As soon as he topped Warm Up in the morning, there was little doubt that Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia) would be strong if the race stayed wet. Wet is exactly how the track stayed and as in Argentina the Malaysian had everyone’s jaws on the floor. From 20th on the grid he cut through the field, his feeling in the wet simply unmatched by any of the other riders. Once he took the lead he never looked back, each of his laps with clear track at least a second faster than the riders behind him. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, a big moment at Turn 1 sending him off track and giving him the sign to ease off a little bit. Is there anyone in the lightweight class who can even touch Pawi in the wet?
In Argentina he won by 26 seconds, in Germany he crossed the line over 11 seconds ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing) in second. Pawi remains as the only rookie to win even a single Moto3™ World Championship race in 2016. He’s third overall in the Rookie of the Year competition, able to score just four points outside the 50 achieved for his two wins. With 54 points, Pawi jumps to tenth in the championship standings and continues to set the bar for all future Malaysian riders.
Khairul Idham Pawi: “Many thanks to my team who are always working hard for me. This race was hard for me because I made a lot of drama and then I saved the crash. I pushed a little bit and I say OK, maybe cool down. Then I managed the time until the finish. Many thanks to everyone who has supported me and I hope my family and my friends enjoyed!”