Malaysian wonderkid Hakim Danish battles through penalty and crash to claim two hard-fought second-place finishes at Le Mans in Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
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Malaysian rising star Hakim Danish put on a spectacular show of resilience and racecraft at the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, securing two second-place finishes in Races 1 and 2 of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup despite facing major challenges across the weekend.
In Race 1, Danish was handed a Long Lap Penalty following a collision incident with Vietnamese rider Luca Agostinelli. However, that didn’t stop him from delivering a standout performance. Having dominated all weekend in Free Practice 1, Free Practice 2, and Qualifying, Danish launched strongly off the line, only to be pushed back to fourth at Turn 3. Undeterred, he quickly regrouped and began chasing the leaders.
After serving his penalty on lap 3 and rejoining in fifth, Danish steadily climbed back up the order. A bold overtake on lap 7 put him in front, but a small error on lap 9 allowed Spain’s Brian Uriarte to reclaim the lead. The race was red-flagged on lap 11 due to an incident involving another rider, and final results were taken from the previous lap, placing Danish second on the podium.
The drama continued in Race 2 as rain soaked the French circuit. Danish got off to a strong start, but misfortune struck at Turn 3 when he crashed into Uriarte in slippery conditions. Refusing to surrender, the 16-year-old remounted and began a thrilling charge from 22nd position.
Lap after lap, Danish delivered one of the most determined comebacks of the season. He rose to fifth by lap 5 and continued to pull clear from the chasing pack. On lap 12, he inherited second position after a crash by Carter Thompson, and held his ground to the chequered flag, sealing another sensational P2 finish.
“Race 1 in Le Mans started off well. Early in the race, I tried to pull away and maintain the pace with Brian Uriarte. I also had to serve a Long Lap Penalty within the first three laps. Overall, I felt my pace was quite strong in this race. Unfortunately, the race was red-flagged with four laps to go, and I finished in second place,” said Danish.
“Race 2 didn’t start as well, as I crashed early on. I quickly got up, picked up the bike and tried to overtake as many riders as I could. I felt really confident throughout the race. My motivation was to stay calm — because when we’re calm, we can go faster. Overall, I think this was a very good race for me.”
The next round of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will take place on 7th and 8th June 2025 at Aragon, Spain, where all eyes will be on Danish as he continues his impressive campaign.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING
1.Hakim Danish, Malaysia : 80 pts
2. Benat Fernandez, Spain : 57pts
3. Brian Uriarte, Spain : 50 pts
4. Carter Thompson, Australia : 48 pts
5. Marco Morelli, Argentina – 47 pts
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