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Launched in 2020 under the name SIC MiniGP before being rebranded as the FIM MiniGP Malaysia Series the following year, this championship involving racers as young as eight years old has had a significant impact on nurturing local talent – much like other domestic championships.
To date, the series has produced individuals like inaugural season champion Hakim Danish Ramli, who has made a name for himself internationally, and young talent Qabil Irfan Azlan, who clinched the overall FIM MiniGP World Series title in Valencia, Spain last year.
Despite being relatively under the radar, talents like these cannot be overlooked as they also bring Malaysia’s name onto the international stage. For championship manager Zulfahmi Khairuddin, this series is a branch that will develop racers, particularly in paving their way to prestigious competitions like the Motorcycle World Championship (MotoGP).
“We train athletes from a very young age. Just like badminton or tennis, it all starts from a young age. So when I see someone starting racing at the age of 13, it means maturity will come at the age of 15 or 16… if we follow the old style.
“But with MiniGP starting from the age of eight… like Qabil, he’s now 11 but he already has almost four years of experience on a MiniGP motorcycle. So, this championship serves as a catalyst, a great platform if one aims for MotoGP. In Europe, they become professional racers from the age of 12, able to communicate well with engineers besides being proficient in technical language.
“Hakim Danish also emerged as the ATC (Asia Talent Cup) champion in 2022. For me, it’s a positive impact through this program, creating excellent racers,” said Zulfahmi in a video revolving around the MiniGP Malaysia Championship.
“This championship is not a competitor to any other championship organizers (in Malaysia) because we have different age groups compared to other organizers. The closest one is the Cub Prix Championship. Cub Prix starts from the age of 13, but I was trained from the age of eight.
“So, I don’t see it as competition, but I see this program as developing a different championship that leads to the two-wheeled motorsport industry,” said Zulfahmi, who hopes to see racers from this championship emerge as MotoGP racers within the next 10 years.