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Hakim Danish clinches first win of season in Aragon
Hakim Danish clinches first win of season in Aragon

New Straits Times

time15 hours ago

  • Sport
  • New Straits Times

Hakim Danish clinches first win of season in Aragon

f KUALA LUMPUR: Motorcycle racer Hakim Danish Ramli did his chances of securing a seat in Moto3 next year no harm after emerging victorious at the Aragon leg of the Red Bull Rookies Cup today (June 8). Hakim, who finished second in race one yesterday (June 7), went one better in race two today, taking the flag ahead of Spanish duo Brian Uriarte (+0.188s) and David Gonzalez (+0.195s). It was Hakim's first race win of the season - he had placed second in his first five races - and further consolidated his position atop the championship standings with 125 points to his name. It was a commendable achievement for Hakim, who started from seventh on the grid, which is likely to boost his chances of moving up to the Moto3 World Championship next year. Last month Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif disclosed that Hakim essentially has a seat waiting for him in Moto3 next season but must first prove himself worthy of the slot. Hakim is a product of SIC's two-wheel talent development programme which is run by ZK Racing. Mugello will host the next round of the Red Bull Rookies Cup on June 21-22.

Hakim storms to superb win in Aragon
Hakim storms to superb win in Aragon

The Star

time16 hours ago

  • Sport
  • The Star

Hakim storms to superb win in Aragon

Hakim Danish won his first race of the season in Race 2 of Round 3 of the Red Bull Rookies Cup in Aragon, Spain. PETALING JAYA: Hakim Danish Ramli made it a Hari Raya Haji celebration to remember after an incredible comeback effort to win Race 2 of the third round of the Red Bull Rookies Cup at Aragon Circuit in Spain. The 17-year-old ran wide with four laps to go but somehow managed to force his way back to the top three with one lap to go in Race 2 yesterday. Hakim's tenacity paid off as he overtook main rival Brian Uriarte, who was only 01.88s behind, on the last corner of the final lap to claim his first win of the season in 26:52.773s. Another Spanish rider David Gonzalez took third place. Hakim thus completed a wonderful Hari Raya Haji weekend on Spanish soil, having taken second place in Race 1 behind Uriarte on Saturday. Hakim was visibly delighted with what he achieved after what seemed like a hopeless outcome when he fell to seventh place after running wide. "It was my only chance and I somehow pulled it off. Finally I managed to get first place. Today's race was great and quite difficult. The tires wore out quickly but I managed to control it. "I would like to express my immense gratitude to my sponsors, family and all my friends who have always supported me. Happy Eid Al-Adha to all Malaysians," said Hakim. Hakim, who has finished thus far on the podium in all six races of the championship, extends his position as the overall leader with 125 points, having a 30-point advantage over Uriarte in second position. The next round will be held in Mugello, Italy from June 21-22.

Racing, school and a bit of Spanish: SA's KJ Mononyane adjusting to life in Barcelona
Racing, school and a bit of Spanish: SA's KJ Mononyane adjusting to life in Barcelona

IOL News

time25-05-2025

  • Automotive
  • IOL News

Racing, school and a bit of Spanish: SA's KJ Mononyane adjusting to life in Barcelona

Kgopotso 'KJ' Mononyane is currently participating in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in Europe. Photo: Double Apex Image: Double Apex Just close your eyes for a moment and picture yourself as a teenager still in high school. Would you have been brave enough to move to a new country, where you don't speak the language, to pursue a dream? Resources and social status aside, any venture that requires you to dive into the unknown is daunting – even more so when you're only a teenager. But 17-year-old Kgopotso 'KJ' Mononyane was brave enough to do exactly that, relocating to Barcelona, Spain, where he is chasing his dream of becoming a MotoGP champion. South African Motorcycle Racer KJ Mononyane says moving to Barxelona to train was a real eye opening experience. He spoke to @IOLsport in an exclusive interview about life in Spain lately. — Jehran Daniel (@JehranD) May 22, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading At just 16, he left South Africa for Barcelona to live and train with professional athletes who have experience on European circuits – a move crucial to his development as a professional motorcycle racer with ambitions as big as his. He now races in two leagues: the FIM JuniorGP World Championship and the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Both tour Europe across seven rounds, giving him 14 high-pressure weekends to manage – all while completing matric. Yes, he's still in school and trying his best. One can imagine how demanding being a professional rider is, both physically and mentally, but the Gauteng-born Mononyane is determined to finish school. He's now in his second season racing on the European circuit and names Mugello Circuit in Italy as his favourite – mainly because he's fastest through its chicanes, having previously raced in the Italian Cup before moving to Barcelona. Kj Mononyane Motorcycle racer says you have to be a bit crazy to fight for a position on turn 1 of any race. Mononyane races in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and FIM Junior GP World Championship @IOLsport — Jehran Daniel (@JehranD) May 22, 2025 'So, I'm still doing the South African syllabus,' Mononyane told Independent Media this week. 'I study through online school to fit in with everything I have going on. 'It's been hard, and I've been falling behind a bit, but I'm trying to stay on top of things.' 'It's been a new experience moving out here to Barcelona. 'But I was advised to come because this is where all the best are training and riding. 'Being in this environment has definitely helped me become a better rider. It's been an eye-opening experience, learning and rubbing shoulders with some of the best. 'No matter how much I trained in SA, you always want to compare yourself to the best, and they were overseas. 'It was really different when I first arrived – I thought I was fast in South Africa, but in Spain, it was a whole different game.' Mononyane now spends much of his time riding around dirt tracks in Barcelona to familiarise himself with different surfaces and become a more adaptable rider. He said going fast isn't the most important factor at the top level – it's about how quickly you can adapt to changing conditions. He has also learned to speak Spanish and can now converse with locals confidently. 'The ladies even call him 'Papi'… just kidding – they still call me KJ,' he jokes. 'Riding on dirt helps a lot with clutch control and knowing what to do at every turn. 'You always have to be present and focused, which really helps in races. I also had to change my riding style when I got here. "The way race bikes are set up, you have to ride them in a certain way. 'If you think you can just do your own thing, you won't succeed. 'I struggled with that in my first year, but I've improved a lot and am now more in tune with the race bikes.' During his first season in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, Mononyane finished around 46 seconds off the pace leader on average. This season, he's cut that gap to around nine seconds – a staggering improvement that's caught the attention of scouts and teams. His ability to adapt quickly and improve his pace significantly bodes well for his long-term ambition of climbing the ranks. But even he admits his style can be a bit reckless, especially when attacking the first turn of a race. 'You've got to be a bit crazy to get into a good position because everyone's fighting for the same space. 'I think the Red Bull Cup is a bit more relaxed than the JuniorGP because the stakes are higher there – more sponsors, more prize money. 'Every lap counts, but if you win, it's a huge achievement because a lot of teams pay attention to that.' While reaching MotoGP might still feel like a distant dream, Mononyane is focused on the 10 races he has left this season. His best finishes so far is a P9 in the Red Bull Cup and P10 in the JuniorGP – both marks he's determined to improve.

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