It's not a fable and it's not a tale even if, in the circumstances, and as is often the case in MotoGP, you always have to do your math. But in a paddock focused on the future of the flagship drivers, it is a beautiful story born last February from an event which created an opportunity now bringing together men of good will. An interest that arises from a result that many hardly expected: yes, Hafiz Syahrin has all the qualities to become a good MotoGP rider!
And as a result, it offers a new angle to Malaysian Grand Prix ambition. An approach that is closely followed Razlan Razali, the boss of the Sepang track and who is building the Malaysian industry from the bottom to the top, towards the elite of motorcycle speed. Hervé Poncharal remembers on crach.net : " At the start of the year we had to face a big difficulty after the announced withdrawal of Jonas Folger. In Sepang, I met Razlan Razali during the first tests. We were then with Yonny Hernandez and we were a little lost about the second pilot. Talking to Razlan, I told him why not Hafizh Syahrin. And he told me right away that it was possible. I reminded him that he was in Moto2 on his team, but he still told me to take it ».
« I owe him a lot. It could have been a disaster, we both got criticized. I call him the “Kid”, and we discovered a great character. He is full of humor, he is intelligent and he is also a good pilot. He just needs to be trained and seasoned. He has all the qualities to remain our second driver, but nothing has been signed yet ».
Because in the meantime, Tech3 has moved from Yamaha Monster to KTM Red Bull. And we know that the first pilot will be Miguel Oliveira, directly from the sector that also sets up the drink that gives wings. For the moment, nothing has been done, which has whetted the appetite of other players in the paddock to recover the Malaysian windfall. In Jerez, there was even rumor of a Malaysian team supported by Petronas with Yamahas in it. A noise that Razlan Razali insane… For the moment! “ We are very far from this scenario. I want my pilots to evolve in a favorable environment to grow and flourish. It's from Hafizh at Hervé's. The field is set up as is until 2021. If, afterwards, a team comes to us asking for support and we then have the means, then we will study the question. But we are still very far from it because we are not ready ».
« Hafizh's story is a bit like Cinderella. The priority is that he stays at Tech3. We were very criticized when Syahrin arrived in MotoGP, and especially Hervé. Now, the same people see that it is possible, that he can do it. The MotoGP paddock is a small world where everyone knows each other. Hafizh is in a very good team. I've only been in this industry for ten years but everyone knows Hervé and Tech3. We are very happy ».
