HAFIZH SYAHRIN RETURNS TO MOTO2 WITH ÁNGEL NIETO TEAM

Malaysian rider completes Ángel Nieto Team line-up for intermediate category in 2020

Hafizh Syahrin will return to the Moto2 World Championship in 2020 with the Ángel Nieto Team. The Malaysian rider, who has spent the last two seasons in MotoGP, moves back to the intermediate category where he made his Grand Prix debut as a wildcard in 2011. Syahrin will line up alongside Spanish rider Aron Canet, who steps up to Moto2 after fighting for the Moto3 World Championship title.

Syahrin became a full-time Grand Prix rider in 2014 and made swift progress to become a top ten championship finisher in both 2016 and 2017, scoring several podiums along the way. For the 2018 season he made the step up to MotoGP, where he has spent the past two seasons.

Jorge Martínez “Aspar”: “I would like to welcome Hafizh Syahrin to our team. It is great news for us to sign such an experienced rider to our new challenge in the Moto2 class. We are planning a big step forward in 2020, we are raising the bar and I know that both Hafizh and his future teammate Aron Canet will help us reach it. Syahrin is a rider who already has several years of experience in this category and we have confidence in his ability to achieve big things.”

Hafizh Syahrin: “I think that together with the Ángel Nieto Team we can do a good job next season. Moto2 is not a new category for me because I already spent several years there, but now I will have a different chassis, a different engine with more power and different tyres. I have raced against the majority of riders in this class and I think I can mix it up at the front. I will give my best to be a top five rider, I have faith in the team because I have worked with a few of them before, and I think we can do a good job.”

Razlan Razali (CEO of Sepang International Circuit): “We are extremely pleased to be supporting Hafizh for 2020 in the Moto2 category with Angel Nieto Team. We are confident that Hafizh can mount a serious challenge to Championship next year. Hafizh is a national icon, mentor and an inspiration to the youth of Malaysia and it is great that he will continue his efforts and a possible comeback to the MotoGP category in 2021. Hafizh is a credible and competitive rider and his presence in the world championship will ensure continued success of Asian riders.

YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Minister of Youth and Sports): “Hafizh is a talented Malaysian athlete and the Ministry fully supports his decision to continue participating in the international racing scene in the Moto2 category. His previous experience and achievement would grant him a competitive edge over his peers and this would make him a serious contender to fight for more podium places next year. I wish him well and cannot wait to hear our ‘Negaraku’ song being played in his honour all over the world.”