In 2014, the brand-new Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup will assist to display the best Asian skills as a direct step to the World Championship. In the meantime, familiar faces and wildcards alike are lending their hand to diversify the grids of the Moto2™ and Moto3™ groups.
In Malaysia, the most famous motorcycle face of all is that of Zulfahmi Khairuddin, whom rose to superstardom in his country as he missed on victory in the 2012 Sepang Moto3™ competition by simply centimetres. This weekend, after a crash at the earlier round in Aragón and following health check-ups, he is relieved to be coming back for another effort and is currently filling the pages of regional papers.
Khairuddin is joined on this weekend’s lightweight course by compatriots and wildcard cyclists Aizat Malik and Hafiq Azmi, whom in the Spanish CEV Repsol Championship are riding for Aki Ajo: leading group owner and acclaimed scout.
Whenever it comes to the Moto2™ class, competing are no less than eight cyclists from south-east Asia; incidentally, a location populated by over 600 million men and women. Between them, the cyclists represent Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Having currently established a reputation in national championships, Malaysia’s Hafizh Syahrin and Thailand’s Decha Kraisart are competing with Kalex and Tech3 bikes, as Syahrin’s fellow countryman Azlan Shah goes on to hold the duty of standing in for Yuki Takahashi at Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, piloting the Moriwaki bike. Another Thai, Thitipong Worokorn, stays on the climb up the steep learning curve at Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2, led by fellow countryman and previous racer Ratthapark Wilairot whom acts as his mentor.
Improving the representation of the region however more, Malaysian Zaqhwan Zaidi has been chosen as replacement for the injured Randy Krummenacher at Technomag carXpert, whereas Indonesia is depicted by Fadli Immammuddin and Moto2™ regulars Doni Tata Pradita and Rafid Topan Sucipto. With some 70,000 having made up Sepang’s biggest ever MotoGP™ spectator attendance final 12 months.
With a handful of south-east Asian cyclists currently blending it with competitors from around the world in the World Championship, they actually have additional motivation to perform as from the next 12 months, they will be under the watchful eye of Tony Fernandes. The Malaysian business owner, mind of the Tune Group and owner of airline AirAsia, will on Sunday present his Caterham ensemble which will grace the Moto2™ grid this next season. Californian Josh Herrin will be in the line-up as the England-based group dives into the globe of MotoGP™ alongside its auto racing projects. Moreover, brand new possibilities will be opened up from an engineering point of view, with Caterham set to expose its complete plans ahead of the Sepang Warm-Up sessions on Sunday early morning.