Hafizh resumes chase for rookie award at the Italian GP
PETALING JAYA: MotoGP rookie Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah will attempt to reclaim the top rookie spot after getting his feel back in time for the Italian round in Mugello this weekend.
The Malaysian rider struggled in Jerez, Spain, following a training injury on his bicycle at the beginning of the month but bounced back to finish a commendable 12th in the following round in Le Mans, France, two weeks ago.
He also had the opportunity to add more mileage on his MotoGP bike in testing at Montmelo, Spain, after the Le Mans race.
After five races, Hafizh is second in the rookie standings on 13 points, three points behind Italian Franco Morbidelli the 2017 Moto2 world champion.
Takaaki Nakagami of Japan has 10 points while two other rookies Thomas Luthi of Switzerland and Xavier Simeon of Belgium has yet to score world championship points.
“I look forward to the next round this weekend. For sure, my rookie competitors like Morbidelli are highly motivated to do well in Italy, but so am I.
“We had a productive test in Montmelo. I get along better and better with the bike and we also tried some small things, which gave me more confidence.
“I’ll give my best for the team and myself. The track in Mugello is very big, and I am riding there for the first time with a MotoGP bike.
“I will try to understand the layout as quick as possible. We know that the circuit is a very fast one which requires a very good top speed, so we will try to have a good setup to be ready in FP1 and attempt to get closer to the top with each session.
“My physical condition is very good and I’m training hard in order to challenge all the premier class riders.
“We’ll see what happens when we arrive there,” said Hafizh, who is 17th in the overall standings.