Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, the defending champion, delivered an impressive performance to finish fastest in the Asia Superbike 1000cc (ASB1000) Combined Practice session during Round 1 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the iconic Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
Representing the JDT Racing Team, Hafizh clocked the quickest lap time of 2:05.549 minutes, set during Practice 3, to lead the combined timesheet in a competitive field of regional superbike riders.
The former MotoGP rider demonstrated strong pace throughout the sessions, steadily improving his lap times across the three practice runs to edge out fellow Malaysian contender Zaqhwan Zaidi of Idemitsu Honda Racing Malaysia, who finished second overall with a best time of 2:05.903.
Completing the top three was Indonesian rider Andi Farid Izdihar, also representing the JDT Racing Team, who recorded a fastest lap of 2:05.972, highlighting a strong start to the weekend for the Malaysian outfit.
Japanese rider Keito Abe of SDG HARC-Pro Honda Philippines secured fourth place with a best time of 2:06.194, while Germany’s Rocco Sessler from Savitar Team Asia rounded out the top five with 2:06.417.
Further down the order, Indonesian rider Mohammad Adenanta Putra placed sixth for Astra Honda Racing Team, ahead of Australia’s Lachlan Epis in seventh.
Malaysia also had representation within the top ten through Azroy Hakeem Anuar, who finished ninth for Idemitsu Honda Racing Malaysia with a best time of 2:06.970.
The practice sessions provided teams with valuable data ahead of qualifying and the race weekend, with lap times tightly packed among the leading riders. Hafizh’s early pace signals strong potential for the JDT Racing Team as the championship season kicks off at Sepang.
Credit Photo : ARRC
