KUALA LUMPUR — Rising Malaysian star Muhammad Hakim Danish Ramli continued his fine form with a second-place finish in the second round of the MotoGP Rookies Cup at the Le Mans Circuit in France late last night.
The 16-year-old, who started Race One from pole, was slapped with a Long Lap Penalty that briefly dropped him to fifth. But the Kuala Terengganu-born rider fought back brilliantly to rejoin the front runners.
He crossed the line just 0.401 seconds behind Spain’s Brian Uriarte, who took victory with a time of 17:31.903. Italy’s Giulio Pugliese rounded off the podium in third, clocking 17:37.973.
The 15-lap race was red-flagged with four laps remaining after a crash involving three riders forced officials to halt proceedings.
It was Hakim Danish’s third consecutive second-place finish this season — a streak that keeps him firmly atop the overall standings with 60 points, ahead of Uriarte (50) and New Zealander Carter Thompson (48).
“I gave it my all despite the penalty. I’ll go all out again in Race Two (later today). Please pray for me,” said Hakim after the race. — May 11, 2025