SEPANG – Everything seemed to go awry for Malaysia’s Moto3 rider, Syarifuddin Azman, as he delivered a lacklustre performance at the 2023 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit today.
The 22-year-old rider, nicknamed Damok, will start the Moto3 race tomorrow from the last position on the grid after finishing Qualifying 1 in the bottom spot with a time of 2 minutes, 13.499 seconds.
He had previously put in a less-than-impressive performance, finishing the third practice session in second last place (27th place) with a time of 2 minutes, 14.199s.
Nevertheless, Damok remains optimistic, believing that there is still room for a surprise if his MT Helmets-MSi team can ensure that his KTM machine performs optimally in the actual race tomorrow.
“I’m not happy with the results this week, and because this is a home race, it’s disappointing not to put on a good performance in front of the fans.
“Everything just did not come together smoothly. If the team can fine-tune the bike tomorrow, there could be a surprise, as we have seen John McPhee start from the back and eventually win a race. If he can do it, I can too,” he said when met by reporters.
When asked if he is having communication issues with his team crew at the moment, he said there are still discrepancies in information between what he requests and what they provide.
“It’s like they’re confused; for example, I explain one thing, and they do another,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jaume Masia from Leopard Racing claimed the front spot for tomorrow after emerging as the fastest rider in the qualifying round with a time of 2:10.846s.
Dutch rider Collin Veijer from Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP secured the second position (2:11.752s), followed by Rivacold Snipers Team’s Matteo Bertelle in third place (2:11.778s). – November 11, 2023