Malaysian Moto3 sensation Hakim Danish will face a crucial qualifying challenge on Saturday after ending Friday’s practice sessions in 17th place at Round 8 of the 2026 Moto3 World Championship at Balaton Park Circuit.
The AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSi rider showed steady pace throughout the opening day but narrowly missed out on an automatic place in Q2, meaning he must now fight his way through Qualifying 1 (Q1) to keep his hopes of a strong grid position alive.
Hakim began the weekend positively during Free Practice 1, immediately getting up to speed around the technical Hungarian circuit.
The young Malaysian posted a best lap of 1:47.980, placing him 17th overall and just 1.024 seconds behind the session leader.
While the position was outside the top 14, the gap to the front remained encouraging on a circuit still relatively new to many riders.
In the afternoon Practice session, Hakim managed to improve his pace further.
His fastest lap of 1:47.351 represented a significant improvement from the morning and demonstrated the team’s progress with bike setup throughout the day.
However, despite lowering his lap time by more than six-tenths of a second, the competitive nature of the Moto3 field meant he remained 17th overall, finishing 1.055 seconds behind the fastest rider.
Under Moto3 qualifying regulations, only the top 14 riders from combined practice times advance directly into Q2.
Finishing 17th leaves Hakim just outside the automatic qualification zone and sends him into Q1, where he will need to secure one of the available transfer positions to progress into the pole-position shootout.
While the result may not have been exactly what the Malaysian camp had hoped for, the margins remain extremely tight in Moto3 competition, and Hakim’s pace suggests he remains capable of challenging for a much stronger starting position.
The Hungarian weekend comes just days after Hakim produced one of the biggest results of his young career at Mugello, where he secured a historic first Moto3 podium.
The Malaysian rider claimed third place at the Italian Grand Prix, becoming the first Malaysian rider in nine years to stand on a Grand Prix podium since Hafizh Syahrin achieved the feat in Moto2 back in 2017.
That breakthrough performance elevated expectations heading into Balaton Park, but Friday’s sessions highlighted once again the razor-thin margins that define Moto3 racing.
Despite the setback of missing direct Q2 qualification, there remains plenty to fight for.
Hakim and the AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSi squad will now focus on finding additional pace overnight as they prepare for Saturday’s qualifying sessions.
A successful Q1 performance could still put the Malaysian in contention for a competitive grid slot ahead of Sunday’s race.
Credit Photo : ZK Racing
