KUALA LUMPUR: Rebuilding Khairul Idham Pawi's confidence will be a priority for Petronas Sprinta Racing ahead of the new Moto2 season which begins in March.
The former Moto3 sensation, who won two races in his debut season in the lightweight class in 2016, has struggled to make an impact since his move up to Moto2 last year.
But Khairul has made a good impression since making the switch to Petronas Sprinta Racing last month, and team manager Johan Stigefelt is optimistic of his potential.
The Perak-born rider ended the first pre-season test at Jerez last week in 21st place.
“We are very surprised with Khairul, he is a nice kid and a very good rider. He is giving us some interesting feedback and I think he has a lot of potential,” said Stigefelt.
“He had a very tough 2018 season and we have to help him get his confidence back which was one of the objectives of this test. We have had quite a bit of dry track time and been able to analyse a few details.
“We are just missing a (fast) lap time but Khairul has given a lot more than the timesheets suggest. Now we are going to take a break before next year when we return to action for more tests.”
Khairul, racing for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, finished the 2017 Moto2 season in 27th place with 10 points but settled for 30th this year with a solitary point to show.
Testing will resume at Jerez on Feb 20 and at Losail in Qatar on March 1. Losail will also host the season opening race on March 10.