Hakim Danish Ramli produced a sensational performance on his debut season in the Moto3 World Championship by claiming victory at the Czech Republic Grand Prix at the Automotodrom Brno today. The remarkable triumph ended Malaysia’s near decade-long wait to hear the national anthem played once again on the MotoGP stage, matching the historic achievement of former Moto3 rider Khairul Idham Pawi, who famously won at Sachsenring, Germany, in 2016.

The victory was made even sweeter by Hakim Danish’s outstanding form throughout the race weekend, during which he broke the all-time Brno lap record on two occasions. The AEON Credit-MT Helmets-MSi rider first posted a time of 2:04.938 during Free Practice 1 (FP1) before lowering the benchmark to 2:04.754 during the practice session.

However, the road to victory was far from straightforward. Following Qualifying 2 (Q2), Hakim Danish was handed a 12-place grid penalty after being found to have ridden too slowly in several sectors of the circuit, disrupting other riders. The penalty dropped him from second on the grid to 14th for the race, but the young Malaysian remained determined to fight back once the lights went out.

Starting from 14th position, the Terengganu-born rider delivered a mature and aggressive ride, rapidly carving his way through the field and breaking into the top five by the fourth lap. Although he briefly slipped to seventh on lap five, Hakim Danish quickly regained ground and began applying pressure to the leading group. He successfully overtook several rivals, including Indonesian rider Veda Pratama of Honda Team Asia and David Almansa of Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP, before moving into the top three.

The battle intensified during the second half of the race as Hakim Danish repeatedly exchanged positions with Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and David Almansa. He also spent periods running in second place while chasing race leader Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team). As the race entered its closing stages, Hakim Danish remained calm and consistent within the leading group while continuing to apply pressure on the riders ahead of him.

Everything was decided on the final lap when a fierce battle between Quiles and Uriarte created a small opening at the front. Having positioned himself within striking distance, Hakim Danish seized the opportunity with a perfectly timed move to overtake both riders. His bravery, race craft and decisive judgement enabled the Malaysian rider to cross the finish line in first place, securing a historic victory for Malaysia.

The historic win not only earned him the maximum 25 championship points but also lifted him to seventh in the overall Moto3 World Championship standings with 73 points. Quiles remains at the top of the championship with 186 points, followed by Alvaro Carpe in second on 121 points, while Uriarte occupies third place with 82 points. The success at Brno also marked Hakim Danish’s second podium finish of the season following his third-place result at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello last month.

Even more impressively, the victory strengthened his position in third place in the 2026 Moto3 Rookie of the Year standings with 73 points. The Malaysian rider is now just nine points behind Veda Pratama, who sits second with 82 points, while Uriarte leads the rookie classification with 92 points.

Hakim Danish: “This is a very special victory for me, my team and all Malaysian supporters. It has not been an easy weekend as we faced a number of challenges, but I never stopped believing in myself or in the hard work we have put in together as a team. I am incredibly grateful to have finally achieved my first victory in the Moto3 World Championship. It is difficult to put my feelings into words right now. I am extremely happy and proud to deliver this result for everyone who has supported me throughout the journey.

The race itself was extremely demanding. I made a good start and had to work hard to close the gap to the leading group. Little by little, I managed to overtake several riders ahead of me. After that, my focus was on staying with the front group while identifying opportunities to make overtakes and understanding which areas I could improve throughout the race.

On the final lap, I gave absolutely everything and pushed the bike to its limits. At that moment, the two riders ahead made a mistake and ran slightly wide from the racing line. I immediately seized the opportunity to overtake them. Thankfully, the strategy worked perfectly and I was able to cross the finish line in first place. This victory is the result of the hard work and dedication of the entire team.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all my sponsors, my team, my family and all the fans who have continuously supported me. Your support gives me tremendous motivation to keep fighting and to continue raising Malaysia’s profile on the world stage.”

Zulfahmi Khairuddin: “Alhamdulillah, this is a truly proud and special victory. To be honest, I did not expect Hakim Danish to secure a Grand Prix win this early in the season, as this is his rookie year in the Moto3 World Championship. However, I have always believed in Hakim Danish’s abilities. Today, he proved that Malaysian riders are capable of competing with and defeating the very best in one of the most fiercely contested categories in world motorcycle racing.

Throughout the week, he demonstrated exceptional potential. He was incredibly fast at Brno despite it being his first time racing at the circuit. I am extremely proud of him and would like to congratulate Hakim Danish on this remarkable achievement. What makes this victory even more special is that it places Malaysia on a different level in motorsport. I have always believed that our country possesses a wealth of motorsport talent. What we need is a stable and sustainable development programme to nurture that talent.

I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has played a part in developing our young riders. Today, the programme that we have worked so hard to build has proven that it can produce riders capable of winning Moto3 Grand Prix races. Thank you to all the supporters, to SIC, KBS, my team at ZK Racing, and everyone who has worked tirelessly alongside me in developing young talents such as Hakim Danish.”