Race Highlights ★ Hafizh Syahrin Win First Place at CEV Repsol Navarra 2013 HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH gets better with every successive round in the Spanish National Championship. At the Navarra Circuit for Round 5 of the season, the Malaysian rider successfully stepped up to the top step of the podium, recording his first ever Moto2 win in the Spanish Championship. Hafizh, who started third on the grid, was unusually slow at the start and was pushed back to fifth at Turn 1. But that did not stop the determined rider from working his way up along the twisty circuit, chasing after leaders Roman Ramos and Alejandro Marinelerana. Hafizh rode like a boy posessed and passed the leading duo with six laps to go on the board. Despite unrelenting pressure from his arch rivals, Hafizh managed to maintain his leadership position until the chequered flag came down at the end of the 18-lap race. Hafizh's win was clocked with a time of 30:50.823s. Marinelerana finished second with 30:51.128, 0.305 seconds behind the Malaysian rider while championship leader Ramos took third place with 30:56.440s. "I was a little nervous at the starting grid. I knew my machine was good and I had a lot of confidence I could make this happen. I told myself not to let everyone down and despite a bad start, I was still certain I would be able to catch the two top guys," Hafizh described the race. "This is the proudest moment of my career. I finally won in the Spanish Championship. All the hard work has paid off. To my team, our sponsors, my family and everyone back home in Malaysia, I dedicate this win to you. With my team and my sponsors, especially PETRONAS, I would never have reached this stage," he said, delighted. With this win, Hafizh closed in on Marinelarena on the rider's rankings. Now with 94 points under his belt, Hafizh is only three points away from challenging the Spaniard for the second overall position. Ramos still leads with 126 points.

• published: 23 Sep 2013
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