Hafizh Syahrin to test for Tech3 MotoGP ride
Rennie Scaysbrook | February 5, 2018
Hafizh Syahrin to test for Tech3 MotoGP ride—Malaysia is on the verge of having its first ever MotoGP racer with the news Hafizh Syahrin will ride for the Monster Energy Tech3 Yamaha team at the upcoming Buriram test in Thailand with the view of a full-time ride this season.
Hafizh Syahrin is on the verge of making history for his country in MotoGP. His form at the upcoming test in Thailand will decide his fate.
Syahrin’s chance to crack the big time comes after Jonas Folger’s 11th-hour withdrawal from the 2018 series after he confirmed he is still not recovered from a rare strain of Gilbert’s Syndrome. Yonny Hernandez tested for the Tech3 team in the recent Malaysia test but is contracted to Pedercini Kawasaki to race in WorldSBK this season.
“For me, it’s a dream coming true to be able to ride a MotoGP machine,” Syahrin said. “I have to admit, that I’m overly excited to get this chance. I hope I can be fast from the word go to show everybody what I’m capable of.
Zarco in action in Malaysia on the Tech3 Yamaha.
Should Syahrin perform to an acceptable level in Thailand, it is widely believed he will fill the second seat at Tech3, which gives MotoGP rights holder Dorna the added boon of having a young Malaysian in the premier class for the first time. South East Asia is becoming one of the most important markets for the MotoGP World Championship, as evidenced by the series visiting Thailand for the first time this year.
“As everybody knows, since Jonas Folger decided that he couldn’t race in 2018, we’ve been looking for who could be the right replacement rider,” said Tech3 Team Principal, Herve Poncharal. “Following the Sepang test, we had many meetings and it has been decided that Hafizh Syahrin would be a very good choice for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team. He is young, only 23 years old, has already done some podiums in the Moto2 class, which is not easy. To have a young rider is much more meaningful for the team than having an already established rider. Let’s do the test, I’m already full of excitement and optimism and really soon after Buriram, we will take a final decision.
