Team PETRONAS Raceline Malaysia’s manager, Barry Leong is optimistic Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah can consistently compete for points for his second term in the World Moto2 Championship ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend.
Barry, the man behind Hafizh’s rapid progress in motorsports believes the Ampang-born rider has what it takes to compete with the top-12 riders this season being fitter, leaner and mentally stronger compared to last year – thanks to an intense training regime throughout the season break.
Besides that, Hafizh in preparation for the upcoming season, has completed three pre-season tests and an additional private-test at Aragon two weeks ago.
With a year’s experience under his belt and armed with an updated Kalex chassis, Hafizh looks forward to his sophomore year in Moto2 where he will compete for glory alongside fellow compatriots, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (Honda Team Asia) and newcomer, Zaqhwan Zaidi (Team JPMoto).
Last season, the 21-year old Hafizh exceeded expectations to finish his mainde Moto2 campaign 19th overall with 42 points, making him the most successful Malaysian on the grid.
BARRY LEONG
TEAM PETRONAS RACELINE MALAYSIA
“Despite the recent tumble in his last Jerez test, we believe he had gathered sufficient test runs with the new Kalex. It is utmost important for him to have enough riding time with the new machine and so far, every test is considered a success for us as Hafizh has shown a step forward. We also had him performing some test rides in his brand new off road Motocross 450cc machine on flat tracks during his free time. We are closely monitoring his physical fitness level with a new fitness trainer and at the moment he is in good physical shape. I have a feeling this boy is much stronger mentally and physically this season and I believe that his desire and determination can put him on top. We hope he can pull a few surprises this year and of course at this level, a little luck helps.”
