THE much awaited arrival of promising teenager Zaqhwan Zaidi on the world stage is imminent as the 19-year- old yesterday revealed a sensational coup that will see him filling a slot in the Moto2 class for the full season of the FIM World Motorcycle Championship next year.
Signs were that it was only a matter of time before the youngster from Semenyih made that leap forward having completed a record-breaking season this year with three titles and an impressive ninth place finish from seventh on the grid riding as a Supersports class wildcard for the first time in Round Six of the World Superbike Championship (SBK) at Sepang in June.
The pint-sized rider also claimed a rare 100 per cent record of sweeping titles in all championships he contested this year, having won the Supersports 600cc class in the Asia Road Racing Championship, the Superbike championship of the Malaysian Super Series (MSS) and the CP130 class in the Malaysian Cub Prix Championship.
“No matter what, I believe this is the step forward that I want to
take as it has been my only dream to compete in the World Championships and become a world champion,” said Zaqhwan, who will be on board a Suter machine run by a Malaysian outfit which gained a late slot in the Moto2 class.
The new Malaysian outfit, said Zaqhwan, will be revealed prior to the first official pre-season tests in Jerez, Spain in February.
“What I can say is that I am proud to be doing it with a Malaysian team that is shaping up quite well and we will have good support from manufacturers and from sponsors in order to achieve our goals,” said Zaqhwan.
“Currently I am working hard on preparations, especially on my fitness.
“I feel in terms of readiness, my experience racing as a wildcard in the Moto2 class in 2013 and in the SBK will help.
“The level of racing in the ARRC was also high, so it also helped a lot.”
The new Malaysian outfit will be run by experienced hands, while it will also be running in distinctly Malaysian livery.
Zaqhwan will join confirmed full season compatriots Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (Idemitsu Honda Racing Asia) in the Moto2 class, but will be camped with Moto3 rider Mohd Zulfahmi Khairuddin when based in Spain.