KUALA LUMPUR: Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah narrowly missed out on a Moto2 podium finish at the Catalan Motorcyle Grand Prix yesterday but matched his best performance of the season after coming in fourth.
The Petronas Raceline rider was in sight of a second career podium - and first since the 2012 Malaysian Motorcycle GP - but was unable to get past third-placed Takaaki Nakagami of Japan, who finished 1.464 seconds ahead of the Malaysian.
But Hafizh, 22, can be pleased with his effort which is his best since finishing fourth the season-opening race in Qatar.
Hafizh, who crossed the finish line 10.777 seconds behind race winner Frenchman Johann Zarco of Ajo Motorsport, earned 13 points to move up three rungs to fifth in the championships standings on 60 points. Spaniard Alex Rins came in second, 4.180 seconds later.
Riding a Kalex machine, it was also Hafizh's best finish in four visits to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he ended up 14th last year.
In the same race, Ramadan Rosli of Petronas AHM finished 19th, 1:22.466s behind Zarco.
Khairul Idham Pawi and Adam Norrodin endured disappointing outings in the Moto3 race after neither reached the finish line.
For a second race in a row, Argentina GP winner Khairul, 17, crashed out with the finish line in sight.
Just as he had done in Italy two weeks ago, had nothing to show for his trouble, crashing out with three laps to go while riding in sixth place, apparently losing his front end at Turn 10.
His exit completed a miserable day for Honda Team Asia after their Japenese rider Hiroki Ono was forced out of the race just three laps in.
Adam, of Drive M7 SIC Racing Team, lasted just five laps while Khairul was left in 13th place in the championship standings on 29 points.
Estrella Galicia's Spaniard Jorge Navarro won the Moto2 race in 42:18.228s on a Honda, just 0.564s ahead of South African Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM Ajo.