HAKIM DANISH RARING FOR ACTION AFTER 'HEATING UP' SEPANG TRACK - AZHAN

SEPANG, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Talented young national rider, Muhammad Hakim Danish Ramli, who is set to compete as a wildcard in the Moto3 class at the 2025 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) World Championship later this month, has undergone several training sessions using the KTM-Factory machine at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

SIC Chief Executive Officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif said the circuit is confident that the rider is ready to compete at the highest stage.

“Well, at the moment, he has done several training series on this track. I spoke with him yesterday, and he said he is very excited to be here.

“I have only one hope: just don't fall. Just stay on the bike, focus, and God willing, we will all be behind him,” he told reporters after a traffic and safety briefing in conjunction with the 2025 MotoGP race at SIC today.

He also stressed that the machine Muhammad Hakim Danish is using is the best motorcycle provided by the team, thereby dismissing claims that the rider is using an old or uncompetitive version of the machine.

Meanwhile, Azhan Shafriman said Hakim Danish's participation is a key focus for SIC, in addition to the fierce competition for second place in the world championship after Marc Marquez concluded his MotoGP campaign early as the champion at the Motegi Circuit, Japan, last month.

He also shared that preparations for the MotoGP race are now in the final phase, with ticket sales having reached 85 percent of capacity, targeting 200,000 spectators throughout the race weekend.

“Hopefully we can reach this year’s target, which is 200,000. Last year, we were approximately 15,000 short of the target,” he said.

Azhan Shafriman also informed that parking facilities will no longer be free this year, with a rate of RM10 for motorcycles and RM20 for cars.

The 2025 Malaysian MotoGP race is scheduled to take place at SIC from Oct 24 to 26 this month.

-- BERNAMA