SEPANG, July 16, 2010 : After scoring his first point at the Spanish MotoGP, Malaysian 125cc MotoGP rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin is riding on high.

Though his performance have been improving with every race since his first official MotoGP at Qatar, the point that he scored was an unexpected achievement for the 18-year old rider and his team.

“I had a very good feeling at Catalunya because I was in the top 20 all weekend, starting from the practice session. The team did not expect me to score my first point in Catalunya, however. They had expected me to score my first point either at home ground at the Sepang International Circuit or at the end of the year. So everyone was very happy,” said Zulfahmi.

The Banting-born rider credited the AirAsia-Sepang International Team operator, World Wide Race Team for his improving performance.

“Put it this way, when I first started I was like a kitten, but now I am like a tiger. They are very, very helpful.  The mechanics have been working very hard and the team always sets a target for me.”

Before each race, he said, the team would always brief him on the track conditions and of the race itself.

“They would say like, ‘This track is easy or this track is pretty hard, this track has sharp corners’, things like that. They would brief me on things which would help me improve my performance, which I am very grateful for,” added Zulfahmi.

He added that he felt more confident after he had scored his first point, and is confident of getting more points in the upcoming races.

On preparations for the German MotoGP, he said the preparation is much like the preparations for all the previous races.

“I may be getting a new engine for the bike, which would help to improve my speed. The team have also fine-tuned the bike to suit my riding style, and this would definitely help me improve on my performance.  

“The track at Germany’s Sachsenring Circuit is short, so I hope that I can familiarise myself with the track quickly and finish the race in the top 20 position,” he said.

The Sachsenring circuit was initially just 3.508km long, with one short section of track from the old road circuit. Major modifications to the circuit in 2001 and then additional slight alterations in 2003 resulted in the current 3.671 km track layout.

Sepang International Circuit chief executive officer Razlan Razali said “Our expectation remains the same. It is easy to get excited over a point, so we try not to get over excited.

“Fahmi rightfully must approach this weekend like any other. He seems to be confident and positive, which is good. This weekend is a new track again and Fahmi must learn as quickly as possible.
“The ability to learn a new track quickly reflects on the raw natural talent of a rider and Fahmi has this ability. We wish him all the very best,” he said, adding that SIC will be launching the 20th Malaysian MotoGP this Sunday in conjunction to the live viewing of the 125cc.

AirAsia Group CEO Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes said, “Zulfahmi’s level of confidence is very high right now, which is good for the team. The point that he scored in Catalunya was the exact boost that he needed, and I’m pleased to see that he did not let the achievement be a distraction, but instead turned it into motivation to clinch much better results. That’s a mark of a true professional. All the best to him and the team in Sachsenring.”  


For details, contact the National Press Officer Norlina Ayob at 0193174555 or e-mail to norlina.ayob@sepangcircuit.com.my