Malaysian Moto3 rising star Hakim Danish Ramli has revealed that a lack of rear tyre grip prevented him from fighting with the leading group despite a strong start to the 2026 German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring.
Starting from an impressive third position on the front row, the AEON Credit–MT Helmets–MSi rider made a brilliant launch in the 23-lap race, briefly surging into second place before completing the opening lap in sixth.
Hakim remained in close contention with the leading group during the opening three laps, but gradually began losing positions as rear-grip problems made it increasingly difficult to maintain the pace.
Although the front-end vibration issues that had troubled him throughout the weekend were no longer a major concern during the race, the 18-year-old instead found himself battling a lack of rear tyre grip.
Despite the difficult conditions, Hakim continued to fight, managing his machine and recovering positions during the middle stages before eventually crossing the finish line in 12th place with a total race time of 33:19.287 minute.
The result earned the Malaysian another four valuable World Championship points, taking his season tally to 86 points after 11 rounds.
Hakim remains seventh overall in the 2026 Moto3 World Championship standings and now sits third in the Rookie of the Year battle. He is only four points behind Indonesian rival Veda Pratama, while German GP winner Brian Uriarte leads the rookie standings with 127 points.
Reflecting on a demanding weekend at the Sachsenring, Hakim admitted that finding the right feeling with his motorcycle had been a constant challenge.
“Overall, this weekend was really challenging for me. In every session, I struggled with the bike because I experienced vibration every time I entered a corner. However, the team never gave up and continued working to find a solution in every session.”
Hakim produced one of the standout performances of qualifying when he used the soft tyre to clock a 1:24.909, securing third place on the grid and his fourth front-row start of the season.
However, he acknowledged that his race pace during the FP2 simulation had already indicated that Sunday could prove more difficult.
“During qualifying yesterday, we used the soft tyre and it helped me set a very fast lap time. However, based on our race simulation in FP2, my lap times were not competitive enough.”
Despite making a strong start and attempting to stay with the front group, Hakim said the lack of rear grip ultimately forced him to change his approach.
“In today’s race, I tried to chase the leading group and fight as hard as possible. Unfortunately, I did not have a good feeling with the rear tyre grip.”
“Every time I opened the throttle, the bike was almost high-siding, which meant I could not follow the pace of the riders in front.”
Nevertheless, Hakim remains determined to use the difficult German GP as another important step in his development during his rookie Moto3 World Championship campaign.
“I will take this race as a very valuable experience. I will continue improving my weaknesses, work harder and keep fighting to achieve a better result in the next race.”
Despite the challenging race result, Hakim leaves the Sachsenring having once again demonstrated his outright speed by qualifying on the front row.
With 86 championship points, four front-row starts and a historic Grand Prix victory already to his name, the Malaysian youngster heads into the next phase of the season determined to turn his growing experience into stronger and more consistent results.
Credit Photo : ZK Racing
