Round 1 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 roared into life at the Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, with Malaysia’s Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM delivering a commanding Race 1 victory in the ASB1000 class, leading a sensational double podium finish for the team.
Hafizh made a phenomenal launch off the line, immediately seizing control of the race ahead of Lachlan Epis of SWIFT GROW RACING TEAM and Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA. Close behind were Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND and Keito Abe of SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES, as the front group quickly formed under intense early pressure.
By Lap 2, Hafizh had already broken clear with a 1.771s advantage, while Zaqhwan and Keito moved past Lachlan in a fierce battle for position. On Lap 3, Hafizh underlined his dominance by clocking a blistering fastest lap of 2’05.677s with a top speed of 284.2 km/h, stretching his lead further as Keito advanced to second ahead of Zaqhwan.
Drama unfolded on Lap 4 when Lachlan crashed out in a high-side incident, while Hafizh continued to build his advantage, now 2.636s clear of Keito. Behind them, the battle intensified with Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Nakarin trading positions, as Andi Farid Izdihar of JDT RACING TEAM steadily climbed into contention.
From Lap 5 onwards, Hafizh was in a league of his own, consistently extending his lead beyond the three-second mark. By Lap 10, the gap had grown to 4.788 seconds, while Andi surged past Azroy to move into fourth, setting up a late-race charge.
The closing stages saw Andi continue his impressive pace, eventually overtaking Zaqhwan to secure third place, completing a strong showing for JDT RACING TEAM. Up front, Hafizh remained untouchable, crossing the line in a commanding 29’32.797s, 5.370 seconds ahead of Keito, who finished second at 29’36.823s. Andi sealed the final podium position at 29’38.088s, marking a perfect start to the season for the team.
Hafizh said, “I’m still not really happy with my pace because I was targeting consistent 2’05 mid to high, but I can be satisfied with the result. From the first lap, I already had a good gap, so I focused on understanding where I can improve further for Race 2. Even though it looked comfortable, I won’t relax because my competitors will come back stronger tomorrow. Physically, it wasn’t easy. I felt quite tired after qualifying session. My heart rate went up to 206, and I lost a lot of fluids. During the race, I just told myself to stay relaxed and enjoy it, and in the end, it paid off. A P1 and P3 for the team is a very good start.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH – JDT RACING TEAM (29’32.797s)
2. KEITO ABE – SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES (29’36.823s)
3. ANDI FARID IZDIHAR – JDT RACING TEAM (29’38.088s)
4. AZROY HAKEEM ANUAR – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (29’40.696s)
5. MUHAMMAD ZAQHWAN ZAIDI – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (29’44.378s)