not buckle under pressure but continued with his momentum to maintain the 15th position with 1:55.258.
Hafizh, who will start from the fifth row on the grid for Monster Yamaha Tech 3, was delighted with his qualifying effort despite his lack of experience.
“I really felt good today. I could have done even better, because in turn nine I went a little bit wide.
“If not for that, I would have been a tenth of a second faster. But anyway, the 15th position to start my first-ever MotoGP race is really great for me.
“I’m also very happy about the great teamwork. Now, I’ll focus on the race and hope that I won’t make any mistakes during the 22 laps,” said Hafizh, who became the first Malaysian to ride in MotoGP after he was named as the late replacement for German Jonas Folger.
Teammate Johann Zarco put up a phenomenal performance to seal the pole position by breaking the 10-year-old track record.
His remarkable time of 1:53.680 beat Jorge Lorenzo’s previous record set in 2008 by 0.247s.
In Moto2, SIC Racing Team rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin qualified for 28th with 2:04.780.
Another Malaysian rider Khairul Idham Pawi, riding for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, was 25th fastest with 2:02.433.