Round 5 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 reached an emotional crescendo at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where the ASB1000 category saw local hero Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM produced an absolute masterclass on home soil, securing his ninth consecutive victory of the season and sealing the team championship title in dominant fashion.
Earlier in Qualifying 2, Japanese ace Kaito Toba of FORTY FORGED ASIA RACING TEAM clinched pole position with an impressive 2’05.006s lap, joined on the front row by Keito Abe of SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES and Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA, while Hafizh started just behind from fourth.
When the race started, Hafizh executed a flawless launch from the second row to sweep immediately into the lead heading into Turn 1, trailed closely by Keito, the IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA duo, Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Zaqhwan. The front of the field saw fierce combat on lap 3 when Hafizh set a benchmark lap of 2’05.819s. As Keito attempted a dive down the inside, Zaqhwan spotted an opening and audaciously overtook both frontrunners in a single move to snatch the race lead.
Hafizh responded on lap 4, reclaiming the lead and lowering his pace further to a 2’05.674s on lap 5. Behind him, Kaito was on a charge, clocking the race’s fastest lap of 2’05.644s on lap 6 before passing Zaqhwan for second on lap 8. However, on lap 10, Kaito’s machine suffered an unfortunate mechanical failure, forcing him to pull out of the contest.
Hafizh stretched his advantage to more than five seconds over Zaqhwan and Keito. Race concluded with Hafizh crossed the checkered flag at 29’36.868s, claiming victory by a commanding 6.188s margin over Zaqhwan, with Keito completing the podium in third. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND and Mohammad Adenanta Putra of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM rounded out the top five.
Hafizh said, “Syukur Alhamdulillah. Truly, there isn’t much more I can ask for, and words can hardly describe what this means. Everyone in the paddock knows just how hard we have fought together in this third season. We went through a very difficult, unsettling time leading into this weekend—it felt heavy, but a huge thank you to my crews who pushed tirelessly from before dawn every single day. A big credit also goes to the organizers for making sure our race went ahead.”
“In the race earlier, I got a great launch. I didn’t let the nerves take over; I simply stayed in my zone, trusted my pace, and focused entirely on the ride. In the end, all that sacrifice paid off just like it did across the previous four rounds. Having my team standing firmly beside me was all I needed.”
“Honestly, this weekend has been overwhelming, and I felt so much heavy emotion inside me. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our boss, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the Crown Prince of Johor, for making all of this possible. I gave everything out there for him, for my family, my father, and everyone who has been part of my training journey. But most of all, this victory is for my late brother, Farres. I raced every single lap for him. Over the final three laps, I couldn’t hold back the tears under my helmet; the emotions completely took over. I laid my heart on the track today. Thank you so much to everyone.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH – JDT RACING TEAM (29’36.868s)
2. MUHAMMAD ZAQHWAN ZAIDI – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (29’43.056s)
3. KEITO ABE – SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES (29’45.145s)
4. NAKARIN ATIRATPHUVAPAT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (29’46.562s)
5. MOHAMMAD ADENANTA PUTRA – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (29’56.607s)