The ASB1000 category of the LFN FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 delivered an absolute masterclass during Race 1 at the Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia. Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM extended his perfect winning streak, claiming his seventh consecutive victory of the season after an intense duel.
In Qualifying, Hafizh secured pole position with a stellar 1’35.154s. He was joined on the front row by Keito Abe of SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES and Lachlan Epis of SWIFT GROW RACING TEAM. As the race started, the initial launch saw Lachlan jump forward, but he was quickly flagged for a jump start. This left Keito to seize the early advantage, slotting into the lead ahead of Hafizh, with Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND settling into third.
Keito dictated the pace in the opening stages, pushing hard at the front. However, by lap three, the Hafizh set a fastest lap of 1’36.205s to close the gap to a mere 0.361s. The pressure culminated on lap five when Hafizh clocked a blistering 1’35.778s to decisively overtake Keito for the lead. Behind the leading duo, Nakarin comfortably held third, while Rocco Sessler of FORTY FORGED ASIA RACING TEAM consistently maintained fourth place after passing Mohammad Adenanta Putra of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM.
Once in front, Hafizh attempted to break away, dropping his lap times down to a 1’35.573s on lap six. Keito, however, refused to yield. The Japanese rider responded with his own string of fast laps, including a 1’35.558s on lap nine, keeping the gap at just 0.174s. The final third of the 15-lap race became a tense standoff. Every time Hafizh tried to stretch his advantage, posting a 1’35.401s on lap eleven, Keito matched his rhythm, ensuring the race would go down to the wire. Further back, Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA made a crucial move on lap 12 to secure fifth place.
On the final lap, Keito pushed his machine to the absolute limit, shadowing Hafizh through the corners and lining up a final attack. Exiting the final turn, Keito managed to briefly pull alongside, setting up a drag race to the checkered flag. Displaying composure, Hafizh held his line to cross the finish first at 23’57.218s, edging out Keito by 0.130s. Nakarin crossed the line in a lonely but solid third place at 24’05.941s, completing the podium.
Hafizh shared, “At the beginning of the race, I saw that Keito was pushing incredibly hard and setting a very fast pace. Honestly, my heart was racing a bit, but I forced myself to remain completely calm because I knew my true race pace, and I was highly confident that my speed in Sectors 1 and 4 was very strong. I made the tactical decision to let him lead for the first few laps to study his lines. But after a while, I realized that if I waited any longer, Nakarin would close the gap and catch up to the front group. I knew I had to make my move, take the lead, and start dictating the pace myself.”
“I fully expected Keito to be right on my tail because he was exceptionally fast at this track last year. He was definitely the main rival I was keeping my eye on, so I knew I couldn’t make a single mistake. I focused entirely on managing the race perfectly. I adjusted my riding style, closing my knee angle tightly through the corners to protect my lines and maintain my own rhythm while Keito was breathing down my neck. I am not sure who ultimately recorded the fastest lap of the race, but crossing the line side-by-side to secure P1 again, making it seven wins in a row, is an absolutely incredible, overwhelming feeling.”
“Even with this victory, we are not relaxing. I already know a few specific areas where we can improve the bike’s edge grip, so we will work tirelessly on that for tomorrow’s race. Finally, this victory carries a lot of emotional weight for me. I want to dedicate this win from the bottom of my heart to my amazing team, and as a special birthday gift to both my father and my mechanic. I also want to dedicate this to Andi. He has been training so hard, but unfortunately had an unlucky crash in a local race here. We are all thinking of you, brother. And lastly, a massive thank you to my boss for his endless support, and to everyone out there who continues to believe in me.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH – JDT RACING TEAM (23:57.218s)
2. KEITO ABE – SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES (23’57.348s)
3. NAKARIN ATIRATPHUVAPAT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (24’05.941s)
4. ROCCO SESSLER – FORTY FORGED ASIA RACING TEAM (24’06.946s)
5. MUHAMMAD ZAQHWAN ZAIDI – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (24’12.450s)