Hakim salvages four points after dreadful Japanese GP weekend

Kuala Lumpur witnessed a salvaged effort from Hakim Danish Ramli at the Japanese Grand Prix, where the AEON Credit-MT Helmets-MSI rider ended the weekend with a points finish despite an arduous race. Commencing on the grid in 21st place, Hakim navigated multiple crashes during the weekend to finish 12th at the Motegi circuit on Sunday.

His strong performance lifted him to seventh in the riders standings, amassing 105 points. The Malaysian rider's journey towards this result commenced with crashes in the first two free practice sessions, ending him 22nd and 17th respectively. Hakim's early struggles were apparent as he needed to fight his way to 11th in the second qualifying session.

However, Hakim's resilience shone through as he improved to 9th in Q1, despite missing out on a spot in Q2, and starting the race from 21st position. The Malaysian rider's determination was duly rewarded, securing four precious points for his team amidst a challenging weekend. The race was won by Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP's David Almansa in a close contest, edging out teammate Max Quilles by just 0.046 seconds.

Red Bull KTM Ajo's Alvaro Carpe secured third place, completing an all-Spanish podium. With this result, Hakim Danish Ramli managed to secure a position in the championship despite his troubled build-up to the race. The championship action will continue at the Mandalika International Circuit for the upcoming Indonesian Grand Prix.