Malaysian fans were left heartbroken on Sunday as rising Moto3 star Hakim Danish Ramli was forced to retire from his home race at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia 2025 due to a technical issue, just four laps from the finish.
The 18-year-old AEON Credit SIC Racing MSI rider had been performing impressively in front of his home crowd at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), battling strongly within the top 10 group before his machine suffered a malfunction that ended his race prematurely.
It was a cruel twist of fate for Hakim, who had shown competitive pace throughout the weekend and was on course for what could have been a breakthrough result on home soil. His retirement marked a disappointing end to an otherwise encouraging performance that had the Malaysian crowd on their feet.
The Moto3 race itself faced an unusual start after being delayed by nearly two hours due to a serious incident involving reigning Moto3 World Champion Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) during the sighting lap.
The collision occurred at Turn 3, where Rueda’s bike struck the rear of Dettwiler’s machine, causing both riders to crash heavily.
Trackside medical staff provided immediate assistance before both riders were airlifted to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
In response to the incident, organizers reduced the race distance from 15 to 10 laps to maintain safety and ensure the rest of the MotoGP weekend schedule could proceed smoothly.
Once the race finally got underway, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) produced a commanding performance to take his first-ever Moto3 victory, crossing the line in 22 minutes 03.88 seconds.
Angel Piqueras (Frinsa-MT Helmets-MSI) finished second, while Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) completed the podium, 2.625 seconds behind the Japanese winner.
For Furusato, the victory marked a major milestone in his Moto3 career, having made his debut in 2022 and steadily developed into one of Honda’s brightest prospects.
Despite the retirement, Hakim Danish’s weekend in Sepang demonstrated his growing potential. After advancing directly into Q2 and starting the race from P14 on the grid, the Malaysian youngster showcased composure, consistency, and raw speed against a world-class field.
Credit Photo : ZK Racing
