PASIR SALAK: The father of Malaysian Moto3 rider Khairul Idham Pawi who made heads turn by winning his second World MotoGP Championship Moto3 title at the German Grand Prix (GP) in Sachsenring yesterday, had to celebrate his son's victory with a pinch of salt.
Pawi said though his son's victory decorated the front and back pages of local and international dailies, he had no reason to celebrate because financial support to boost his son's career was not forthcoming.
"I hope his second victory will be an eye opener. We need about RM200,000 to launch his career and send an official to accompany him. I am happy that he won in Germany but we really need financial assistance to support him.
"We are actually footing the bill to send an official to accompany him. We are thankful to the Perak state government for their support but I hope more will come forward to assist us," he told reporters here today.
On Sunday, Khairul or KIP in short, proved that his win in Argentina was no flash in the pan by winning his second Moto3 title in Germany, albeit a wet track, just like in Argentina.
The victory was all the more sweet as he had started from 20th spot on the grid.
Pawi, a 52-year-old oil palm dealer had said earlier that his family was initially concerned about the 17-year-old’s condition in Argentina as none of them could accompany him due to the high cost involved.
The Honda Team Asia rider from Kampung Gajah, Perak proved that he really is the king of wet conditions by riding unchallenged to the finishing line and clocking 47 minutes 07.763 seconds to win the race.
"When he was young, he likes to train in the rain and that probably gave him the extra confidence to excel in wet conditions," he said.
With the win, Khairul Idham is now 10th in the Moto3 standings after collecting 54 points. South African racer Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM Ajo is still leading with 159 points.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had also congratulated Khairul Idham for winning the German Moto3 Grand Prix at Sachsenring Circuit on Sunday.