ZAQHWAN CHARGED TO P1 IN DRY CONDITIONS
Round 4 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 is officially underway at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit today. Malaysia’s Muhd Zaqhwan Zaidi dominated Friday’s MSBK1000 A category’s Combined Practice, executing a perfectly timed late charge through changing track conditions to lock in the fastest overall time of the day.
The morning session presented a significant challenge for the entire grid as they faced a wet and slippery circuit. During Free Practice 1, Mohammad Adenanta Putra of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM navigated the tricky conditions best. Adenanta quickly set the early benchmark with a time of 2’23.689s on his second lap, reaching a top speed of 138.87kph. Zaqhwan took a measured approach to the wet track, posting a 2’24.006s on his fifth lap to secure second place. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin from HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING settled into third with a 2’24.341s, while AMI SUZUKI MOTORSPORT teammates Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Muhammad Adam Mohd Norrodin rounded out the early top five.
However, the timesheets saw a massive transformation in the afternoon. As the track dried for Free Practice 2, lap times plummeted by more than sixteen seconds. Zaqhwan immediately found his rhythm on the dry surface and began to push his limits. On his tenth lap out of eleven, he clocked a blistering 2’07.307s, hitting a session-high top speed of 156.75kph. This impressive late effort easily secured him the top spot in the Combined Practice standings.
Behind the leader, Adenanta also found significant speed in the dry, logging a 2’07.686s to secure second place overall, just 0.379s off Zaqhwan’s pace. Azroy Hakeem Anuar of HONDA RACING MALAYSIA made a huge leap in the afternoon, claiming third place with a 2’07.787s. Adam improved to a 2’08.433s for fourth, while Kasma rounded out the top five with a 2’08.885s.
Zaqhwan expressed, “To finish our very first day here sitting at the absolute top of the timesheets is an incredible feeling, and it gives the entire team a massive boost of confidence.The morning session really tested our patience. The wet track conditions were quite treacherous, so we made the smart decision not to force too many laps. Instead, we used that time carefully, simply getting reacquainted with the bike, building our rhythm, and making sure we felt truly comfortable and in sync with the machine in the rain.”
“In Free Practice 2, when we finally had a dry track, it was like taking the leashes off. We were finally able to push our limits to the absolute maximum, aggressively testing different setups and truly seeing what this bike is capable of in ideal conditions.”
“I am so proud of the tremendous work we accomplished today, but my hunger certainly doesn’t stop here. The competition is very close, and we know everyonewill improve tomorrow. I am hoping with all my heart that tomorrow’s Qualifying goes perfectly. I am determined to come back even faster, refine our pace, and fight with absolutely everything I have to secure that coveted pole position for Race 1!”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. MUHD ZAQHWAN ZAIDI – MALAYSIA (2’07.307s)
2. MOHAMMAD ADENANTA PUTRA – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (2’07.686s)
3. AZROY HAKEEM ANUAR – HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (2’07.787s)
4. MUHAMMAD ADAM MOHD NORRODIN – AMI SUZUKI MOTORSPORT (2’08.433s)
5. KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (2’08.885s)