Hakim Danish Delivers Strong Fourth-Place Finish at Sepang

The Malaysian rider produced one of his strongest performances of the 2026 Moto3 season, narrowly missing out on a podium finish after a thrilling battle at the Sepang International Circuit.

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National Moto3 racer, Hakim Danish Ramli, showcased a strong performance to local fans when he finished the 2026 Malaysian Grand Prix (GP) at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit (SIC) in fourth place after a fierce battle until the last corner.

The result was the best comeback for the Terengganu-born rider after enduring two challenging rounds in Indonesia and Australia, proving that he is back in top form ahead of the remaining three races this season.

Hakim Danish has shown a competitive pace since the practice session when they recorded the fifth fastest time in Free Practice 1 (FP1) with a time of 2:11.834.

The momentum continued in Qualifying 2 (Q2) when he recorded a time of 2:10.529 to take third place, thus starting the race from the front row.

This achievement also created history by becoming the first Malaysian rider to start a Moto3 race on the front row at Sepang after Zulfahmi Khairuddin back in 2012.

In the 15-lap race, Hakim Danish was always in the front group and exchanged positions several times with Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

He also managed to get into second place before attempting a final attack on Carpe in the final corner. However, the attempt failed after he slightly missed the race line.

Hakim Danish eventually finished the race in fourth place with a time of 33:12.044, just 0.226 seconds behind Carpe who completed the podium, while Máximo Quiles emerged as the race champion.

The result in Sepang allowed Hakim Danish to collect 13 points, thus increasing his total to 116 points and maintaining him in ninth place in the Moto3 World Championship standings. With three rounds remaining, the 18-year-old rider still has a chance to improve his position in the overall standings.

Although a little disappointed after failing to make it to the podium, Hakim Danish was still satisfied at having managed to give his best performance in front of his own fans.

“I’m very happy that I gave it my all in today’s race. I really wanted to be on the podium, but I missed that opportunity on the last corner. Nevertheless, I gave my very best for all the spectators, my family and the team.”

He also expressed his gratitude to all parties who have always provided support throughout the season.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to all my sponsors, especially ZK Racing, AEON Credit, my team, KBS, SIC and all the other sponsors. My appreciation also goes to all Malaysians who came to support me at the race today, as well as my family, the team and everyone who has continuously stood behind me. Yes, there are still three races remaining this season. I believe securing another podium or even a victory is still possible. I will continue fighting towards that goal and always strive to give my best in every race.”

SIC Racing Team Manager, Zulfahmi Khairuddin, described his protégé’s performance as a very positive development even though a podium finish did not materialize.

According to him, Hakim Danish managed to maintain consistent performance throughout the race week and proved that he was capable of competing with the best Moto3 riders.

“Of course, a podium finish would have been better, but fourth place is still a positive result, especially compared to his performance at Phillip Island just seven days ago. This time, he was genuinely able to fight for a podium position.”

Zulfahmi also believes that Hakim Danish’s career journey is still long and he has great potential to continue to grow if he remains focused and increases his consistency in the remaining races this season.

After an impressive performance in Sepang, Hakim Danish will now turn his attention to the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit, which will take place next weekend.

With growing confidence from his performance on home soil, the Malaysian rider is expected to once again be in the hunt for his first podium of the season in an effort to end the 2026 campaign on a high note.