Tuesday October 23, 2012
Manager: Don’t rush Hafizh, please
SEPANG: Hafizh Syahrin (pic) put up one hell of a ride on a wildcard ticket in the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix race on Sunday and the 18-year-old has certainly showed his potential for a full season ticket in the Moto2 class of the FIM World Championships.
But team manager Barry Leong is preaching caution about fast-tracking the youngster, who dazzled with a fourth-placed finish for Malaysia in the rain-hit Moto2 race.
Hafizh, who started from 27th on the grid, even led the race at one point and he is on record as the best ever performer on a wildcard in Moto2..
“Of course, he has been asked about doing a full season in Moto2 in the FIM World Championships. Hafizh has the talent but we must also remember he is still young,” said Barry, who has been guiding Hafizh since his early days .
“I’d prefer him to stay one more year in the CEV Buckler Moto2 Spanish Championships and challenge consistently for podium wins.
“He must get the confidence and experience of winning podiums before moving a step up.
“There is no point when he’s not ready yet ... we could even destroy his confidence.”
Hafizh is currently under the Petronas young talent development programme and still holds the record as the youngest Cub Prix champion after winning the Novice title in 2009 and the Expert CP130 title in 2010.
He is also the youngest rider to have ever scored a win in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Petronas Asia Road Racing Championship, a feat accomplished last year when he out-raced world-class rider Katsuaki Fujiwara in Qatar.
Barry said that it would be better for Hafizh to get more top-level racing exposure through outings in the World Championship races.
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