AustralianGP: Hakim Danish Shaves 0.8s Off in Practice, Heads to Q1
The Malaysian rookie went from 1'38.621 in FP1 to 1'37.774 in Practice at Phillip Island, but 25th place means he must fight through Q1 on Saturday.
Malaysian rising star Hakim Danish (AEON Credit - MT Helmets - MSi) found 0.847s between sessions on the opening day of the Red Bull Grand Prix of Australia at Phillip Island on Friday, 23 October 2026. However, his best lap of 1'37.774 in Practice left him 25th and bound for Q1.
The 19-year-old from Kuala Terengganu built up his speed steadily in the morning's Free Practice 1 (FP1), held in dry conditions with an air temperature of 23°C and a track temperature of 26°C. After a run of laps in the 1'39s, he pitted on lap 10 and came back out to set his best time of 1'38.621 on lap 13 of 16. That placed him 26th, 3.182s behind championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), who topped the session with a 1'35.439.
Hakim made clear progress in the afternoon Practice session, which decides the 14 riders who go straight into Q2. With the track temperature climbing to 46°C, he clocked a 1'37.774 on lap six of his first run to finish 25th. He was 2.482s off the pace and 1.602s short of the Q2 cut-off. He was more consistent on his second run, lapping in the 1'38s, while his top speed rose from 243.5 km/h in FP1 to 253.7 km/h. His best individual sectors from the session added up to a 1'37.356, 0.418s faster than his best lap.
Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) topped Practice with a 1'35.292, just 0.026s ahead of home hero Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing), with Quiles third. Hakim's teammate Ryusei Yamanaka, ninth in FP1, grabbed the 14th and final direct Q2 spot, 0.023s ahead of Eddie O'Shea (GRYD Racing).
Hakim will now have to fight through Q1 on Saturday, (24 October), where only the four fastest riders go through to Q2, before the Moto3 race on Sunday (25 October),
Credit Photo : ZK Racing
