Malaysian rising star Hakim Danish delivered another encouraging performance in the Moto3 World Championship after finishing fourth overall in the Practice session on the opening day of Round 5 at Circuit Bugatti on Friday.
Representing the AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSi squad, the young Malaysian rider showed strong pace throughout the day against the world’s best lightweight class riders, securing a direct place into Q2 for the qualifying session.
Hakim began the weekend positively by ending Free Practice 1 in seventh place with a fastest lap of 1:41.723 minutes, just 0.469 seconds behind the session leader. The performance already hinted at his growing confidence around the famous French circuit.
However, it was during the afternoon Practice session where Hakim truly stepped up his challenge. The Malaysian rider improved significantly to clock 1:40.443 minutes, finishing fourth overall and only 0.232 seconds adrift of the fastest rider of the day.
Spanish rider David Muñoz from Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP topped the timesheets after setting a benchmark lap of 1:40.211 minutes.
Hakim’s consistency and speed throughout the sessions ensured he comfortably secured a place inside the top 14 riders, automatically advancing into Q2 and giving himself a strong opportunity to fight for the front rows on the starting grid.
The result continues a promising 2026 campaign for the talented Malaysian youngster, who has steadily established himself as one of the standout rookies in the Moto3 paddock this season. His ability to remain competitive at one of the calendar’s most technical circuits further underlined his growing maturity and adaptability on the world stage.
With qualifying and race day still to come, expectations among Malaysian motorsport fans are rising as Hakim looks determined to challenge for another strong result in Le Mans.
Credit Photo : ZK Racing
