In motorsport, it is always an all-or-nothing moment when opportunity comes, especially in the final moments of a race.
For Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA, that moment arrived in the most decisive moment of the race at the Chang International Circuit, Buriram, Thailand. But it ended in heartbreak rather than celebration.
Competing in the ASB1000 category, Zaqhwan delivered a strong opening to Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 with a solid P4 finish in Race 1, showing competitive pace and consistency within the leading group.
However, Race 2 unfolded into a far more intense battle, with Zaqhwan firmly in podium contention right until the final lap. Entering the last corner in fourth position and still chasing P3, he made a decisive move in pursuit of a podium finish. But the attack went beyond the limit of grip, ending in a crash that resulted in a DNF, just moments away from what could have been a podium result.
Reflecting on the incident, Zaqhwan admitted it was a fine margin between reward and disappointment.
“I was battling for P3 with Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND into the last corner. On the braking point, I braked at my usual marker, maybe slightly deeper than normal, but suddenly the bike started chattering and became unstable. I tried to run a wider line, but I overslid and crashed. It happened so fast, and honestly in that moment I already knew I had pushed just a bit too far,” he explained.
Despite the outcome, the Malaysian rider stood firmly by his attacking approach.
“Of course I want to win. I don’t care what position it is, when I see an opportunity, I will go for it. That is racing, and I think any rider would do the same. We all push for the best result. I always try to give everything until the very end of the race,” he said.
Looking back, Zaqhwan acknowledged the harsh reality of top-level racing.
“Racing is always a high-risk sport. I could have taken the safer option and settled for P4 to bring home the points, but that would not reflect who I am as a rider. When you are fighting for the podium, these are the margins you deal with. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. In that moment, it didn’t work for me,” he added.
Even in disappointment, he remained encouraged by his overall competitiveness throughout the weekend.
“Yes, I take confidence from the fact that we were fighting at the front throughout the race and running competitive lap times with the leading group. That shows we have the pace to be there. Now it’s about putting everything together for the next round,” he said.
Inside the IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA garage, the reaction mirrored his own frustration.
“Of course, nobody in the team is happy — they feel the same disappointment as I do. We all came here with a target to fight for a podium, so missing out on that is tough for everyone. But at the same time, we know we gave everything throughout the weekend and pushed as hard as we could. In the end, I did my best to achieve the target, and that is all we can take forward,” Zaqhwan concluded.