AirAsia-SIC-Ajo Team´s Malaysian rider Zulfahmi close to podium at Catalunya

AirAsia-SIC-Ajo Team´s Malaysian rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin fought hard with his KTM factory bike to reach his first podium place in Barcelona when the season´s fifth GP was held at the dry track. However,  it wasn´t his time yet. Zulfahmi who started from the second place of the grid finished eight. He was only half a second from the podium. Zulfahmi´s first podium place is only matter of time now. It will come for sure, convinced team leader Aki Ajo.  ‘I´m especially pleased and happy with the fact that Fahmi rode so steadily during the whole weekend. He didn´t have that much of experience on how the situation will turn out just before the finish line in such a tight leading group. But after this he knows now that as well’, Ajo continued.
All in all, the race was pretty eventful for Zulfahmi. He led the first few laps but then made a mistake and was suddenly 11th. However, he made his way up behind the front group to second place twice during the race but when the last lap started he was forced to give up the place. Zulfahmi who has been so close to podium during the whole season wasn´t disappointed. ‘Of course it annoyed me a bit because based on Friday and Saturday I knew to expect my first podium place. However, I can´t take too much pressure out of it. I just have to do my work and ride all the time as well as possible’. Beside the speed also Zulfahmi´s self-confidence is at the right level. ‘I know that when I succeed in this class I am capable for anything. This was once again one really awesome experience’. Zulfahmi´s strong weekend at the GP of Catalunya affected also on the world championship standing. He moved two places up and is now seventh. Championship leader German rider Sandro Cortese has 87 points and Zulfahmi 37 points.
Maverick Viñales won his home race from pole position at the GP of Catalunya in dominant fashion. In the middle way of the 22 laps race he started to pull away slightly and left the others to fight for the second place. Also Zulfahmi had all the possibilities to reach that. 

GRAN PREMI APEROL DE CATALUNYA
Moto3 Race Classification
1. Maverick Vinales Spain, Blusens Avintia, FTR Honda 41.50,965
2. Sandro Cortese Germany, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM + 7,752
3. Miguel Oliveira Portugal, Estrella Galicia 0,0, Suter Honda + 7,853
4. Louis Rossi France, Racing Team Germany, FTR Honda + 8,007
5. Alexis Masbou France, Caretta Technology, Honda + 8,075
6. Alex Marquez Spain, Estrella Galicia 0,0, Suter Honda + 8,267
7. Hector Faubel Spain, Bankia Aspar Team, Kalex KTM + 8,355
8. Zulfahmi Khairuddin Malaysia, AirAsia-Sic-Ajo, KTM + 8,480
9. Romano Fenati Italy, Team Italia FMI, FTR Honda + 8,600
10. Luis Salom Spain, RW Racing GP, Kalex KTM + 16,023
11. Jakub Kornfeil Czech, Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta, FTR Honda + 16,127
12. Niccolo Antonelli Italy, San Carlo Gresini Moto3, FTR Honda + 16,222
13. Alan Techer France, Technomag-CIP-TSR, TSR Honda + 16,792
14. Alberto Moncayo Spain, Bankia Aspar Team, Kalex KTM + 30,132
15. Jack Miller Australia, Caretta Technology, Honda + 30,132
20. Danny Kent Great Britain, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM + 43,738
21. Niklas Ajo Finland, TT Motion Events Racing, KTM + 43,765
22. Arthur Sissis Australia, Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM + 44,119
World Championship standing:
1. Cortese 87
2. Vinales 80
3. Salom 55
4. Fenati 52
5. Rossi 45
6. Alex Rins Espanja, Suter Honda 44
7. Khairuddin 37
8. Moncayo 35
9. Antonelli 35
10. Masbou 29
11. Oliveira 27
12. Faubel 24
13. Sissis 23
14. Techer 18
15. Kent 16
26. Ajo 4

Next GP: 17th of June Silverstone, Great Britain.