KUALA LUMPUR: Rookie Khairul Idham Pawi notched an impressive fourth fastest time in qualifying at the Argentina Motorcycle Grand Prix this morning but was left to rue a penalty he had incurred earlier in free practice.
The Moto3 rider clocked a best lap of one minute and 50.204 seconds at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit but will start from seventh in the race due to a three-place penalty for slow riding during the first free practice session on Friday.
The dusty, low grip conditions on Friday saw the Honda Team Asia rider him backing off the pace on Friday as he learned the lines. Race Direction had deemed his slow riding as 'irresponsible behaviour'.
Khairul said he is looking to consolidate with a strong showing in the race early tomorrow.
"With a good setup today, I was able to ride with confidence," said the 17-year-old.
"I am sorry to have made a mistake in free practice but finally I took a good grid position for the race.
"I will give my 100 per cent to get a good result for myself and everyone who has supported me."
Fellow rookie Adam Norrodin (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) managed 17th on 1:50.958s while his teammate Jakub Kornfeil (Czech Republic) was 15th on 1:50.753s.
In Moto2, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (Petronas Raceline), who came in fourth at the season opening Qatar GP last month, could only manage 12th on 1:44.055s after being hampered by traffic.