Malaysian Moto3 rider Hakim Danish will start Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix from Grid 19 after narrowly missing out on a place in Q2 during qualifying at the Balaton Park Circuit on Saturday.
The young Malaysian entered qualifying through the Q1 session following his P17 finish in Friday’s Practice, leaving him with the difficult task of securing a top-four position to advance into the decisive Q2 battle.
Earlier in the day, Hakim endured a challenging FP2 session, ending the morning in 22nd position with a best lap of 1:47.132s, placing him 1.984 seconds behind the session leader.
However, the afternoon qualifying session showed a much stronger performance from the SIC Racing rider. Hakim immediately displayed improved pace during his first run in Q1 and briefly placed himself inside the crucial top four positions that would have secured progression to Q2.
As the session entered its final three minutes, rival riders continued to improve their lap times, pushing Hakim outside the qualification zone. Determined to fight back, the Malaysian returned to the circuit for a final attack in Run 2.
Despite improving his pace, the comeback fell just short. Hakim eventually finished fifth in Q1 with a best lap of 1:46.949s, only 0.717 seconds behind the fastest rider in the session and one position away from advancing into Q2.
The result means Hakim will line up 19th on the grid for Sunday’s race at Balaton Park.
It marks only the second occasion this season that Hakim has failed to reach Q2 in Moto3 competition. The previous instance came during the United States Grand Prix, where a crash in Q1 prevented him from setting a representative lap time.
While missing Q2 is undoubtedly a setback, Hakim’s competitive pace throughout Q1 will provide encouragement heading into race day, especially on a circuit where overtaking opportunities could allow him to climb through the field.
At the front, Spain’s David Almansa of Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP claimed pole position after producing a stunning lap of 1:45.686s, setting the benchmark for the Moto3 field ahead of Sunday’s race.
For Hakim, the mission is now clear: convert his promising qualifying speed into race pace and launch another charge through the pack as he looks to score valuable championship points in Hungary.
Credit Photo : ZK Racing
