Malaysia’s Hakim Danish proved he has the nerves of a veteran, pulling off a stunning “last-minute heist” in Qualifying to secure a P15 start for the opening round of the 2026 Moto3 World Championship Round 1 at Chang International Circuit, Buriram.
The AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSi starlet turned a nightmare start into a dream Q2 appearance, showing the Buriram fans that you can never count out a “Malaysian Tiger” until the checkered flag drops.
The afternoon started with a massive scare. As the Q1 session ticked away, Hakim struggled to find his rhythm, languishing at the very bottom of the timing screens. With the clock winding down, it looked like the rookie was heading for a back-of-the-grid start.
But then came the “Hakim Special” in his final flying lap; Hakim lit up the sectors in red. And he clocked a blistering 1:41.476, not only escaping Q1 but finishing the session in P1! to secure the position straight into the Q2 Pole Position shootout.
In the high-stakes Q2 session, the pace shifted into another dimension. Hakim pushed his KTM to the absolute limit, eventually stopping the clock at 1:41.761.
While he was +1.673s off the blistering pole time, his consistency and ability to fight through the pressure of Q1 earned him a respectable 5th-row start (P15) for tomorrow’s main event.
Credit Photo : ZK Racing
