Qabil Irfan Azlan displayed tremendous fighting spirit during Round 2 of the 2026 Moto4 European Cup at Estoril Circuit in Portugal, bouncing back from disappointment in Race 1 to secure a fourth-place finish in Race 2.

The SIC-GRYD Racing rider first caught the attention in Race 1 after starting from ninth on the grid and quickly making up several positions to join the leading group. Qabil produced an impressive ride as he climbed to fifth place before maintaining a competitive pace among the front runners.

With six laps remaining, Qabil began applying pressure to his rivals, moving up to fourth before successfully taking over second position. The intense battle at the front saw his position change several times between second and third, but he appeared to be in a strong position to challenge for a podium finish. However, his hopes were dashed when he lost the front end of his machine at Turn 9 and crashed, subsequently colliding with Italian rider Lorenzo Pritelli with just three laps remaining.

Despite the setback, Qabil refused to give up and responded strongly in Race 2, finishing in an impressive fourth place after starting from 10th on the grid. His consistent pace allowed him to move into fourth position with 12 laps remaining, and he remained there until the chequered flag. His chances of challenging for the podium were slightly affected after a crash involving two riders ahead created a significant gap to the leading group. Nevertheless, Qabil was forced to settle for fourth place and collected 13 valuable championship points.

The result at Estoril sees Qabil move on to 26 points in the overall standings, placing him sixth in the Moto4 European Cup riders’ championship after two rounds. He is now just four points behind Italian rider Cristian Borrelli, who occupies fifth place with 30 points, while Spanish rider Alvaro Lucas leads the standings with 75 points. Qabil will now turn his attention to Round 3 of the Moto4 European Cup, which is scheduled to take place at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain in early July

Qabil Irfan: “Round 2 has now come to an end and, overall, there were quite a few surprises throughout the weekend. In Race 1, I crashed with three laps remaining. I was trying to overtake the rider in front, but I lost the front end of the bike. I attempted to rejoin the race, but the engine had stalled and I was unable to continue.

In Race 2, I got off to a good start and followed the strategy we had planned, which was to attack from behind and work my way forward. However, two riders crashed ahead of me, which caused me to lose contact with the race leaders and created quite a significant gap. I tried to regain my rhythm and remain consistent. All of the riders were very fast and the competition was extremely close, but unfortunately it was not meant to be for me to finish on the podium this time. I eventually crossed the line in fourth place.

The next round will take place at Jerez in early July and I will do my best to come back stronger. I would like to thank all of my sponsors for their continued support, as well as all the fans who have been cheering me on.”

Zulfahmi Khairuddin: “This weekend provided many valuable lessons for Qabil. In a championship as fiercely competitive as the Moto4 European Cup, I am particularly proud of the way he managed the races from start to finish. Qabil showed that he has the ability to run with the leading group and fight for podium positions. That is a very positive sign because not every rider is capable of doing that in their first season.

As everyone is aware, Qabil arrived at Estoril without having completed any private testing at the circuit. Most of the other teams already had data from pre-event test sessions, whereas we had to start from scratch and use every official session to learn the circuit and find the best possible set-up for the bike. Despite those circumstances, Qabil was still able to compete with the front runners and remain in the fight for a podium. That demonstrates his ability to adapt quickly. Of course, we were disappointed with what happened in Race 1, but this is all part of the learning process that every young rider must go through.

That fighting spirit is extremely important. Qabil is gaining a better understanding of the level of competition in Europe, and I believe experiences like these will help him become a more mature rider in the future. Our focus now is to continue working hard, improve on our weaknesses and come back stronger at Jerez. Most importantly, Qabil has already proven that he has the pace to compete with the very best riders at the front.”