HAFIZH Syahrin Abdullah produced another fighting performance to finish eighth after starting from 21st on the grid in the British Motorcycle Grand Prix at Silverstone yesterday.
The 19-year-old Petronas Raceline Malaysia rider again proved that his determination was just as effective in dry conditions as it is in the wet by battling his way up and maintaining his composure to score more vital championship points.
The result moved Hafizh up to 19th in the championship standings with 29 points, as upfront the Marc VDS team registered another one-two finish with Spaniard Esteve Rabat taking victory ahead of Finnish teammate Mika Kallio.
The top of the Moto2 standings mirrored the podium with Rabat and Kallio in the top two positions, while Maverick Vinales of the Paginas Amarillas HP40 team finished third in the race to consolidate his third spot in the championship.
“I am so happy and no words can describe my feelings. It was a tough race and I was working and training hard before this to ensure my physical is strong to challenge big boys,” said Hafizh.
“Now I know the key and I will work even harder to close the gap with the very top runners. Many thanks to to my team who did more magic this morning to provide me an incredible bike. It was flawless and I could ride well.”
Compatriot Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of the Idemitsu Honda Team Asia gave yet another uninspiring performance by finishing 25th.
In the Moto3 class, Mohd Zulfahmi Khairuddin continued his struggle on the Ongetta-AirAsia Honda machine when he finished 18th, while SIC-Ajo’s Amirul Hafiq Mohd Azmi finished 20th. By Arnaz M. Khairul