KUALA LUMPUR: PETRONAS MIE Racing RW team manager Razmin Masli Abdul Razak said Khairul Idham, better known as SuperKIP, and Helmi had told him that a wet track surface could work in their favour as they seek to shine on home ground. The adverse weather conditions, including thunderstorms, expected to hit the Sepang International Circuit this weekend could very well play into the hands of Malaysia’s two wildcard riders – Khairul Idham Pawi and Muhammad Helmi Azman – at the 2024 Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix (GP) Championships.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, MetMalaysia (Malaysian Meteorological Department) has forecasted a possibility of thunderstorms during the weekend. Razmin expressed confidence that the riders might be comfortable in wet conditions. Khairul Idham, in particular, has a history of excelling in rainy conditions, having won in Argentina and German GPs during his Moto3 debut under similar weather circumstances. His past experience includes competing in Moto2 with the Idemitsu Honda Team
Asia from 2017 to 2019.
Last year, Helmi made his Moto2 debut via a wildcard entry in the Malaysia GP, finishing 23rd out of 31 riders in the 2024 Asian Road Racing Championships. Razmin assured that both riders would be equipped with top-notch Moto2 bikes, modified to the latest specifications, including advanced electronic systems and a 2023 chassis, to maximize their potential during the race on November 3.
Despite the promising setup, Razmin acknowledged that Khairul Idham and Helmi still needed time to adapt to the new bikes, as evidenced by their performance in the morning training session. Helmi clocked the 28th fastest time at 2 minutes 09.55 seconds, while Khairul Idham was the slowest at 2:10.195 seconds.
