Ex-PETRONAS Sprinta Moto3 rider Adam Norrodin will be the latest replacement for Khairul Idham Pawi.
He is the latest substitute rider in the PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team in Moto2.
Pawi is recovering from a hand injury.
Ex-PETRONAS Sprinta Moto3 rider Adam Norrodin will be the latest replacement for Khairul Idham Pawi.
Norrodin will take over the Moto2 reins in the PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team at the Misano GP. Pawi is still nursing the injury to his right finger which had partly been amputated.
Norrodin used to race for the Sepang International Circuit team in the Moto3 class from 2016 to 2018, partnering Ayumu Sasaki. When the team became the PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team for this season, Scottish racer John McPhee replaced Norrodin.
The Malaysian rider went to ride for the SIC Junior team, contesting in the European Moto2 championship.
Although he has experience riding a Moto2 machine, this will be his first time on the Triumph-powered Moto2 machine in the Moto2 World Championship.
“It’s a shame that KIP is not able to return to racing, but I’m really happy to have been given this opportunity; it’s like a dream come true,” Norrodin said. “There’s something new for me to learn, but it’ll be interesting for me – it’s a new chapter for my story and I need to say a huge thanks to Dato’ Razlan Razali and the team for still believing in me.”
Team Principal Dato’ Razlan Razali said “One of our objectives is to encourage and nurture Malaysian racing talent so with Khairul Idham Pawi still recovering, there was an ideal opportunity to give Adam Norrodin the opportunity to sample Moto2 at world championship level.”
Mattia Pasini, Jonas Folger and Bradley Smith have substituted for Pawi this season. As Smith will be representing the SIC team at Misano for the MotoE race, he will unavailable as substitute.
Khairul Idham Pawi a.k.a. SuperKIP was the first Malaysian rider to win in a world championship.
His first win was in Argentina in 2016.
He is currently recuperating after a number of surgeries to his right hand.
Khairul Idham Pawi a.k.a. SuperKIP will always be remembered as the first ever Malaysian racer to win a race (and added another later) for the country in a world championship.
His first win was in the Moto3 race at Argentina in 2016 and would go on to win another three months later in Germany. He has since moved up the Moto2 championship in 2017.
But he’s been missing from the Moto2 grid lately, and his PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team substituted him with Mattias Pasini and Jonas Folger.
The injuries to his right hand turned out to be more serious after his crash in Jerez in May this year. Surgeons had to partially amputate the little finger.
Pawi made a comeback at the Czech Republic round in Brno but acute pain forced him to withdraw halfway through the race.
Further surgeries caused him to miss the Austrian round. MotoGP surgeon Dr. Xavier Mir inserted a screw into the reconstructed bone in Pawi’s finger. The surgery was performed in the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona, Spain.
Pawi aims to return to the Moto2 grid when fully fit. However, he may not recover in time for the Malaysian MotoGP round.
There are currently talks of him moving back to Moto3 next year to replace Ayumu Sasaki in the PETRONAS SRT outfit, while Hafizh Syahrin takes his place in the Moto2 PETRONAS SRT team. We shall wait for the official announcement.
Malaysian Moto2 star, Khairul Idham Pawi had set up his own racing academy.
The Superkip Racing Academy will enter riders in the 2018 Cub Prix season.
The team will be managed by Superkip’s father, Pawi Omar.
Young age and a busy schedule at MotoGP did not stop Malaysian Moto2 rider, Khairul Idham Pawi, from training young riders through his own Superkip Racing Academy.
In addition to training, the academy based in Kampung Gajah, Perak, also took a step further by campaigning in the national professional racing stage, namely in the PETRONAS AAM Malaysia Cub Prix Championship in 2018, in the CP115 and Wira categories.
Among the early riders of the SuperKIP Academy are Khairul’s younger brother Anuar Ibrahim Pawi, besides Honda Wave Alpha Challenge riders Md Afizat Supaat, Md Amer Rossi Amidi, Md Hazim, and Md Haziq Rosmaza.
“Selection of riders has been done since the mid-season of the Cub Prix 2017 Championship where we saw and evaluated potential rivals competing in the Honda one-make race series.
“After listing some riders, we invited them to undergo my training session as soon as the Cub Prix Championship ended in Johor, last November. We did different approaches where these riders did not only undergo intensive training, but also provided accommodation here. In addition to training on the circuit, they also underwent training such as fitness, cycling, and others according to the set schedule,” said the 19-year-old rider.
Commenting on the target against all riders, Khairul said, “This is the first year the team is competing at the Cub Prix while the riders are also competing for the first time in the higher classes. We did not set the target too high, we’ll be satisfied with top five finish, and would definitely be very happy if they could climb onto the podium.
“The competition will be fierce and they will be forced to face more experienced teams and riders, including my former team, Idemitsu Kozi Yam Honda Racing. The competition is certainly great and I hope the riders can gain useful experience this year.”
He added, “This team will be supervised by my dad as I’m in Europe a lot next year. Nevertheless, I will always watch them race live on social media when I’m not involved with racing and always get the latest updates from team management.”
Meanwhile, Khairul’s father, Pawi Omar, who will act as team manager, said the plan to set up the academy arose after Khairul won the Moto3 race in Argentina and Germany.
“In the early stages, the academy was created to provide guidance to local youths who are interested in racing before deciding to go further.”
“The way we formed Khairul all this time will be used to guide other riders. Most important is the support of the riders themselves. We are pleased that the families of the riders in the academy are fully supportive and willing to let their children live with us for training and preparation for the Cub Prix race, “he explained.
Reb Bull organised a pleasant meet-and-greet session with Khairul Idham Pawi, better known as Superkip.
Red Bull has been instrumental in Superkip’s career as a racer.
Superkip regards 2017 as a year of learning and making progress.
The Gardens, Mid Valley, 25th October 2017 – Well, it is the Malaysian MotoGP week and this is the best time to meet our favourite riders and idols, whom we won’t get to see the whole year ’round, except for maybe during the pre-season Winter Test. Then again, we don’t get to meet riders in other classes other than MotoGP, either.
Thanks to Red Bull, they set up a meet-and-greet session with national hero, Khairul Idham Pawi, better known as Superkip. In fact, Red Bull has been instrumental in Superkip’s progress through his career.
His exploits isn’t only known in Malaysia, but also worldwide when he won two Moto3 races in his first full season last year, which gives him the distinction of being the first Malaysian to have ever won a GP race of any class. Many Malaysians fondly remember the first time when Negaraku was played at the track and beamed into millions of homes around the world.
He has since moved up into Moto2 for the 2017 season, in the Idemitsu Honda Asia Team, riding a Kalex. Although he seemed to be struggling, it is a normal part of a steep learning curve. Give this 19-year-old from Perak some time and you can be sure Negaraku will be played again.
Red Bull had also organized a brief Q&A session with Superkip.
Question: You seem to be a little quiet since joining Moto2. What’s your opinion on that? Superkip: To me this year is about learning, as I don’t have much experience. I’ve only one season each in the CEV Junior Championship and Moto3. I need more time but am growing more in tune with my Moto2 bike now, so I hope to perform well this weekend.
Question: Will there still be space for improvements this year? Superkip: Insy’Allah there will be. There are still two races left and I’ll be testing for 2018 after the last round in Valencia.
Question: Will you be targeting a podium position this weekend? Superkip: Realistically speaking, a podium finish may be difficult to achieve at the moment. The most important aspect for me is to keep improving.
Question: That difficulty is due to? Is it the machine? Or the team? Superkip: It’s definitely not a problem with the machine or team. The struggle is with learning a new bike, which needs time.
Question: Are there or is there anyone who supports you through this time of need? Superkip: Of course, my team, family friends, fans. Thank you for your support.
Question: There are those of the opinion that you were thrust into Moto2 too quickly? Superkip: That may be true, although joining Moto2 at an early stage is also good thing as I’m already prepared from an early age.
Our homeboy Khairul Idham Pawi made quite a statement when he won two races of the Moto3 class in Germany and Argentina. Having swept the field with his immense wet weather talent, the Perakian who hails from Kampung Gajah was the first Malaysian to win a Moto3 class race ensuring that history will never forget him.
We recently got the opportunity to sit down over dinner with the man who is affectionately known as KIP, thanks to Red Bull Malaysia. The following is the conversation we had over dinner.
Q: Hey Khairul. A lot of people are asking, why do you perform better in the wet than you do in the dry?
A: In the rain, I have more confidence when I’m on my motorcycle, so I feel I can ride it faster. It’s usually slippery and not slippery at the same time so I just have to control the throttle and manage it the best way possible.
Q: Did you learn to ride like this in the wet through experience?
A: Not really. Actually, I never thought I could be fast in the rain, and I have even raced in the rain before but never as fast as I am now. So I just need to have that level of confidence with the bike to make sure it’ll be easier to ride fast.
Q: Are the other riders friendly to a young Malaysian rider and are they willing to share their knowledge?
A: To me, my team and also my manager, Tadayuki Okada, have helped me a lot in terms of riding and much more. He has taught me a lot.
Q: Besides racing in Moto3, wanting to win races and the championship, what are some of the things you hope to achieve from this?
A: Of course all riders would like to reach the highest level of racing, which is MotoGP. So I will try my very best to reach a much higher level in racing.
Q: What have you learned so far from racing at this level?
A: Racing is definitely a sport with high risks, for example crashing out of the races and other things as well.
Q: One final question for Super KIP, do you have any special messages that you would like to send to your fans here in Malaysia?
K: To all my fans, thank you to all of you who have been supporting me throughout my career. Don’t forget to come to Sepang this weekend and let’s support all the Malaysian riders in the races on Sunday.
S: Alright, thank you so much KIP.
Q: Have you had any improvements in the past few races?
A: It was quite difficult for me especially after Germany. We didn’t get the right setup for the motorcycle, so now more or less I have a much better feeling with the bike. I will try my best to get the best feeling of the bike as soon as I can, just as I did in Catalunya, Italy and the other previous races as well.
Q: How do you control the pressure when it comes to racing at home here in Malaysia? I am sure you know that there are a lot of supporters hoping for you to win the home race this Sunday.
A: Well, maybe the support is not just for me alone. There are other Malaysian riders that are participating in Moto3 and also Moto2. Most probably their support is for all of the Malaysian riders.
Q: Do you have a personal goal or target to finish in the top 10?
A: Of course I will try my very best. I will try my to get the best position, if possible, a podium finish for all Malaysians who will come to support me in Sepang this weekend.
Q: Do you actually prefer wet races or you don’t really mind about any kind of weather?
A: To me, it doesn’t really matter if it rains or shines, I will still race and give my all for Malaysians everywhere.
Q: How familiar are you with the Sepang International Circuit with the new improvements to the pavement?
A: I like the race track very much. It’s just that I am still not used to it because of the new asphalt. So, in the first practice later, I will try to get a good feeling of it as I am still not too sure about the grain of the track.
Q: When was the last time you got to ride in the Sepang Circuit?
A: The last time was 2 years ago, back when I was racing for the Asia Dream Cup in 2014.
Q: Do you feel that you are satisfied with the season so far? Is it more than you have hoped for?
A: For my very first season in Moto3, I never thought that I would be on the podium! I thought that I would just collect a few points and gain experience in my rookie season.
Q: Is there a much bigger plan for you for the next season?
A: For now, I can’t really say much as I too have no idea. Maybe later, Honda will make the announcement about any updates regarding myself.
Q: So KIP, you were involved in a crash in Phillip Island last weekend, right? Care to tell us about your experience?
A: Yes, I did crash at Phillip Island that day. It all happened in the starting lap at the second corner. It was very disappointing but there were other riders who fell right in front of me and I couldn’t avoid them. I crashed and fell there.
Q: Final question, how to do feel about the home race?
A: To me, the home race is definitely making me more excited with high spirits. InsyaAllah I will give my very best!
